Android x86 and Linux distributions installation issues on an HP Envy X2
Android x86 and Linux distributions installation issues on an HP Envy X2
Good morning everyone, I'm attempting to set up Android x86 on my HP Envy X2. The Windows 8 version isn't working well and the device feels sluggish. I'm aiming to repurpose it into a stream controller using Touch Portal, so running Android makes sense. My backup plan was BlueStacks or a Linux alternative in a Linux setup. Right now, I'm trying to boot BlueStacks in Windows 8, but it can't access the Play Store—possibly due to performance issues or a fresh OS install. The only Linux distros I've tried so far are Ubuntu, Lubuntu, Mint, and Debian. Only Debian appears to boot up properly from BIOS, though it locks during installation. I've disabled Secure Boot and followed some forum suggestions. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. System specs: https://www8.hp.com/emea_africa/en/ad/en...specs.html
I tried really hard to find anything other than Windows on any Clovertrail device but failed every time. Eventually, a Reddit user said they knew someone who designed Clovertrail and mentioned there might be some kind of DRM that only works with Windows. It seems it goes past secure boot in the BIOS. I didn’t get any more details, and from what I understand, no one has managed to bypass it—probably because it’s not worth the effort. It’s frustrating, and I’m angry about both Intel and Microsoft for this situation. But it’s just how things are, and that tablet is now ewaste.
It seems you're asking about the intended use of the device. I'm here to help clarify that.
Clovertrail was an unusual Intel CPU lacking extensive support. Issue #1: The bootable media requires 32-bit UEFI functionality. The only distros I’m familiar with that come with 32-bit UEFI are Debian 32-bit and Fedora, though the latter hasn’t been updated much recently. You might adjust another 32-bit Linux Live installation to use UEFI 32-bit mode, but I don’t recall the exact process. Issue #2: The graphics driver was removed in kernel version 4.15, as documented on the Arch Wiki. Issue #3: Linux doesn’t support hardware acceleration, which means performance will be very low—likely forcing a Windows reinstall. That claim seems incorrect. Some devices included Secure Boot that couldn’t be turned off, though they were compact. The biggest challenge is finding a distro that supports 32-bit UEFI. Unless you’re content with a shell environment, the effort to install it properly isn’t worthwhile.
I use my 6-year-old Z8350 mini desktop as a web server. It’s the only option that works considering its 2 gigabytes of RAM. I wouldn’t suggest Bluestacks, it won’t run smoothly. Windows isn’t ideal either; it doesn’t perform well. Running Bluestacks inside Windows is even worse. Android is out of the question. All current solutions struggle on low-power devices.
It looks like some people, including Kevinhallo5 and wasab, mentioned the issue. I've attempted to start from an USB drive running a 32-bit distribution, but it immediately freezes. It seems like the device is now unusable.