Well now, today was my "Luck Day". I was looking around trying to see how I could improve the performance of my 7 year old system. An HP 7480 with a Pentium D running at 3.2Ghz and with 4GB of DDR2 RAM. Now this machine has served me well -but- times have changed and we need a little more power. Eight hours to do a clean compile for my Smartphone OS is just a little to long. And I need more RAM and Processing power to open up multiple tasks and do some editing and data manipulation. Sound good...?? My wife thought so and let me get the new machine.
 Recovery Discs    Support    HP Specs  

Requirements nowadays are merely glorified suggestions ... Quote from Neo.

 October 26th, 2014 / 10:44pm  Well now, so far ... the main reason we purchased this machine CAN NOT be realized. Because of Windows 8, UEFI and Secure Boot I CAN NOT get a copy of openSuSE 12.3, 13.1 or 13.2 installed and operational. I have bounced back and forth between getting into Linux and can't get back to Windows -OR- getting into Windows and can't get back to Linux!! No matter what combos have been tried so far... I CAN NOT get a workable Dual Boot System.

Well I did ... November 25th, 2014/3:57am -- got openSuSE 13.2 installed and working... Dual Boot with Windows 8. It was a learning battle... but worth it.

Product release information

 March 31st, 2016  Removed duplicate info here and copied the following list over to the HP Envy 700-530qe section. Except for a couple of the keys they work the same in Windows 10. This one, the Pavilion 500-277c, will be UpDated/UpGraded towards the end of this excursion... the re-do/re-setup of my systems and network.

• <Wkey>-Q All applications - "The Metro UI"
• <Wkey>-I Settings shortcut + power off and some more.
• <Wkey>-C Same as moving mouse-pointer to upper right corner of the screen
• <Wkey>-E Start Windows explorer (File Manager)
• <Wkey>-D Access the Desktop, as close to the old-fashioned desktop style as you gets in W8 for now (without 3rd-party tools).
• <Wkey> Toggle between the Metro GUI's Start screen and Windows 8 Desktop.
• <Alt>-F4 still works as you would expect
• <Alt>-<Tab> (and <Alt>-<Shift>-<Tab>) also work as you expect.
•  Keyboard Shortcuts  

Refer:  DualBoot Win8 & SuSE  

 Windows 8  Well, I was talking about getting a copy of Windows 8 so's I could get more familiar with it -but- I didn't expect it to be one of the "Main Systems" on my "Main Machine"!! I was gona try to get a "New Machine" that still had Windows 7 on it... Like I have for some of my customers. -But- when opportunity presents itself, you take what you can get.

Now on top of Windows 8, I'm gona have to worry about that darn UEFI boot up.

Comments...  Intel® H87 Chipset    H87 Specs    Learn Win 8  

Well, the machine arrived on Friday afternoon, Oct 17th, 2014. But because of other commitments, and the approaching Sabbath, I had to delay working on it. But today we opened the box and set it up. The first big surprise was a "normal" Desktop. It didn't have the new "Metro Interface" with all those 'tap it' thingies. I can get it IF I want it by tapping the Windows key. But at this time I really don't care to use it. That may change later -but- not now.

Got interrupted by my animals and when I came back it was wanting me to update McAfee. Naturally, I said 'NO'. Don't want it and it will be one of the first things that I remove and replace with 'avast'.
 Oct 19th, 2014 / 9:37am  McAfee removed and avast! installed.
 Oct 19th, 2014 / 9:42am  Well, there has not been an improvement in obtaining focuses. Had a Windows Explorer window open showing the contents of my 'Flash Drive'. I selected the Firefox install and it did. Then at the end it had the option to start Firefox. I let it. But it appeared as though nothing happened. So I peeked behind the Explorer window and there it was... an 'Import Wizard' dialog asking IF I wanted to import IE Bookmarks. No, it is also brand new. Firefox came up and immediately wanted to UpDate. I expected that cause the only version I had for install was ver 30. They are up to 32 33. So I got the download and installed it.
 Oct 19th, 2014 / 10:09am  Wanted my usual icons on the Desktop. Could not do it the way I used to. Had to Find the app in the Metro/Modern/Start Screen view and then drag down on the app (or right-click on it if you're using a mouse). This should bring up the menu across the bottom. Select "Open File Location" and it will open up the desktop and bring you to the app's location in Windows Explorer. From there you can create the shortcut just like you would in Windows 7.  WPCentral Forums  

 October 24th, 2014 /2:52pm  Allllllrighty now... We have had to do a 'FULL Recovery' twice already. Since this is becomming a 'steep' learning curve, we need to make a list of Progs to install and in what order. Because of these "Recoveries" I'm only installing the minimal stuff. Once I can get co-ordinated with Linux and Windows 8 then more can be added.

1. Remove McAfee and Install avast!
2. Create 'TRCompu' folder and 'images' folder in it on C: drive.
3. Copy in 'My icons' and set the appropriate items.
4. Oooops, need to join the 'TRComputing Workgroup'.
5. Install 'Firefox', your Bookmarks.
6. After joining TRCompuing, I was able to get my bookmarks from my 'old' Puter.
7. Installed Adobe Flash and Firefox crashed at the close of the install. Report was sent to Mozilla.
8. Installing Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9. So's I can get some screen captures and Re-Size some of them. -And- Animation Shop 3.
9. Installed MiniTool Partition Wizard.
10. After all of the above installations I DO NOT have constant Hard Disc Activity. Course I have NOT let MS install all those UpDates either.
11. Well, we let it install those 49 UpDates ... had to in order to get to the 'next' UpDate. Still do not have any extraneous HDD activity.
13. Now we had to UpDate!! Windows 8.1 Update. It is a MUST install.
15. Repartitioned the HDD ... via Windows Disk Manager... AFTER "Windows 8.1 Update" install. Made room for Linux.

 Oct 23rd, 2014 / 12:57pm  Well, well... what we have here is one of the Reasons that I hate UpDates!! Upon the initial startup, couple of days ago, the machine, when sitting idle, would only have the Power Lite lit. Today I was getting constant Hard Disc activity. The lite never stopped flashing. Yes, I had installed some software -but- none of it was running. However, I did receive a large amount of UpDates from Microsoft. In order to kill my constant disc activity --- I did a FULL System Recovery!! Didn't have enough installed or setup to worry about the loss. Now, after the Recovery the HDD lite is OUT!!

 Oct 24th, 2014 / 12:35pm  Had to FULL recovery again. This time cause of my openSuSE 13.2 bungling. First I couldn't get into Linux and then I couldn't get back to Windows!! Finally had to Restart and tap the F10 key until I got to the BIOS. Then I could change the boot order and I did. Made the USB first and then upon ReBoot did another FULL Recovery.

 Oct 27th, 2014 / 5:28am  Well guess what sports fans... EVERYTHING is NOT necessarily at its default after a FULL Recovery/ReStore.

Got a faster computer -but- the Hard Drive(HD) is (can't believe I'm gona say this) only 7200rpm. Now in the past... the long past, I readily used the "Standard 5400rpm" HD's that came with the systems. I was buying faster systems but they did NOT have the really big improvement in speed that I was expecting. Then my neighbor got a system similar to mine and I had to help him do something on it. At this time I don't remember what, but that is not important. What is important was the increase in speed that his machine had. That was when I learned the difference between 5400rpm and 7200rpm. Man ... what a difference!!!

So what brings us to the part of the writeups?? My "New" nachine can build, compile, my ReZound CyanogenMod ROM in an hour±. It took my "Old" machine 8hrs±, and usually plus. Both of these times are for "Clean, Wiped" code. Not sure IF the ccache was wiped or not, but that particular detail is not important at this time. What I would like to know is, how much faster would a 10,000rpm drive build it?? Would it be worth the cost?? I mean, I already got a 7hr improvement with what I thought should have been a big improvement in the past, the processor. -BUT- in the past it was NOT as big of an improvement. This time it was -but- there was also an increase in the amount of RAM. The "New" machine has 12GB of RAM, expandable to 16GB, and the "Old" machine only has 4GB.. MAX. Both have 7200rpm Hard Drives.

In the long ago past, back in the 8080 days, I can remeber getting some really fast compile times when I used part of my RAM as an HD. Yes, that was possible way back then. But for some reason in my newer systems I never set that up again. Quote of quotes... "It wasn't needed on the faster systems." At least in my joys of increased speed ... it seemed that way. Then as time marched on, things changed. Compiles got bigger -and- compile times took longer.

Sooooo... now we have aquired some money from an inheritance from my Mom and Dad, -and- we would like to either get an SSD drive or a 10,000rpm drive to increase our productivity ... IF it will. Actually, we are sure it will -BUT- will it be enough to warrent the cost??

 SSD Endurance test    Buying a New HD  

Surprise, surprise, surprise... WiFi works on this new Puter. Had it in the last one -but- it never worked. This one almost set itself up!! This is good. In my two computer setup with 1 Display, 1 Keyboard and 1 Mouse I still had a missing connection. The Intranet. Now I really didn't want to run another cable -but- I needed to connect to the Net. This 'wireless' connection answered my problem!! My 'old' PC is connected via wire and the 'new' one is wireless. -AND- it seems to be fast enough. Great this new technology.

 October 26th, 2014 / 4:51am  Alllllrighty now... as mentioned elsewhere, we finally got openSuSE 13.1 installed on our 'New System'. However, we can't get connected to the Intra or Inter Nets. I can see the Windows C: in Dolphin cause I had it mounted during the install... just for that reason. Now then, with the Windows 8 side in action, I can copy my "Usual" setup files to a folder inside it and then access them from the Linux side. Thank you Lord for opening my eyes -and- the idea.

Now then, what do we need?? Apache2 and Samba... for starters. Ok first, let's get swithced to Win8 and do the copies of the files.

 November 15th, 2018  All the Win10 UpDates, and a couple of the openSuSE updates, have screwed up my Networking. Had to fix it. This is going to involve 4 of my files:

1.  My HP Envy 700-530  
2.  My HP Pavilion 500-277c   This file.
3.  My HP DM4 Laptop  
4.  Networking II  
5.  My Windows 10  

Now we need to set up the Dual Boot with Linux. After all, that was the main reason for this new machine purchase. Speeding up my Android Development. And that must be done in Linux.

Well, we downloaded openSuSE 13.2 and then used our new Windows 8 machine to create the install disc. Yep, they actually had an image burner on this one!! Had a couple previously that did NOT contain one. Looks like it is going to take about 15 mins. Long time when you are waiting. OK, 14:04 min to burn... now it is verifying. Hmmmm... missed the verify time -but- it was similar to the write time. So almost half an hour to write and verify a DVD image.

Now then, the following two items are found in the BIOS. There are many ways to get there -but- I have found the simplest and most straight forward way to be tapping the F10 key at PowerUp -OR- at a ReBoot/ReStart. In their descriptions they say at PowerUp -but- I had a problem. I setup two systems with 1 Display, 1 Keyboard and 1 Mouse. With Power Off it switches to the other machine. So rather than take everything apart and set it up again with its own stuff... I just tried the ReStart. And it worked!!
Refer: IOGEAR 2-Port USB DVI-D Cable KVM with Audio and Mic GCS932UB (Black)

 Secure Boot Configuration Default Settings  

1. Legacy Support       Disable
2. Secure Boot            Enable
   • Key Management
     • Clear Secure Boot Keys       Don't clear
     • Key Ownership                   HP keys
3. Fast Boot                       Enable

 Boot Order  

• UEFI Boot Sources
  1. Windows Boot Manager
  2. USB Floppy/CD
  3. USB Hard Drive
  4. ATAPI CD/DVD Drive
  5. UEFI: IPv4 Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
  6. UEFI: IPv6 Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
• Legacy Boot Sources : Disabled

Vellly Intellesting... The ATAPI CD/DVD does NOT show up in the 'until' you try to use it. -BUT- the most amazing -and worst- part is they DON'T STAY WHERE YOU SET THEM!! The 'owner' does NOT have complete control over his 'own' machine.

Now then, this is 'MY' machine, NOT HP's. Therefore I want my company name and my name for the owner. This is accomplished via Regedit. Now for some reason, it could NOT find "RegisteredOwner" -but- it could find "RegisteredOrganization". So I just look for 'RegisteredOrgan' and then change it and the value right below it which is owners name. Ve 'ave our vays!!

A fix for the Linux side, courtesty of  Malcolm Lewis  
Is the windows boot manager present in the output from (as root user):
    efibootmgr
    eg
    Boot0000* Windows Boot Manager

Or are there entries like;
    Boot0006* Internal Hard Disk or Solid State Disk

Either way, you can re-create via;
    efibootmgr -c -L "Windows Boot manager" -l "\\EFI\\Microsoft\\Boot\\bootmgfw.efi"

 AskUbuntu    FastStartUp On/Off    BCDedit  

Ordered our New HP 'Puter last today. In the process of collecting info before it arrives. The Graphics is integrated... but not on the board... it is in the Processor chip!! I will give it a try, but I may, no I probably will, put my nVidia 560, which is still in my current machine, in it.
  Intel Core i7-4770 (Haswell) 3.4 GHz Quad Core   84 W
  Intel HD Graphics 4600 (GT2)
SLI (or Scan Line Interleave) 'Crossfire' dual card technology
 What is SLI and Crossfire?    PCI Express Lanes  

 User Benchmark   NOTE:Integrated video is not available if a graphics card is installed.

Well, I left the 560 card in the old machine and just using the standard one in the new machine. Don't need that high graphics power... yet.

Comments...

Refer:  i7 4770  

 UEFI & Endianness Unified Extensible Firmware Interface UEFI, as of version 2.4, processor bindings exist for Itanium, x86, x86-64, ARM (AArch32) and ARM64 (AArch64).[15] Only little-endian processors can be supported.
   Each byte of data in memory has its own address. Big-endian systems store the most significant byte of a word in the smallest address and the least significant byte is stored in the largest address (also see Most significant bit). Little-endian systems, in contrast, store the least significant byte in the smallest address.
Refer:  Endianness   and  UEFI   and  Booting  

Comments...

Well, I started this in October the day I ordered the new PC. As mentioned above I wanted to obtain as much info as possible before it arrived. I was also correct above... UEFI is going to be a bitch. Or maybe not. The complaints were from a couple of years ago. We'll see. I'll contact my friends over on SuSE. I think they are still friends. Haven't been on there much during this past year.

Now then, since the new PC arrived, I have decided NOT to wait for the November release. They have a Release Candidate that should be good to try. So that is what I'm doing. Now this is sorta split between here and the NewStartOver Web Page. Good or bad that is the way it is. I just wormed my way thru all the stuff to be able to boot off of the openSuSE DVD. At this time I am installing it -and- I am not happy. They are dictating the Partition sizes and will NOT let you change them!!

 October 25th, 2014 / 10:50pm  Wahooo!!! Finally was able to get openSuSE Linux 13.1 installed. Don't know IF it was because of our update to Windows 8.1 UpDate -or- a change from openSuSE 13.2 to openSuSE 13.1 -BUT- we got it to "SECUELY" boot up the 13.1 install disc -and- install the Linux System!!
Just a quick note; which will be repeated elsewhere; Microsoft has decreed that ALL Windows 8, 8.1 and 8.1 RT users MUST UpDate to Windows 8.1 Update IF they expect to get any further updates.

 Oct 26th, 2014 / 7:11am   So much for my success in 13.1!! Switched to Windows 8 mode, copied some files from my 'other' system to a folder in Win8 and then tried to ReBoot into Linux. Got the Grub2 screen -but- could NOT get to the KDE Desktop. It looped thru the splash screen a couple of times and then hung accessing the HDD with just the cursor in the upper left corner. Fortunately, a "Ctl-Alt-Del" worked and got me back to the Grub2 screen where I could select a ReBoot into Win8.

Now then, for an attempt at the 'Recovery' I am once again going to try to get the openSuSE 13.2 to install. Only this time as an UpDate to 13.1. What the heck, why not?? Nothing is working properly anyway. This learning curve is getting steeper and steeper.
And another !!! The 13.2 install DVD could NOT see the installed 13.1!!! OK. So we will try a 13.1 UpDate for the Recovery attempt. I must mention the the 13.2 is NOT the released version but the RC1.
Triple !!!! The 13.1 'UpDate' attempt did NOT work either. Looks like I've screwed up my System again trying to install openSuSE 13.x! In a secure environment. Don't know IF I can install 12.3 in this damn UEFI Secure environment or not.
Well now ain't this the pits!!! I can NOT get back into my Windows 8 again!!

 9:25am   Ahhh Haaaa!!! Just read that openSuSE 12.3 64-bit has the UEFI!! So, maybe things ain't lost yet.
Now then, even though the following says 'Ubuntu' parts still apply to our case. You decide...
 Ubuntu Alongside Win8  

1. Turn off fast Boot
   <Wkey>-I .. Control Panel .. System and Security .. Power Options ..
   Choose what the power buttons do .. UN-check "Turn on fast startup" .. Yea or nea on Hibernate ..
   Click on "Save Changes"
   -BUT- IF that doesn't work .. go into the BIOS via tapping the F10 key at PowerUp or Restart. Go to Security and then down to Secure Boot Configuration. Make the appropriate changes.
2. Now then, you can turn OFF Secure mode and STILL have EFI. Using the F10 and the same menu, make the change IF you think it is necessary. I have marked it in Yellow/Gold for a 'maybe'. Leaving it in its default mode for now.

    Secure Boot Configuration  

   1. Legacy Support       Disable
   2. Secure Boot            Enable <-- This one takes some thinking and trial and error.
      • Key Management
        • Clear Secure Boot Keys       Don't clear
        • Key Ownership                   HP keys
   3. Fast Boot                       Disable

3. Now then, IF things come to the worst... Turn OFF Secure Boot and Turn on Legacy Boot.
   As you should have seen in the above adventures, this is also accessed via the F10 key at PowerUp or a Restart.
4. Try to enjoy it now.

 October 28th, 2014 / 7:50am  Finally, finally!!! A fix!! The following describes the latest procedure:

1. AFTER a FULL Recovery.
2. Disable Fast Start. Even though it only says "Enable" -or- "Disable" it doesn't mean perform, it means the 'state' of the selection. ie; Enable means Enabled... Disable means Disabled.
3. Enter into Win8 Disk Management and Reduce size of C: drive.
   432.17GB for Windows and 488.28GB for Linux.
4. Now this is the crazy part. Put DVD in drive. Do the Special Win8 Restart:
       <Wkey>-I -> Click on Power -> Shift Restart -> Click on Use a Device
   IF you see 'ATAPI CD/DVD' -or- 'UEFI:hp   DVD-RAM GHB0N' then click on whichever is displayed.
   However IF neither is displayed then click on 'USB Floppy/CD'.
   IF you had to use the Floppy/CD, the System will restart ... -but- NOT via the DVD. It will come back up in Windows. However, IF you repeat the above key sequence, you will see that you have either the ATAPI -or- the GHB0N as a selection. Choose whichever is displayed and then it will Re-Start via the DVD. Yep!! A PITA.
5. First screen is choices .. we pick Installation.
6. Loads Kernel Initializes RAM disc.
7. Some system operations ...
8. License agreement and Language/Keyboard. Next.
9. Set the time zone.
10. Next is the Partitioning. Which we are going to edit. It is wanting to delete and replace my Windows Partitions!! We clicked on the "Expert Partitioner". It presented things like we have seen them before... In 13.1. In 13.2 -- it was a disaster.
    The Swap, root and home partitions are set.
11. Software installations were picked.
12. Install ...
14. AND I am putting this right here in the middle of everything so's it is up front, so to speak, and gets noticed. I couldn't leave well enough alone and TRIED to UpGrade 13.1 to 13.2. BIG MISTAKE!! After it went through the UpGrade and ReBooted ... I lost my Windows selection in the Grub screen!!! Tried F9 at ReBoot and all I got was a message that NO boot disc was detected!!!! UNLESS I can figure something out -or- I can find somethign on the Net ... it is gona be another FULL Recovery... the 4th in 10 days!!
    Well, on our 5th. Good thing I didn't have anything on this machine... yet! -And- that I am ReTired. It seems that Re-Partitioning the HDD BEFORE installing Linux and getting smaller than 461GB is a no,no. We bombed again. Left Linux and could NOT get back in.
    And another insertion... IF you "Loose Windows Boot" on the Grub Screen, go into Yast2 and look at the "Boot Parameters". There should be a 'checkbox' labled "Look for" or "Probe for" another or foreign System. IF the box is not checked... check it. IF it is checked then still click on the 'OK'. Then ReStart and you will, or should, see your Windows boot again.

Now then, for reasons I'll not go into at this time, the above list is not necessarily everything. openSuSE 13.2 did not work for me and that was after the Probing Step. I then switched to version 13.1 and got it installed. Next week, when the Official 13.2 version is released, I will do this again with more detail.
-BUT- it appears that using Windows Computer Manager - Disk Management was the answer.

Comments...

 Oct 23rd, 2014 / 7:43am  Installed  MiniTool Partition Wizard  .

 Oct 23rd, 2014 / 8:25am  Installed  Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9  

Figure: Back I/O ports

1 - USB 2.0: 2

2 - USB 2.0: 2

3 - LAN (Ethernet)

4 - VGA

5 - DVI-D

6 - USB 3.0: 2

7 - Audio: Line-in

8 - Audio: Line-out

9 - Audio: Microphone

Comments...

Comments...