Vaio Z2 Linux installating (dual boot)

Hi guys!

I recently joined the Vaio club by buying a vaio z.

I must say that it comes with alot of bloatware and i wanna get rid of it and also install ubuntu as main os.

I've searched the web for good links on how to perform a clean install of ubuntu but i cant find any which is primary writtin for this product.

So i thought i could just make a backup and try for myself, but i cannot seem to make it boot from usb...

Basically my idea was to first create a clone image of my ssd's with clonezilla. Ive made a bootable usb stick but my vaio seems to ignore it.

If googled for some ways to make it boot from usb but it doesnt work for me. (offcourse i have set the bios boot priority to "external, internal, network". Ive also tried the F11 option).

So my questions are:

- Is a complete clone/image, from my ssd's, a good enough backup or do i miss important stuff ?

- If so, how do i make it boot from USB, even if i have already set the boot order to "external, internal, network" ?

- Finally, do one of you actually have a succesfull running linux OS on ur viao, and do you know of any howtos/tutorials/documents which may help me out for my installation? Or any tips and tricks?

Many thanks in advance!

 

i am running dualboot with ubuntu and windows 7 on my sony z21.
Everything except of the external gfx card is working.

For installation I used a usb stick with ubuntu. No problem at all.

 

Which Ubuntu variant are you using? I'm thinking of moving to a dual-boot option with Mint.

 

Weird, so you just set bios to boot from external device and run the ubuntu installer?

Also, what Ubuntu version are you using? (11.04 perhaps?)
Did you have any problems installing any drivers?

Ill try another usb stick when i get home, or maybe a external harddrive. Its really weird that its not working.

thank you for your reply!

 

After a few hours of high level trial and error, ive found out that:
- The USB drive has to be fat32, otherwise the POST will not accept it as a bootable device !!
- Creating a backup with clonezilla isnt possible since the bios has set the build-in raid controller to the FakeRaid modus.
- Acronis is able to read this FakeRaid modus and is able to make a backup.
- Acronis f***s up ur MBR, so be carefull with installing this software on ur working desktop.

I will follow some handy how to's in the sticky post of this forum and maybe make a nice video about all of this! First im gonna get some shut eye, ill continue the installation tomorrow.

 

May i ask you how you got ubuntu installed? My screen keeps flashing whenever i load the usb installation. Ive tried several usb devices as well as as the netinstallation. without succes until now....

Also, what ubuntu are u using (which version)?

 

i followed this tutorial:
Linux on Sony VAIO Z Series (2011) - artifact
Ubuntu Forums

and i am running Ubuntu 11.10.

 

Thank you for your reply. I will follow these instructions.

 

I have succesfully installed ubuntu 11.10 on the laptop, thank you for the link.
May i ask if you experience any heating problems with the laptop ?
I find that the device does gets heated while running. And im not even pushing it or something.

 

hi,
no heating and if I set the brightness level to medium the notebook uses about 8 or 9 watt.
Try "sudo powertop" to see how much power consumption your notebook have.
(first install it "sudo apt-get install powertop")
I have also installed jupiter for cpu-state switching

 

I installed powertop after researching on this issue. Ive attached a screenshot. For i dont know for sure if im correct but i think mine uses around 9W.
Is this correct?

I have turned down the brightness to around 50% but i still find that it is getting too hot.
Im currently installing jupiter in the hope that it is my cpu which is overreacting or something. I find this strange cause i dont see any processes using a abnormal amount of cpu....