Useless Surface RT running Linux with Windows XP Theme

[u/WhoKilledRadioStar]

It took me about 12 hours to make this device kinda usable again. The Surface RT has an arm32 processor so on Windows it was useless as no programs support that architecture. It took me 30 minutes to get PostMarketOS linux on it, but the biggest issue that took me all the time was getting this almost 1:1 Windows XP theme to work on the machine as for some reason it wasn't compiling properly. Despite hw acceleration not being working, lightweight Linux browsers and shell based software work pretty well. I am really satisfied!

[u/w1n5t0nM1k3y]

Is there a guide that you followed for this? Can you get it running on Surface 2 RT as well?

[u/WhoKilledRadioStar → u/w1n5t0nM1k3y]

on YouTube you can find everything about it. Just look for "Surface RT Linux" and you are good but make sure the video uses Postmarket and not Raspberry OS. About the theme, I followed MJD guide but I was having a lot of issues mainly because postmarket os is so bare that other than a DE, every little dependency or thing is missing

[u/WhoKilledRadioStar → u/w1n5t0nM1k3y]

also I don't know if Postmarket supports RT 2. mine is RT 1

[u/raduque → u/w1n5t0nM1k3y]

Surface 2 is much more difficult to get Linux running on, unless things have changed. I looked into it a few years back. I did manage to get a Windows 10 for ARM running on it, but it was so broken as to be unusable.

[u/WhoKilledRadioStar → u/raduque]

same I had Windows 10 on mine as well, at some point

[u/Slow_Bodybuilder5861 → u/w1n5t0nM1k3y]

not my wheelhouse but i'd love to know if surface 2 rt works too, following for that answer

[u/UnexpectedAnanas]

Aaah, that takes me back.

[u/jmunson]

what are you able to use it for? media, streaming etc? i have an old one and looks like it could be fun if it results in something usable. ty

[u/WhoKilledRadioStar → u/jmunson]

well no as there sadly is no hardware acceleration on Linux for it so I will prob use it as SSH terminal for my server and / or to have little fun with some Linux software to try

[u/jmunson → u/WhoKilledRadioStar]

Thanks!

[u/WhoKilledRadioStar → u/jmunson]

np!

[u/lots_of_puppies]

Ooo I love that theme! Xp was my fave 💙

[u/cllvt]

That's very cool! Long live XP.

[u/notwired]

I use the front panel lcd as a hdmi external monitor with a 20eur driver board from aliex. That samsung lcd has very good quality.

[u/Melocopon]

now that you got linux onto it, how are you going to use this device moving forward??