Install Ubuntu on Lenovo Slimpad 3x

Support and Help
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Ubuntu Support Template

Ubuntu Version:

any that works would be fine

Desktop Environment (if applicable):
i dont care

Problem Description:
I have a Lenovo Slimpad 3x with a Snapdragon® X X1-26-100 Processor. I would like to install any linux distro on it, but so far I have encountered the same behavior from Ubuntu and Fedora which is a crash upon starting the life iso (right after I select it without the gui ever popping up)

Related Issues: Looking for support on installing Ubuntu on Snapdragon X

Relevant System Information:
Here is a link to my exact device

What I’ve Tried:
What I have gathered from the mentioned topics, is that arm Systems require system specific device trees. I also could not find any device trees for the Lenovo Slimpad 3x. (Although i would be happy to learn that i am wrong about that.)

So as far as I can tell my options are:

  1. Build my own device tree (I have no idea how to do that or where I can find documentation for learning it.

2. Hope that someone else does it for me.
Is there any chance my device will be supported in the foreseeable future?
Or any other workarounds?
Or am I just stuck on windows?
If I have to I would even prefer a cli only setup over that.

I would really appreciate it if you could help me with finding out if there is any linux hope for this device.

Thx in advance

Before Posting:
:mag: Please check if similar issues have already been reported and resolved.

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Welcome to Ubuntu Discourse :slight_smile:

The guide to the support template has instructions for filling in the relevant information.

Please update your post.

Small details matter.

Thanks

3

Hey,

My question is kind of which Ubuntu version to install on my hardware. So providing a Version beforehand is not really possible. Same goes for a Desktop enviroment. As for the ones I have tried:
oracular-desktop-arm64+x1e-20241022.iso
plucky-desktop-arm64+x1e.iso
ubuntu-25.10-desktop-arm64.iso

Non Ubuntu:
pop-os_24.04_arm64_generic_3.iso
Fedora-Workstation-Live-44_Beta-1.2.aarch64.iso
Fedora-Workstation-Live-43-1.6.aarch64.iso

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I do not now Snapdragon, but it is just now starting to be supported. So you may have some issues. Some vendors are supporting Linux more than others.
You will need at least 25.10 and may want to wait for 26.04 which will be released later this month.

List of supported models

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Hi, thanks for the reply.
What is always confusing to me about this list is this:

Devices we have seen successful installations on:

Currently not (yet) supported:

There are some Lenovo Devices on there but no mention of the IdeaPad on eighter side. Does this mean it is not supported? Or is it somehow in the same category as the ThinkPad and the Yoga Slim? Or am I just not looking at the right place…

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That’s pretty much to be considered an empirical list, rather than some generic support statement. As far as I can tell, it’s all about “Device Tree”. Every Snapdragon (or ARM, for that matter) model is unique, because it has a unique device tree; no device tree, no Linux. These are essentially tailor-made embedded devices in a Laptop coat. Many branches on said “tree” are probably identical between models but some aren’t, so it all goes wrong when some subsystem device is not represented thus Linux cannot use it.

I think the best place to ask is Lenovo in your case. While Lenovo is pretty good when it comes to Linux support in general, and Ubuntu in particular, that tends to be limited to Thinkpads.

1 Like
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i found this which maybe of help to reference

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1533193/can-you-install-ubuntu-on-a-snapdragon-pc

it gives some more detail on how to install Ubuntu on your system.

best of luck Steve ..

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well I found this basically confiriming that the support isnt there yet…

I hope it will be added sometime soon…

1 Like
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I did manage to start Ubuntu on that Asus Vivobook as best described in

But that was a bit of a hack and I didn’t pursue the path of creating my own device tree.

There is support if you want to DIY, try asking people that were active in that thread.

Good luck

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Thx. I was able too boot the live ISO although my trackpad doesn’t work.

When I try to install Ubuntu from it I do unfortunately get an unknown error.

Here are my logs:

https://mclo.gs/w3M57CE

Any ideas how to fix this?

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Well I tried plucky (The other extended iso) And I am not getting this error with it. However after the install I am just getting the normal

“HWID matching failed, no DT blob will be selected“

To me it seams like whatever configuration has been made to be able to boot up the extended iso does not apply to the version of ubuntu the installer is installing. (I am not sure tho)

@adsp42 Have you managed to actually install ubuntu or just the live iso?

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This is the cause, I think:

dpkg error 
Apr 20 13:19:31 ubuntu subiquity_log.3084[23444]: dpkg: error processing archive /tmp/apt-dpkg-install-bOXQ9s/28-localsearch-extractor-office_3.11.0-1ubuntu1_arm64.deb (--unpack):
Apr 20 13:19:31 ubuntu subiquity_log.3084[23444]:  trying to overwrite '/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/localsearch-3.0/extract-modules/libextract-epub.so', which is also in package localsearch (3.8.2-12)
Apr 20 13:19:31 ubuntu subiquity_log.3084[23444]: Selecting previously unselected package ubuntu-restricted-addons:arm64.
Apr 20 13:19:31 ubuntu subiquity_log.3084[23444]: Preparing to unpack .../29-ubuntu-restricted-addons_32_arm64.deb ...
Apr 20 13:19:31 ubuntu subiquity_log.3084[23444]: Unpacking ubuntu-restricted-addons:arm64 (32) ...
Apr 20 13:19:31 ubuntu subiquity_log.3084[23444]: Errors were encountered while processing:
Apr 20 13:19:31 ubuntu subiquity_log.3084[23444]:  /tmp/apt-dpkg-install-bOXQ9s/28-localsearch-extractor-office_3.11.0-1ubuntu1_arm64.deb
Apr 20 13:19:32 ubuntu subiquity_log.3084[23429]: E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

That’s a big no-no. Only one package can own a file. Whoever maintains that package should look into the alternatives interface or even the, somewhat frowned upon, diversion system. The latter should be avoided if at all possible, because it usually requires coordination between the maintainers of both packages, which is probably not going to happen for 3rd party packages.

Or, maybe a simple Conflicts: adjustment in the control file of the package will do, so APT knows not to try to install both at the same time; giving the solver free reign to decide which of the two to install. Also, seeing that it’s probably just some Tracker Miner plugin, it’s hardly mission critical, so it may not even be necessary to install it at all.

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I think Try Ubuntu counts as an installation, or not?

(Mind you, it was a bit of a hack, my device tree was “borrowed“ from another laptop, same manufacturer, different model)

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If you don’t want to deal with the hassle, I’d recommend just waiting for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, which is releasing today.

26.04 is a long-term support release — the kernel and drivers will be more stable, and most PC vendors should have their firmware fixes sorted out by then.

For now, either stick with Windows or be prepared to unbrick your device at any time.

If even that doesn’t work, then you can just give up.

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If Ubuntu doesn’t work but you want to use Linux, it seems that Lenovo have an official guide for Fedora

https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht512167-how-to-install-the-fedora-image-on-your-lenovo-platform

I’ve not tried this but it does look official etc.

Could be a different option away from Windows

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I would actually prefer fedora. However the tutorial there suggests:
Download the ISO image file from the Lenovo support site. The file should be located in the support section for your platform.

However no such section exists. There is a List of officially supported devices on Lenovos website however the IdeaPad slim 3 is not on that list. (not even the amd and intel versions)
There is another link to a list which claims to find linux distributions for my device specificly. But it says:
Dieser Inhalt ist nicht kompatibel mit dem von Ihnen ausgewählten Produkt (IdeaPad). Klicken Sie auf hier, um zur Support-Seite für Ihr Produkt (PF5P4JXA) zu gelangen oder auf produkt suchen, um ein neues auszuwählen.

I dont think Lenovo has any official support for my device (yet?).
I will try the new Ubuntu Version and tell you if it will work out.

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I have a Lenovo Ideapad slim 5x and it works. It has been a slog so far. Last week I got internal audio to work.

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Well I will give it another try then. Maybe there was just something wrong with the usb I flashed (-:

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may I ask which version of ubuntu you used? Was it just the default 26 arm version or some custom thing?

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