Fedora 42 aarch64 wont boot on Thinkpad X13s

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1 
EFI stub: Decompressing Linux Kernel...
EFI stub: Loaded initrd from LINUX_EFI_INITRD_MEDIA_GUID device path
EFI stub: Measured initrd data into PCR 9
EFI stub: Generating empty DIB
EFI stub: Exiting boot services...

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And freezes there. I’m aware the X13s wiki exists but it restarts adding the kernel arguments Thinkpad X13s - Fedora Project Wiki

  • I mean starting the USB installer, this happens after the GRUB prompt
  • Tried with workstation and silverblue (the one I wish to install), both same error
  • Tried with other USB drives and used other apps to write the .iso on them
  • Tested the USB on my Pinebook Pro and does boot them (btw Fedora aarch64 on the PBP doesn’t work either Wont boot on Pinebook Pro · Issue #645 · fedora-silverblue/issue-tracker · GitHub)
  • Secure boot disabled and Linux boot enabled on BIOS
  • Bitlocker disabled on windows partition
  • Latest firmware/BIOS installed
  • Ubuntu and Armbian work flawlessly
  • Tried with Fedora 40 and 41
  • Tried with net installer

Managed to test with earlycon=efib as argument and got this but only worked once… Froze there

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Did this work previously with Fedora 41 or is Fedora 42 the first one you’ve tried? Does it work if you copy over the dtb’s from Ubuntu?

3

Is a new laptop and never had installed Fedora on it.

MMmhh how can I copy over the ubuntu dtb’s to be used as grub kernel arguments? Tried modifying the .iso adding those files with a couple of apps but I get building errors, usb not bootable after, poweriso crashing. Seems like a hassle.

4

Solved!

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The USB installer needed the x13s dtb on the BOOT partition root

For anyone having the same problem as me:

  • Create your Fedora USB installer as normal, I used Fedora Silverblue

  • Add the x13s dtb file on the USB drive as indicated in this Debian tutorial

  • When you boot the USB drive you’ll still need to add the grub kernel arguments arm64.nopauth clk_ignore_unused pd_ignore_unused

  • Install Fedora as normal

  • After installing Fedora it wont boot, it doesn’t have either the x13s dtb on the BOOT partition root. Add the x13s dtb again with Ubuntu live or with Windows if you still kept it (same process as the Debian tutorial)

  • You’ll need to add the kernel arguments again as they are not saved permanently yet

  • Now your Fedora should boot, add the kernel parameters to stop typing them every restart sudo rpm-ostree kargs --append="arm64.nopauth blk_ignore_unused pd_ignore_unused" and restart

  • I installed it with encryption but there was no LUKS password prompt just blank screen, I typed the password blindly and could get into the desktop after

And that’s it!

Atm I have to test it with the copr tweaks but so far wifi and sound works out of the box

:partying_face: :partying_face: So happy finally I got running Silverblue in one of my arm laptops!

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