Linux on HP EliteBook 860 16 inch G9 Notebook PC (6T1B3EA)

[Ziggi-1]

Hello All,

Just bought a beautiful HP EliteBook 860 16 inch G9 Notebook PC (6T1B3EA) as my overworked faithful 2009 HP G60 running Antix-LXDE is perhaps nearing end of life or could go on forever?

Having got rid of Win Vista Home Premium on the old laptop I am faced with Win11 and desperately wish to install Antix-LXDE on my used but mint EliteBook.

I thought this would be a simple task to wipe Win11 and install any Debian based distro such as Antix-LXDE or Loc-OS which are ‘systemd free’ – simple as installing on HP G60 or 2013 Dell Latitude E6420?

First off I inserted my Debian based Tails+Tor USB into a port and booted up – no problemo 🙂

Everything just worked as normal with no error messages – perfect 🙂

This was good – Oh Dear! Try as I might no other live distro or install USB would work.

Kept getting BIOS message that Secure Boot that ‘selected boot image did not authenticate’

See images uploaded to imgur. [Content Removed] 

A little web research revealed that you have to enter BIOS (escape) to disable ‘Safe Boot’ and move USB drive to the top of the boot order. Having done this I still have no success to report.

See images uploaded to imgur. [Content Removed]

I have searched your guides and documents as well as the web to no avail.

Arch lists many EliteBook models for its various distro builds as successful.

I have made many fresh bootable USB live distros using Antix’s special ‘Live USB Maker’ and again by using same via Loc-OS facility and lastly by using Rufus exe on my EliteBook.

I do not wish to resell this beautiful EliteBook of obvious quality in every aspect.

Please help.

[Ziggi-1]

Hello again,

After many attempts I have managed to boot multiple live linux distos from USB drive.

Think I made a few mistakes like using the number pad without checking ‘numlock key’ status.

You are asked to confirm changes on next boot by entering four given numbers.

The old fool at 74 probably didn’t check ‘numlock’ and hit return.

I also know from motor sport that you should not alter more than one thing at time yet still in BIOS I also updated the firmware – six updates.

Then expecting failure for the umpteenth time; I rebooted……

Up popped MX AHS Live linux setup GUI – fantastic!

Everything works 100% - Graphics, superb sound, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth etc. with an instant improvement in efficiency over Win-11.

Next up antiX-23 base which worked but did not detect Wi-Fi.

I don’t know if there currently is an AHS – Advanced Hardware Support version to download?

Even though Loc-OS has AHS it too failed to detect Wi-Fi – no driver as yet.

I checked again to see if Tails+Tor still was still booting okay – Yes, stable as ever.

Next up the obscure Mageia 9 OS from France – though Global in reality – it started in September 2010 as a fork of Mandriva Linux. Though not exactly sure what it is it seems to be a totally independent distro which I find to be quite attractive.

So Guys, I do not have the experience to dual boot and would therefore need to go against all HP support advice and wipe Win11 – something I do enjoy! and go for broke and install MX-AHS or Mageia 9 OS. My head says MX but my heart beats with Mageia the underdog.

However many years with linux tells me that once you are rid of Windoze then any linux distro is possible to install but I must take account that this HP EliteBook is a modern build with new components; hardware, configurations and dependencies.

Guess I had better first find out if local store will put Humpty Pumpty back together again if I mess up the BIOS – there are so many switches – at least four pages of them. Or I could hope or trust a factory reset would revert all my changes?

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BTW – This lovely quality laptop was bought second hand from local electronics store here in Derby UK. It therefore has GREEN credentials; recycling used tech; saving it from Global Mountain of eWaste. This viable used market must be good for HP Corporation in sales of new Laptops with not only Win11 users but many Linux users widening the market further.

Hope my post is of use to someone?

[Ziggi-1]

Correction: Latest AHS version of Loc-OS LXDE Dubbed "The People's Distro" works just fine;

recognising all firmware – hardware Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and P2P and my Pixel GrapheneOS smartphone.

Zero issues.

Finally figured out Dual Boot with Win11 and Treble Boot with Tails+Tor.

May make a Screencast video soon? Expect video recorder and video editing software will perform as expected and give the Intel i7 12 core processor a wakeup call

For now sample screenshots uploaded: [Content Removed]

Ziggi