14 DAY TRIAL // Back in September, complaints that reached the web (and even got confirmed by a supposed Lenovo official) claimed that installing Linux on a Yoga 900 was impossible because the operating system was blocked as part of a deal between Microsoft and Lenovo.
Both Microsoft and Lenovo denied that such an agreement existed, explaining that installing Linux was actually impossible because Windows 10 was running on an SSD locked in a proprietary RAID mode that could only be read by Redmond’s operating system.
And yet, following all this controversy, Lenovo has released a new BIOS update for Yoga 900 that unlocks this proprietary RAID mode and allows the installation of Linux on the device.
“This BIOS creates an AHCI SATA Controller Mode selection to allow for the installation of the Linux operating system. This BIOS is NOT intended for use with machines running a Windows operation system,” the official changelog of the new BIOS version reads.
Drivers should allow Linux installation on any device
Lenovo confirmed from the very beginning that installation of Linux on its devices was possible with the right drivers, but the company didn’t say a single thing about updates that would be provided for the Yoga 900 Signature Edition.
“To improve system performance, Lenovo is leading an industry trend of adopting RAID on the SSDs in certain product configurations. Lenovo does not intentionally block customers using other operating systems on its devices and is fully committed to providing Linux certifications and installation guidance on a wide range of products - https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/pd031426. Unsupported models will rely on Linux operating system vendors releasing new kernel and drivers to support features such as RAID on SSD,” the company stated in its original statement.
You can go here to download the new Lenovo Yoga 900 BIOS update that makes it possible to install Linux on a Signature Edition laptop, and make sure that you read all the instructions before starting the flashing process.