[Bug 1341944] Re: 32-Bit UEFI bootloader support needed

[Lewis Cowles]

*** This bug is a duplicate of bug 1592229 ***
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1592229

FYI, I fixed the 20.04 official ISO using rufus with a USB drive that my
machine could boot.

I thought I'd only used Ubuntu official, but apparently I'm using
https://github.com/hirotakaster/baytail-
bootia32.efi/blob/master/bootia32.efi judging from the signatures.

I also downloaded `grub-efi-ia32-bin_2.04-1ubuntu26_amd64.deb` from
ubuntu repositories. It's pre-compiled, so I'd imagine it includes a
signature (at least I was not bothered for one).

I used the tool Rufus to create a USB booting media from the official
20.04 Desktop ISO.

I unpacked usr\lib\grub\i386-efi, omitting the "monolithic" sub-folder
to my boot/grub folder

I then overwrote the .lst files and .cfg files with the same ones as the
amd64 image uses

Past that point, ubuntu set everything up for me, including detecting
and installing `grub-efi-ia32`

I had to swap out the heat-sink, because it was a thick piece of what
looked like Aluminium foil. I added a Raspberry-Pi 4b heatsink that did
not fit on a Pi-4B, and cut out a hole on the back of the tablet.

I lastly disabled the swap as it's an EMMC and swapping I believe will
wear out the media faster.

My only complaint is that the keys on the on-screen-keyboard are tiny
and I need to use a stylus, but I don't, I use the device as an 9"
portable screen, which I can interact with via micro-USB.

To install Ubuntu I did need a micro-usb to usb-A adapter, with a port
multiplexor so that I could use a wired keyboard and mouse.

Install took longer than 15 minutes, possibly an hour. Tablet boots and
I took a backup of the windows install in-case I ever want to go back
using gnome disks utility to a micro-SD that got particularly hot, but
did not die. Be careful with heat on these things.

Wi-Fi works
Touchscreen & orientation work
micro-SD works
There seems to be a 4MB drive that shows up. I backed it up to micro-SD, but it's not a part of the eMMC. I'm assuming it's firmware and never touching it.
Intel graphics works and plays minecraft using optifine (works slower without)

Sometimes OOM crashes the entire device
I do turn off screen blanking
external HDMI via microHDMI -> full HDMI works
Lack of keyboard and mouse and no detection of primary touch device means the tablet is unusable without at least a mouse via USB

If I'm honest, avoid buying these cheap devices, but I would be
interested to find out how to contribute grub-ia32-efi-bin for all
64-bit ISO's, just so people can get started.

I'd also be interested in automatically enabling the on-screen keyboard
for touch devices on intel Atom

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1341944

Title:
  32-Bit UEFI bootloader support needed

Status in debian-installer:
  New
Status in debian-installer package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in grub2 package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged
Status in live-build package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in ubiquity package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  As of now, Ubuntu and other major Linux distributions do not support
  the use of a 32-bit EFI bootloader on UEFI machines. This has become
  extremely problematic due to the popularity of Intel Atom-based
  tablets and compact laptops. Atom-based devices are generally limited
  in storage space (32GB or 64GB eMMC is common), and as a result these
  devices almost universally ship with Windows 8.1 32-bit installed
  (winsxs consumes a significant amount of storage space in order to
  support 32-bit binaries in a 64-bit environment). By design, UEFI must
  use the same architecture used by the bootloader.

  While most modern computers indeed use a 64-bit UEFI implementation
  due to the fact that new computers generally ship with a 64-bit
  operating system (be it OS X or Windows 8.1), Atom-based devices do
  *not* use a 64-bit operating system or UEFI implementation. This is by
  design.

  Intel released a new Atom iteration (Bay Trail) in late 2013 and has
  indicated that they will continue to develop and release Atom CPUs due
  to consumer market demand. At the time of this filing there are a
  number of Atom-based tablets and compact laptops/netbooks being
  actively sold and marketed by major OEMs including Dell, HP, ASUS, and
  Acer. None of these devices have 64-bit UEFI firmware. It is also
  important to note that these Atom CPUs are 64-bit, but explicitly
  require a 32-bit UEFI bootloader.

  The current Linux kernel in Ubuntu 14.04 does support booting the
  64-bit signed kernel from a 32-bit Grub EFI bootloader. I can confirm
  this on at least two 32-bit UEFI devices, the ASUS Transformer T100TA
  and the Acer Aspire Switch 10. Unfortunately, the lack of official
  32-bit EFI bootloader support in Ubuntu makes accomplishing this far
  from trivial and beyond the capacity of many users new to Linux as an
  alternative to Microsoft Windows.

  This bug is currently marked as a security vulnerability due to the
  fact that as of now, it is necessary to compile Grub2 32-bit EFI
  manually in order to boot Linux. This negates the digital signature
  check that allows keeping Secure Boot enabled on modern UEFI-based
  machines.

  Considering the above, it is very important to include a 32-bit UEFI
  bootloader as an update to Grub2 in Trusty and all future releases of
  Ubuntu.

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