ZorinOS install on Surface Pro 8 (SP8)

Hardware Support
1

Hi, I succesfully installed ZorinOS on a Surface Pro 3 and I am actually posting from it. ZorinOS has given my SP3 a new life after several years struggling with windows. Now performance wise is execellent.

Now I want to install ZorinOS on another device: a Surface Pro 8. But after reading posts for several days, now I am not sure if it will run ZorinOS without any problems.

My plan is to install only ZorinOS (no dual-boot with windows).

For now I would like to ask if anyone is running succesfully ZorinOS on a SP8? If yes, I would appreciate if you can share with me how you did it.

For my SP3 the linux-surface-kernell was NOT needed. Is this the same for the SP8?

Thoughts on first time install regarding any aspects I need to take into considerations to avoid any problems.

Rgds

2

Hi Ursus,

I think you are going to need to use a surface kernel. This site has the information you need, and here some known issues and prerequisites.

Good luck.

3

Zorin specific instructions for the Surface kernel: Set Up Microsoft Surface Device - Zorin Help

If you look at the Github link's feature support tables, it looks to me like some VERY basic hardware on the SP8 needs the surface kernel: The keyboard, touchpad, touch screen, and pen, ALL. Accordingly, you might actually (from the sound of it) need to connect an external mouse and keyboard to your Surface Pro 8 to switch the kernel. After that though, it looks like everything EXCEPT the cameras should work. The Surface Pro 3, from the same table, doesn't actually need the Surface kernel, so... that matches your experience, but it looks like this time you probably really do need to switch kernels.

1 Like
4

I wrote all the links provided by @Locklear93 and @rmorris, but if you read carefully in the github issue #1274 https://github.com/linux-surface/linux-surface/issues/1274 or here https://www.reddit.com/r/SurfaceLinux/comments/1d0767e/is_my_surface_pro_8_bricked/ there is a risk of corrupting the boot process.

Since I want to avoid this, I need to be 100% sure it works and how should be the right steps to follow. That is why I am looking for someone who has done it already.

The are issues that I need to clarify:
-since I am installing only ZorinOS, do I need to clear the existing keys (uefi) of my windows actuall install? or the new ZorinOS install will do that?
-do I need to copy those keys now just in case I need them later?
-after ZorinOS install, i will need to install linux-surface-kernell ... is ZorinOS mok-manager compatible with it to avoid cert-to-be-enrolled problem after reboot?
-also, some report not being able to access keyboard after reboot, so encypting with LUKS would be a pain since you could not enter the password
-and many more ...

So, I really would like to find some owner of SP7/8/9 that has achieved to make it work and can tell me the exact steps to follow.

5

Understandable risk aversion there. Unfortunately, I jumped from Surface Pro at 3, switching to Surface Book, so I haven't got recent experience with that line of hardware.