Solved!
Go to SolutionUnable to install linux
Hey,
I wanted to install ubuntu on my xps L702x recently.
But i ran into issues as described in my post on the linustechtips forum
https://linustechtips.com/topic/1443640-linux-not-working-on-dell-laptop/#comment-15483175
I am just looking for some answers if there´s a way to install ubuntu on that machine or if its just impossible due to a bios lockdown.
You'll need to consult with the support for your particular version of Linux -- this system should have well developed support since it's relatively ancient hardware, headed for its teen years.
Are you replacing or installing alongside Windows?
Hi, thanks for your answer!
I would like to install alongside windows but there is no documentation at all about installing linux. (Not from dell or 3rd parties). And the bios is extremely locked down there isnt even an option for UEFI or secure boot.This is a very old system at this point and depending on which version of the BIOS you have, may not have UEFI support until the BIOS is updated. Further, many newer ISO distributions of Linux require (at least unless you have modified them) UEFI mode.
Bear in mind that updating the BIOS on a system this old is riskier than usual, so be sure you have a complete backup of the existing OS before you start, and that you have a battery at least 50% charged.
BIOS A19, the latest is here
https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/xps-l702x/drivers
You could try Linux on that laptop first, prior to installing. Create a Live USB flash drive and boot from it. That will give you some idea of whether you would be happy with Linux installed.
As it's such an old laptop, you may find that one of the lighter distributions such as Xubuntu, Lubuntu or Puppy will be a better experience than Ubuntu.
old486whizz
1 Rookie
•
2 Posts
1444
0
Posted July 18th, 2022 02:00
Don't do it!
Instead buy a competitor.. S3 is disabled in all Dell laptops, and they have bad power configuration setups meaning battery draining, overheating, performance and noise issues (I have XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 from 2020 and run Linux on it).
There's also the fact the firmware updates (LVFS) are sporadic at best (2.7.0 is latest LVFS but 2.11.0 is newest)..
ejn63
12 Elder
•
31833 Posts
•
156229 Points
1507
0
Posted July 17th, 2022 10:00
Dell is not going to support a system that's more than a decade old, nor will it support an operating system it has never tested for functionality with your system. Can you in fact make any changes to your system setup? If not, it is possible the setup is locked with an administrative password -- have you owned the system from new or was it purchased used?
There is plenty of help out there for installing Linux on older systems. One link is below. The fact is that any support you might seek outside of that online will cost you, and you have a system that's worth a total of $50-150 depending on configuration, so you'll be spending upward of what the PC is worth just to get the OS installed.
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1156258/how-to-avoid-uefi-installation-without-uefi-how-to-have-ubuntu-19-20-21-22