How to install Linux on a laptop Lenovo IdeaPad Z500, V580 (and similar), while maintaining the ability to boot Windows 8?

I liked the laptop Lenovo IdeaPad Z500 in the maximum configuration (UPD: in the end bought a different model - V580 - but, apparently, the essence of the issue and responses is not affected).

Given the fact that it comes with UEFI and pre-installed Windows 8, I expect that installing Linux will be a problem. Posherstiv the Internet, found the forums a few messages about how the users were doing something during installation are not so, and as a result received a broken or buggy running multiboot. In the forums the victims were given advice on how to return the system in working condition. But nowhere have I found a step by step guide - how to put a second Linux system (any distro, as long as all equipment was maintained at 100%) to such a machine. I'd like to.

Adds piquancy to the fact that apparently, a backup DVD of Windows 8 with a laptop is issued, and the recovery, if necessary, should be performed using the original function, One Key Recovery (OKR) - press the special button and from a hidden partition on the drive recovered fresh Windows 8. Accordingly, I would not want to lose this functionality (i.e. to kill the recovery partition by accident or deliberately - it is not necessary).

So asking for help from the community - poke nose in the explanatory guide, please.
October 3rd 19 at 02:01

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More answers about "How to install Linux on a laptop Lenovo IdeaPad Z500, V580 (and similar), while maintaining the ability to boot Windows 8?"
5 answers
October 3rd 19 at 02:03
Solution
Ubuntu and Fedora can be installed correctly via UEFI.
You need the 64-bit image (32-bit will not boot via UEFI, you need the 32-bit EFI). Pre-prepare the partitions for the system (root, home, swap, in its sole discretion), and during the installation, but razmerchik in the installer is pretty limited in options. It is possible with LiveCD of the same Ubuntu/Fedora using gparted.

C LiveCD loaded via UEFI (in the BIOS disable legacy mode) boot menu via the f12 (I have a lenovo y500, I think the differences are insignificant). I have an item called "CD EFI" approximately (not exactly remember).
(If you install in Legacy mode, the kernel will not be able to access the UEFI settings and can't add item download)

Run the installer. While selecting partitions to mount select root, home, tmp or whatever you ponasozdavali.
And the most important thing. This is important. Choose for EFI partition mount point "/boot/efi/". Lower case letters. In fact, the responsibility lies with a single directory "EFI". I.e. the path to the loaders will be "/boot/efi/EFI/". Not to be confused.

In principle, all. You can continue the installation. The installer will copy the EFI partition necessary files for download (signed by key Microsoft loader shim and grub) and he prescribed a boot entry in UEFI. Windows-the entry must not be damaged. After installation in the boot-menu will appear 2 new entry "Ubuntu" and "ubuntu". One to download BootSecure (using boot loader shim signed it). Shim and without SecureBoot will work but will complain in the beginning. It is not critical.

Note that with SecureBoot, you cannot use propiretary drivers in Linux. Even open, if you do collect them. All drivers must be signed by the key.

If you disable SecureBoot, you can use any of the modules. But Windows 8 will swear by misconfigured SecureBoot.

Tip: before manipulation, update the bios to the latest version.
Thanks for the detailed and thorough reply! However, I eventually bought a Z500 not, and V580, but, I think Your answer is still useful! - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:06
And after the question to You as to the user Lenovo - do You know what will happen with Windows and Linux, if you click the "signature" button OKR? - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:09
Well click not scary. Loaded kosterova Windows, which will launch the recovery program. Without your knowledge she did not recover. You can restore from a factory image or from her, putting space on the drive where it is located (removable drives are supported). This utility works on the file level, not the partition, so the Linux partition will not be affected. But I would advise you to start in order to avoid fakapov to experiment, to understand what was happening, and only then to put the combat system, set and so on. - jace commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:12
So, I proceeded to install Ubuntu 13.10 from live USB, got out the first day. Can't set the mount point for the EFI partition. In the manual https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI written "type, and it is not necessary, the installer will understand, once identified the partition as EFI". I would like to believe... but the installer never found at the beginning of my Windows 8.1! It is clear that I still wouldn't choose "Install with Windows" so and so would go to "Edit settings sections independently" (or whatever it's called), but alarming. I leafed through the Internet, many is found, suggest to treat stupidly continuing the installation as if nothing had happened, the fate of fellow sufferers remains unclear. Okay, but if I continue, then where do I put GRUB? The default installer offers /dev/sda (i.e. the MBR of the entire disk), what should I do - leave it, or choose /dev/sda2 (this is the FAT32 partition that the installer is defined as EFI)? Maybe even try a Fedora? - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:15
Put on /dev/sda. Hornbeam is quite smart. In gpt the markup there is no such thing as boot sector. So grub will look for the EFI partition on /dev/sda. - jace commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:18
Did. In the Grub menu is booting Ubuntu, Windows and Setup. The first item works, last works (displays in BIOS/UEFI), but Windows is not loaded. A camera phone failed to take a picture of the error, in General, the text begins with \EndEntire filePath: ACPI ..., and ends with "error: cannot load image". Than to treat? There is a recovery flash drive created from Win 8. - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:21
In Windows via the f12 boot. I have a hornbeam it does not want to load. - jace commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:24
Tin, there's a nasty squeak is heard when F12 or something on the loading screen press. But it seems Windows is booted. Generally, it is assumed that 99% of the time will be in Ubuntu, so I put up will be easy :) Well, in the future, can grub fix... I Note Your answer as the solution; what's not comments also be noted. - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:27
In the BIOS the boot order can change and choose what to download first. - jace commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:30
What video card in Linux? There are two video cards - integrated Intel and NVidia, in Windows like the second one operates on Linux and it looks like first. In the output of lspci and Xorg.0.log prisutstvujut both, but how do you know which one is active? And reassign, if that. - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:33
You need bumblebee - jace commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:36
October 3rd 19 at 02:05

There was an article on habré - Booting GNU/Linux without any third party Downloader. Maybe she will come across something interesting.

Thanks, interesting article, that leads to reflection, and does not give a recipe... - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:08
October 3rd 19 at 02:07

If you set GRUB, and it will pickup the UEFI (I have, though without Windows, but in principle, easily done in Archlinux, read http://goo.gl/LCO7Vv) - bound long time to work. The main thing is not peristerite data partitions Windows.

I.e. in a nutshell: take a laptop preinstalled with Windows, we put there Linux, and in order to enable it to boot - loaded with ArchLinux LiveCD (for example), and give the magic command efibootmgr with the right keys, am I right? - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:10
Lived Archa - is, in fact, is the installer, if that. :) Basically, some Ubuntu (which runs through GRUB) I needed to pick up the UEFI partition and with it to work without problems. But if you already do then that - try to put Arch. Will come, will start (but if you can run GRUB and it will be possible to run anything) - everything will be lovely. Just in case update the firmware BIOS, will not be superfluous. - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:13
October 3rd 19 at 02:09
By the way, I have an engineering OKR8 way to create a recovery image. If you kill sections, the first is OKR8, which creates the necessary partitions. Then put Windows. When the welcome screen appears (license agreement, and other crap), turns off the laptop, turn on recover-mode and via the command line creates a system image (there is no GUI points to create an image, only restore. The subsequent images are created under the operating system of the client OKR).
In the end you get a working recover-mode, after recovery from which you will receive a newly-installed Windows 8, which will prompt you to enter name, password, etc. Well after the image is created you can restart in normal mode.

There's a slight catch: OKR8 engineering is not so easy to find, only found the Chinese version (it was almost six months ago, maybe now it's easier). So the installation will have to be with the divine help of Cthulhu. But after installation you can change the locale, correcting text file with the settings. Got the usual Russian version. Maybe you can paste to change the iso, but I have not tried.
And that is to seek and set this OKR8? While that got rid of the image of the boot partition on the flash drive by Windows, and this calmed down. - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:12
OKR8 it is the recovery program which is started by the button on the side. If you partition the tank, you will have to re-set. - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:15
That is, it is not on Recovery partition but on a separate and on a flash drive, which I did not have it? - jace commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:18
It lies on the Recovery partition, and all the faithful. I don't understand what you USB flash drive made. If you downloaded a backup from within Windows by using the OKR, then it is not there. Recovery-the responsibility lies with mini-operating system, edging Windows that is loaded on the Recovery button. - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:21
Saved backup from within Windows, but without the OKR - control panel. In the manual for your laptop so it was written: one Win 7, one using the OKR needs to do, and one Win 8 control panel. - jace commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:24
As I understand, you selected "Create a recovery drive"? I have the checkbox "Copy the recovery partition..." is unavailable. So here I can not help. Try boot from that drive. - cameron.OConnell commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:27
Yes, exactly, but my check was available. Now booted from USB drive - appears white-and-blue interface a La Windows 8 that is called by the OKR button is pressed in the black bootup screen. I.e. this is the program OKR 8-th version, if I understand correctly, and stored it in the same Recovery partition that I copied to a USB flash drive. It remains to understand the rest of the mysterious sections - they I whether two, whether three. - jace commented on October 3rd 19 at 02:30
October 3rd 19 at 02:11
By the way, the button test - when you turn off the computer somehow does not work at all if you press on the boot screen to the OS startup - launches the OKR in Windows launches Lenovo Solution Center, and Ubuntu, have not tried it :)

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