I'm working on reviving an old ThinkCentre tiny PC by installing Linux. I've had some experience with Linux before, especially with a Raspberry Pi running Raspbian and using Fedora a while back, but I'm not an expert. I've disabled Secure Boot and enabled both UEFI and Legacy settings, but I'm having trouble.
I tried booting Fedora XFCE from a Ventoy stick, but it wouldn't display anything. So, I switched to Linux Mint XFCE, which initiated but then failed with the message "failed to start systemd-journald.service." At this point, my keyboard stops responding.
After checking the UEFI settings, I found that Mint can boot in compatibility mode, which gave me a glimmer of hope. However, the UEFI seems quite old, dating back to 2018. When I tried updating it using Lenovo's proprietary imager after reinstalling Windows 10, I could only see a summary of hardware with no options to change anything, which is frustrating.
Despite my efforts, Linux still won't boot properly. I even tried to install Mint on an SSD using my laptop and then connected it to the ThinkCentre, but I still face the same error. Any suggestions on how to proceed? It feels like the system might be restricting me to Windows 10 only.
2 Answers
Your ThinkCentre should typically be compatible with Linux, so it might be a hardware issue like memory or disk problems. Start by making sure that fast boot is disabled in the BIOS settings, as that could interfere with Linux booting up properly. You might also want to check for any loose connections or damaged parts.
It sounds like a tricky situation! Compatibility mode is a good sign, but there might be more tweaks needed. If the BIOS update limited your options, consider looking for recovery options or older versions of BIOS that might allow greater functionality for Linux installations. Additionally, using an ethernet cable during installation can sometimes prevent unexpected issues.
I checked the hardware, and while the RAM passed the tests, the SSD seems fine too. I did notice some loose connections on the DisplayPort, so it could be worth inspecting further. I might swap the CMOS battery as a last resort.