Booting Ubuntu using a 64-bit bootloader

Post date: Jul 16, 2015 9:19:44 AM

Update: This work is superseded by my 'isorespin.sh' script which can respin an official ISO suitable for use on Intel Atom devices.

As the Intel Compute Stick also includes a 64-bit bootloader I've made an additional Ubuntu LiveCD. This version does not need a DSDT patch to get sound to work when booting from 64-bit and therefore maybe more preferable for some.

To try it first download the 'ISO' and use 'Rufus' (Windows) or 'dd' (Linux) to prepare a bootable USB and connect it to your ICS.

Next enter the BIOS (or 'Setup') by pressing 'F2' on power-up and from the 'Configuration' menu change the 'Select Operating System' from 'Windows 8.1 32-bit' to 'Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 64-bit' and save the changes.

Then press 'F10' on exiting the BIOS to 'Enter Boot Menu' and boot from your USB. You will get an initial menu screen where you should select 'Try Ubuntu' and then wait for it to load. This part takes time and initially nothing is displayed on the screen making you think that nothing is happening. Actually the 'squash' file system is being uncompressed and once this has completed the Unity screen will be displayed.

Be careful if you decide to install Ubuntu on the device's eMMC as the initial boot option will change to Ubuntu meaning you can no longer use this option to boot Windows. However if you enable 'Internal UEFI Shell' in the BIOS's 'Configuration' menu you can use this to run the 'bootia32.efi' file to boot Windows.

You will notice that the sound is choppy when booting from 64-bit compared to booting from 32-bit.

If you do decide to install Ubuntu to the device and then want to boot from 32-bit this is quite easily done. You will first need to swap the 64-bit GRUB2 bootloader for the 32-bit version in Ubuntu by entering 'apt-get -y install grub-efi-ia32 grub-efi-ia32-bin'. Then shutdown Ubuntu and enter the BIOS by pressing 'F2' on power-up. Now change the 'Select Operating System' back from 'Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 64-bit' to 'Windows 8.1 32-bit' and save the changes. You can now boot either Windows or Ubuntu after pressing 'F10'. Finally it is necessary to enable sound in Ubuntu by fixing the BIOS DSDT. Download the following patch script and run as 'root' and then reboot to complete the fix.