Add Dell OptiPlex 7040 Micro report (RAID->AHCI + relocated-drive boot entry)

2026-09-05 21:53:26 +00:00
parent a9dd08ac4d
commit 27e1e14ea9
2 changed files with 57 additions and 1 deletions
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+device_model: "Dell OptiPlex 7040 Micro"
+form_factor: mini-pc
+cpu: "Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700T CPU @ 2.80GHz"
+ram_gb: 32
+storage:
+  type: nvme
+  size_gb: 1833
+wifi_chip: "none"
+ethernet: "Intel I219-LM (e1000e)"
+archy_version: "1.8.10-alpha-dev"
+install_method: usb-iso
+status: working
+tested_date: "2026-09-05"
+submitted_by: "ssmithx"
+notes: |
+  Dell OptiPlex 7040 Micro (chassis reports as type 3/desktop, physically a
+  mini PC), i7-6700T, 32 GB, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVMe. Drive was
+  moved in from another PC; Archipelago image install boots and runs cleanly.
+
+  Required BIOS changes (both were needed):
+  - System Configuration > SATA Operation: set to AHCI. The 7040 defaults to
+    RAID On, which routes the M.2 drive through the Intel VMD controller.
+    With RAID On, cold auto-boot intermittently fails in the initramfs with
+    "Gave up waiting for root file system ... UUID ... does not exist" and
+    drops to busybox, while the F12 one-time boot to the UEFI entry always
+    worked (same GRUB + initramfs both paths — a firmware handoff race, not
+    a config error). Setting AHCI fixes it completely.
+  - A drive moved from another PC carries no entry in the Dell's firmware
+    boot sequence (boot entries live in the old board's NVRAM, not on the
+    disk). F12 boots the ESP fallback (EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI) directly; to
+    get a real, reorderable BIOS entry, register one while booted, e.g.:
+      sudo efibootmgr --create --disk /dev/nvme0n1 --part 2 \
+        --label "Archipelago Linux" --loader '\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI'
+    then move it first in Boot Order.
+  - Firmware: Secure Boot off, Boot List Option UEFI. Optional insurance:
+    rootwait rootdelay=3 on the GRUB kernel cmdline.
+  Wired ethernet only (Intel I219-LM, e1000e); no WiFi chip fitted.