MA90 - Atopnuc mini computer

[last updated: 2024-04-06]
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This page still in development ...

• This is a $79 mini-computer I got from Amazon 2023-07-25.
  (link to:) Amazon
  (link to:) Atopnuc - mfr

  AMD A9-9400 cpu, 2.4 GHz, (3.4 GHz burst)
  2 cores, 2 threads
  8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD

• Startup:
  Boots with Windows 10
  Went through setup process and declined all, including wifi.
  Tried shut down and startup several times to finally discover that F2 will open into the boot menu.

• Edit Boot menu:
  • Power up, press F2 to enter "Aptio Setup Utility"
    However after loading hamclock, this no longer worked.
    I could, however, still get into the grub menu with the ESC key during power-up.
    From there:
    grub> fwsetup ... indeed took me to the boot menu

    arrow over to Boot (top menu bar)
    arrow down to Boot Option #1 "[NVME]", press Enter
    arrow down to USB device, press Enter

  • arrow over to Save&Exit, press Enter, Yes to confirm
    boot will proceed and bring up Windows
  • Power down

• Boot into Linux:
  • insert Linux 21.1 on tiny 16gb usb stick
  • power on, Linux boot menu comes up.
    press Enter to boot Linux 21.1

• Install Linux:
  • Double-click desktop icon to Install Linux Mint
  • Connect to wifi, install codecs
  • Current password: wwww

• Set up Environment:
  • Install Zoom:
    • Start Menu ->> Software Manager
      search for Zoom, click Install
      v. 5.15.3... installed
      installation completed successfully, launched
    • started new meeting
      connected USB camera
      audio and video both worked
    • closed new meeting and exited zoom
      moved zoom icon to desktop panel, and tried to launch from there, but could not
      start menu, internet, zoom, but still would not launch
    • rebooted and now launches successfully from desktop panel

    • Enable dual monitors:
      • ...will have to go through it again to be sure of all of the steps,
        but this is rough guess...
      • Linux menu --> Display
      • select Mirror

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  • Recover from lost password:
    • On power-up, press and hold esc key
    • This will open to the GRUB command-line prompt " grub> "
    • type "normal" , press enter
    • hold shift, press esc, maybe several times
    • GRUB menu should come up
    • from here continue as in recover from lost password

  eof