this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2025
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Update: I did it! Old: Help! Installing Linux with no external media. (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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Edit: holy shit, I did it! The install media is booting off a little SSD partition! It was ultimately quite simple. Will update with instructions once done, for posterity.

This is a weird one. My partner was gifted a Surface Go model 1824 (gen 1) by their best friend, who unexpectedly died a couple of weeks back. It's nearing the Windows 10 end of support date, so my plan was to install Mint, but there's a hitch: the only goddamned USB port on the system is shot. It's the USB controller, which I've given up on trying to fix as it looks like a hardware issue.

I still want to install Linux because this thing now has super sentimental value. I've freed up 16 gb on the SSD, so I have some space to work with. There's a micro SD slot that still functions, but the stupid system doesn't support booting from it (although a Reddit post suggested you can still do so if you set it up in Grub, which I don't know how to do properly at all). The only thing I can think of is installing something on a partition or partitions that acts as install media, but I have no idea how to do that.

Ive tried using Grub2Win's ISOboot function with the Mint install ISO and I can get it to start, but it stalls out waiting ad nauseum for DHCP. I think it thinks it's a PXE install. Maybe my parameters are set wrong? Actual PXE is a no-go because no network adapter. I tried intently staring at the Mint ISO, then staring at the tablet; no data was transferred, but I did develop a headache.

I'm so, so stumped. Any ideas, anyone?

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[–] brickfrog@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Does the Surface Go have a SSD in it? And/or can you install a SSD into it? The specs do imply that it supports SSD so you should at least have a port in there for that. If so, as long as you have a spare machine you can install the Surface's SSD into another system, then install Linux Mint normally there, then re-install the SSD back into the Surface Go.

I've never done that but it's been mentioned a few times in the Linux Mint forums so apparently that is a roundabout way of installing on a machine without working USB ports. e.g.

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=388243

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=361542

Not sure how well Mint works specifically on Surface Go but it's worth a try, most likely you'd use the same steps to install other distros on there.

EDIT: Without a spare system you might be able to download then write the Mint ISO onto a second partition inside Windows and boot from the Mint installer partition afterwards. Not sure how well that would work but someone else in the forums mentioned it https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=369154

[–] Scrath@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Depending on the specific model it is either an SSD or eMMC storage but you won't be able to get to it without major disassembly of the device which includes removing the glued-on screen.

This surface is an absolute bitch to repair

[–] brickfrog@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Yikes! Yeah if the SSD storage isn't easily accessible then it's not worth the disassembly headache.

If that is the case then OP's only option is to try writing the bootable ISO onto a second partition on the current drive while in Windows and boot off that partition.. assuming getting the USB port repaired is a no-go.

[–] boredsquirrel@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

This

You can use an external ssd adapter too, or clone an existing install with Clonezilla (but should be resizable)