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Ubuntu flavoured 16 04 ISOs for Atom based Intel Compute Sticks

Update: This page refers to earlier work and my latest ISOs and kernel upgrade scripts can be downloaded from my latest post.

When Intel released its Ubuntu Compute Stick it was heavily criticized as being under-specd. Also criticized was the choice of Ubuntu with Unity as it was deemed to be too demanding. With this in mind Ive combined the latest patches and source together with Canonicals kernel source to create a range of ISOs that can work on Intels Atom Compute Sticks from the very basic model to the latest. All include audio over HDMI, wifi and bluetooth together with patches that try to reduce the random freezes that have been known to occur.

First up is Lubuntu. Ive configured it to use ZRAM both as an ISO and once installed. As a light-weight Ubuntu it is highly suitable for the minimalist STCK1A8LFC device.


Next is Ubuntu. Previously it was necessary to use the 64-bit bootloader to use my 16.04 ISO. Now Ive configured it to both run and install using either the 32-bit or 64-bit bootloaders. The key benefit is the ability to easily dual-boot without needing to modify the BIOS.


Finally Ive also incorporated all these features and produced Xubuntu, Ubuntu-Mate and Kubuntu ISOs. This provides a choice now of Ubuntu flavours for the Intel Compute Stick.

One potential draw-back is that each ISO includes a patched kernel to provide the missing functionality meaning it will not get any automatic kernel updates from Canonical. So Ive also developed a manual patching process that allows you to download a script which will then update the kernel.

ISOs

To try an ISO download it from one of the links below (i.e. the caption below each image) and write it to a USB using either Rufus in Windows or dd in Linux.

Update: If you are using Rufus version 2.3 or above then select Write in DD Image mode when prompted otherwise for version 2.2 and below you should first let Rufus complete and then additionally download bootia32.efi from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B99O3A0dDe67QWUtek9rdHptMjA and copy the file to the newly created USBs EFIBOOT directory.  

Then boot from the USB by pressing the F10 option immediately after powering-on your device. For installation to your device simply run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.

Remember also to be patient as depending on the speed of your USB it can be anything from 15 to 45 seconds before anything appears on the screen.

Lubuntu

Ubuntu

Xubuntu

Kubuntu

Ubuntu Mate

Kernel Upgrade Script

If you want to upgrade the kernel to the latest Ubuntu 16.04 (but patched) version first download the upgrade script (click the caption under the image below) , make sure it is executable (use chmod 755 <script>) and then run as root (./<script>). Once the script has finished executing youll need to reboot to use the latest kernel.

linuxium-install-xenial-kernel-4.4.0-22-linuxium-ics.sh

As before this is only for Atom based Intel Compute sticks which includes the STCK1A8LFC, STCK1A32WFC, STK1AW32SC and STK1A32SC models.

Acknowledgements: Pierre-Louis Bossart (HDMI audio), Bastien Nocera (wifi) & Larry Finger (bt).

download file now

Ubuntu 16 04 ISO for Atom based Intel Compute Sticks

Update: This page refers to earlier work and my latest ISOs and kernel upgrade scripts can be downloaded from my latest post.

Installing the standard Ubuntu 16.04 ISO on an Intel Compute stick with an Atom CPU results in lack of HDMI audio and wifi.

Ive combined some recent patches and source code and ported them with Canonicals kernel source to create an ISO that can now fully support HDMI audio, wifi and bluetooth.


Prior to installing the ISO first check the BIOS settings by powering-on your Intel Compute Stick and pressing the F2 option. On the Configuration page select the Select Operating System as Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 64-bit or Windows 64-bit depending on the device model. This will make subsequent boots use the 64-bit bootloader meaning you will have to reset the option if you wish to later boot Windows.


Now download the ISO from https://goo.gl/ujNGPg and write it to a USB using either Rufus in Windows or dd in Linux. The USB can then be used to boot from by pressing the F10 option immediately after powering-on your device.

The initial menu screen takes slightly longer to appear than with the official ISO. Depending on the speed of your USB it can be anything from 15 to 45 seconds before anything appears on the screen.

Only Atom based Intel Compute sticks are supported and include the STCK1A8LFC, STCK1A32WFC, STK1AW32SC and STK1A32SC models.

Also note that the ISO includes a patched kernel to provide the missing functionality meaning it will not get any automatic kernel updates from Canonical. However other application packages will update as standard.

Acknowledgements: Pierre-Louis Bossart (HDMI audio), Bastien Nocera (wifi) & Larry Finger (bt).

download file now