Disclaimer - this could cause data loss and render your tablet useless. I take no responsibility for your data or system if you decide to try this with your device. This is no guarantee it will work on your device. Also this article is not an endorsement of any kind for the products or companies listed.
Every attempt to load a new install from USB requires a full power-off (usually holding the power button down for about 20 seconds) and booting into BIOS (holding the Volume-Down and Power until the DELL logo shows, then release power and hold or tap the Volume-Down a time or two until the BIOS menu shows up), then going to Boot Boot Priority. Just takes time (and money ) someone should try to see if the bootia32 hack needs to be done for the Venue Pro line too (BIOS/UEFI only recognizes 32-bit bootloaders). Or send me their device and let me play with it. Microcenter has an open box venue 8 pro for $185, might be tempted to buy one now. That thread was specifically about getting the Dell Venue 8/11 Pro to boot Linux. However, there are a slew of new tablets coming out running 32-bit UEFI, and I think this is a trend that is going to continue to grow.
Early last year I received a Dell Venue 11 Pro (5130) tablet as agift.It had Windows 8 and evenupgrading to Windows 10 I found it - well, not very useful.Why you ask? The applications I wantedto use work only on Android or IOS.Sohence another research project - this one took several months and then some!I tried many versions of Android, Remix OS, 64 bit and32 bit versions, dual boot options and design loads.I will not bore you with all the iterations and failed attempts - trust me, there were many!
Remix OS for 32bit worked with dual boot and installing from Windows was straight forward using their install utility. The downfall, Wi-Fi would stop unexpectedly and usually in the middle of a movie, causing the family to look at me with a funny look. Most of the Appsseem to work, but first you have to side load google play using GMSActivatotr.apk.
Since the intense stares were increasing, I decided to go with a straight Android load and found a way to utilize the entire diskstorage - there is a trick to get Android to recognize the entire diskstorage rather than the default 4Gb storage.
What Worked and What You Need
- A USB Thumb drive
- The Android X86- 4.4-R5 ISO image
- Rufus 2.11 install utility
Steps to install:
| Disk format utility in Android Install |
| Storage greater than 4gb default |
- Download the AndroidX864.4-R5 image to a windows pc.
- Download Rufus 2.11 to thewindows pc.
- In the bios settings of the Venue Pro, you mustturn off Secure Boot and ensure booting from USB is enabled.
- Run Rufus, and pick the Android Image.
- Pick the USB drive (be careful with this step not to pick your OS drive).
- Format and install the image as an ISO.
- Boot from the USB drive on the tablet (eitherhit the fcn F12, or hold the volume down key after power-up to bring up the boot menuselection).
- On the Android boot screen, pick install to disk(3rd option).
- Using the disk utility, SelectCreate/Modify partition, pick all the disk partitions and delete them (this will destroy any data, so make sureyou have saved anything off the tablet, this includes anything in windows asyou will wipe that off the tablet).
- Create a new partition. Pick a small primarysize.This is the trick Imentioned.I made mine 1Gb in size.
- Create a secondary partition using the rest ofthe space.
- Write the new partition data, then quit the discutility.
- Install Android on the second partition. Answer yes to all remaining questions. Formatit NTFS (ext3 doesn’t work - the tablet just will not boot).
- After it installs, it will ask about the size ofthe data.img file, enter the size of the second partition minus 1Gb for the OS size (this will take a while to write).
- Once complete, Reboot and Android should bootup.
Summary
The only app I found not to work so far is the Time WarnerTV app. All household automation apps, screen cast (I use localcast), HDMovies, Kodi and others all seem to work and update.I hope this helps others out and shows open source can work.Good luck!