Installing an OS over the existing OS

[Phil]

On 24/2/23 03:53, Liam Proven wrote:
> On Thu, 23 Feb 2023 at 05:20, Phil <phillor9 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> The Tosheba A100 will not boot from USB and this seems to be a common
>> problem with this model.
> But I think you said that USB shows up as an option in the BIOS setup menu?
>
> If it's there, *it can do it.*
>
> You just need to find out the limitations of what media it supports.
> It may be USB 1 only, or a maximum size, or something.

No doubt you're correct. USB 1 seems a like likely bet.


>> I managed to get Debian 11 installed by transplanting the HDD to a
>> working laptop.
> I recommend Raspberry Pi Desktop as a very low-end Linux desktop for
> 32-bit machines now.

I have used that version of Debian in the past but it won't work with 
the A100 because of the Intel micro code bug. The boot stops with 
"running ram disk" or words to that effect.


> Which bug is that?
There is a way around the bug and this is to down grade to an earlier 
version of the microcode.
>
> Have you checked that you are on the  latest BIOS? It seems to be v5.60:

I knew there is a version beyond 1.0, but without having Windows 
installed upgrading the BIOS is a complicated business.

This is purely an academic discussion, the laptop is working but is too 
slow to be of an use. It boots within 4 or 5 minutes but takes 10 - 15 
minutes to start to start Firefox, for instance. I've swapped the HDD 
and run memtest for an hour so the problem is elsewhere, possibly the CPU.

Anyway, this machine is no more.

-- 

Regards,
Phil