Solved Linux distro for Lenovo Ideapad Duet 3 (UFS harddrive)

[HarryChaote]

Hello.
I finally found the courage to actually ask in some kind of community...

I hope I'm using the correct category, since it's not a true laptop, but a M. Surface style convertible with detachable keyboard.

I'm in a bit of a sticky situation. I own a Lenovo Ideapad Duet 3, type 11IAN8 (the Windows version, not the Chrome OS version, as I have learned both exist)
I'm not picky about Linux distros, I would just like to be able to swap from Windows. (I used several flavours of Ubuntu, Mint, Manjaro, Fedora from what I remember, on various computers over many years - my first distant memory is Ubuntu Lucid Lynx)

I attempted to install Linux on it, but that was many months ago, maybe a year, and my efforts were futile.
I would like to gather some information before the attempt No.2, since it was a somewhat traumatizing experience.
There are some articles and posts about Duet 3 being great with Linux, but that is most probably the Chromebook version, since they named several slightly different devices the same name for whatever reason.

OSes tested:
Tried several of the major Linux branches to see what differs.
Ubuntu, Mint
Fedora
OpenSUSE
Manjaro, Arch (I failed to install Arch, so I guess that was the limit of my Linux-installation-skills at that point)


What had happened:
I did manage to boot from usb stick.
The system was in portrait mode.
After installation, no matter the system, it failed to boot.
Afterwards I learned that this was caused by the UFS harddrive (this machine contains the Samsung KLUDG4UHGC-B0E1, using UFS 3.1)
I managed to rewrite few lines in the kernel to allow the system to boot from UFS, following a tutorial.
It booted in portrait mode. (again)
While trying to fix the orientation of both the display and the touch panel, and several other different issues, I used the stylus to test it, which caused the system to freeze and crash.
I repeated the attempt with all of the distros mentioned above, getting some identical, and some varied issues.
At this moment I realized I am probably not capable to put Linux on this machine, and very relucantly reverted to Windows.

What I'm looking for:
A distribution that could be installed and working reasonably well. Which one, doesn't matter much at this point.
I'm willing to put up significant effort to make it running, if it would work.
I'd like the stylus to work and to be able to use external document scanner, since I'm using my computer for art.

Questions:
Does anyone here have experience with this machine and/or UFS drives? (Did anything change in last months?)
Would something based on Gentoo have bigger chance for success? (I didn't try that one yet, and it intimidates me. I only have some very fuzzy knowledge that it's very flexible, but no idea if this isn't a dead end)
Related to the first question, is it actually possible to make this convertible work with Linux, or are the compatibility issues, proprietary drivers, weird hardware choices, a too tough nut to crack?

All in all... I'm going to continue my research in parallel to posting this.
I just need perhaps a few pointers, I'm willing to do the work here. (I just want to avoid another full week of hitting the walls with messed up machine to worry about)

Thanks to anyone who'd look into this.

 

[Brickwizard]

OK so your IdeaPad Duet 3, type 11IAN8 came in 2 main configurations for windows, Either with the N100 CPU and 4gGB ram or the Intel N200 with 8gb Ram, in both cases it has a UFS drives [hardwired developed for smartphones]and an NVMe 128 GB being an entry level machine the CPU and Ram is hard-wired and not upgradable, having said this there is noting stopping this machine running any Linux, BUT you will need to disable windows quick-start and do a full power re-boot, some not all distributions may need secure boot also disabled.

 

[Condobloke]

G'day HarryChaote, Welcome to Linux.org

That is quite the puzzle you have there, I will follow this with interest. You are in good hands with @Brickwizard ...if anyone can find the necessary clues, he can.

 

[Brickwizard]

GOOD MORNING
and to continue, as the machine is basically a tablet, some distributions that work better on tablets are..
Mint23 , Ubuntu, Debian [with driver pack] Arch, Portius, MX-Linux. The list could be quite exhaustive but give these a try

your problems may start with changing the BIOS/UEFI to point to the NVMe as primary [bootable] drive

 

[HarryChaote]

Thank you guys for your answers, and good morning from Europe!
Now I think that I might have written a post that became too long to read or confusing, as I tried to encompass as much details as possible. (It's a bit of a habit of mine to turn anything I write about into a novel, and I'm afraid this answer won't be an exception.)

To address the first answer by Brickwizard, my Duet is of the 8 gb RAM variety, though according to the System Information inside Windows, the CPU is N100 for some reason, so perhaps there were more variants floating around.

But it is reassuring to know that there should be no physical or driver limitation when it comes to installing Linux of any kind.

---

As I mentioned in my post, I in fact did manage to boot all the systems I was testing from the UFS drive after a tweak to the kernel (except Arch, I didn't manage to actually install Arch, so I failed the initiation into a true Linux nerd, I guess). Which means that all the things necessary, like disabling SecureBoot, rearranging boot order, etc. were done, and since I didn't revert any of those after reinstalling Windows, the attempt No.2 could be a little easier at the start.

My main concern, and the reason why I came looking for a distro with better compatibility, was the multitude of issues that overwhelmed me after the instalation and the first boot, where I wasn't able to go on solving all that stuff after a while.

Rethinking it, though, perhaps a better route than looking for an entirely new distro which would work with my hardware, would be to pick one that's as well known as possible, and try again to resolve one issue at a time researching the forums for it and other sources.

I dowloaded the latest Ubuntu and I'm going to try again to make it work.

I have a question, though - when I rewrite those kernel bits to allow the system to boot from UFS, will this tweak pass on when the kernel updates, or will I have to do it again?

I will continue the report (if any of you is interested to know how it will go, of course)

 

[Condobloke]

I have a question, though - when I rewrite those kernel bits to allow the system to boot from UFS, will this tweak pass on when the kernel updates, or will I have to do it again?

from my limited knowledge re kernels etc, I can see you doing it all again.

@Brickwizard, or @osprey, or @GatorsFan , can likely be more informative than I can..(they will respond....nothing for you to do)

(It's a bit of a habit of mine to turn anything I write about into a novel, and I'm afraid this answer won't be an exception.)

Thats not even close to some of the 'war & peace' answer/post I have seen here. I hold my hand up as well.
I have been known to havachat with myself and/or others from time to time. We have a few who seriously outdo me ! (motor mouths)

All good...type what you need to , A. get the message across, B. satisfy the unresolved author in you

 

[kc1di]

Hello @HarryChaote
Welcome to the Linux.org forum, your in good hands with @Brickwizard Good luck with it.

 

[Brickwizard]

though according to the System Information inside Windows, the CPU is N100 for some reason, so perhaps there were more variants floating around.

The work sheets I have access to are mainly for the US variants and yes in Europe or Asia there are different builds depending on the market, as a hardware man my priority is the main components which do not differ,

when I rewrite those kernel bits to allow the system to boot from UFS, will this tweak pass on when the kernel updates,

in my experience not normally

mount UFS, in Ubuntu, mint 22/23 and other Ubuntu clones see... https://askubuntu.com/questions/85154/mount-ufs-filesystem#85160

 

[HarryChaote]

Hello!
I have another report on the situation, and I do feel quite silly as I'm writing this.
I try not to be that person who asks questions that already have been answered many times, and I usually do my research, but I had became that person here in a different way. I wanted to avoid the disaster that I had experienced during Attempt No.1 before I would do any steps towards installing any distro again, but this happened quite long ago, so I was operating with old data.

While I knew that Linux distros, components, etc, are evolving quite fast, but I didn't expect it to be this fast, and, well, thorough.

So I apologize for calling for help even though I was using old info and couldn't know which things were still relevant...

After booting Ubuntu 25.04 from my live usb, I almost fell off my chair when I saw the screen spontaneously and correctly turn into landscape orientation right after the UI loaded, and after testing all of the things that blocked me from making it work before, I found out that all of them have been fixed.

Finding out that the kernel apparently supports bootíng from UFS out of the box since Ubuntu 24.10 (way after my initial test took place), was really just a cherry on the top at this point.

I think I might have learned a few lessons there.

1. My information can't be only factual, it also has to be actually up to date....
2. The collective around the projects regarding Linux and co. is damn capable and I deeply respect their skill.
3. If you have a strange/new/niche piece of hardware that you can't seem to be able to make work with Linux, just sit back, relax, and someone will eventually make it work. (unless you are a developer, which I'm unfortunately not, since then I could join the collective effort in coding the fixes myself)

I guess it doesn't always work (I had Lenovo Miix with Manjaro that had defunct cameras because of lack of open drivers, the machine became too old to be interesting, and people slowly abandoned the project)

But in this particular case, I'm seriously shocked.

I guess that's it... I'll mark this as solved. If I'll need any help with my Ubuntu, I'll go haunt their forums looking for answers-
(Thinkíng about staying half-active here too, since I think I could be able to assist people with some less difficult issues, and I really, really love problem-solving)

Finished this final report on the Ubuntu using the on-screen keyboard improved by a gnome extension "GJS OSK". Now I regret my decision to stop using Ubuntu Touch on my phone, or I would be entirely ubuntufied.

Thanks to everyone who offered their insight and advice! I might go draw something Linux-related using this very tablet tomorrow, to celebrate the return among the Linuxers after many years ..

And for the end: The shiny happy tablet running Ubuntu Plucky after some tweaks I did, mostly visual, far from done, still.

 

[KkarelBrt]

Gents, a big thank to you! As my desktop is running Ubuntu 24 LTS smoothly now, I am considering what to do with my tablet which is Lenovo Duet 3. I've tried Ubuntu 22, 24 (With no luck, I think that all issues are described above), and now Ubuntu 25 with a success from my POV. I hope it will last for future as I am going to install it on the hard drive.

Thanks again. Karel