Lenovo Thinkcentre/ThinkStation Tiny (Project TinyMiniMicro) Reference Thread

[drvcrash]

Any tips of tricks to booting from this? Just got my A/E key adapter in, cloned my boot drive in Proxmox, but the bios doesn't seem to see it. The 2230 is visible to the os, with boot partition. Probably something simple I'm missing....

I had to change to bios boot instead of uefi. It will not show in the boot order. I also removed everything from boot order. On my 11th gen tinys it doesnt work since it is only uefi. On my 8th and 10th gen works fine.

 

[Fritz]

I had to change to bios boot instead of uefi. It will not show in the boot order. I also removed everything from boot order. On my 11th gen tinys it doesnt work since it is only uefi. On my 8th and 10th gen works fine.

Does it work with a M700?

 

[TinyLenovo]

Shucks. I have a m920x (B360) with i5-8500, CSM is Enabled, boot mode is Legacy only, and I've tried removing all the devices from the boot order; no dice. It says no operating system found. Was really hoping to boot from this and use my other m.2's for storage and VMs.

I tried the same 2230 drive in a USB m.2 adapter and it booted right up, so the drive is fine, I just can't get the system to recognize it before loading the OS.

 

[cy384]

I made a simple 3D printable bracket for the M90q gen 2 and the Mellanox CX353A, you can grab the STL from my github page

one part, no supports, no threaded inserts, not perfect but good enough for me

 

[PigLover]

I made a simple 3D printable bracket for the M90q gen 2 and the Mellanox CX353A, you can grab the STL from my github page

one part, no supports, no threaded inserts, not perfect but good enough for me

Very cool. Would you consider putting the .step file up in your github too? You've done the hard part - having and editable model would make it really easy to modify for other boards!

 

[cy384]

Very cool. Would you consider putting the .step file up in your github too? You've done the hard part - having and editable model would make it really easy to modify for other boards!

I made it in freecad, the editable file is uploaded to that same folder. I'll also attach a .step file here. I'm not very good at CAD so it's pretty crude!

 

[PigLover]

Thank you. I’m an CAD amateur too. Crude is a better starting point than nothing!

 

[badger707]

Can confirm M920Q hardware mod is working to add 2nd NVME drive by soldering several missing SMD components and drive connector. M920Q becomes M920X. I have created tutorial on git here: GitHub - badger707/m920q-dual-NVME: Lenovo M920Q dual NVME, conversion to M920X.

Update on M720Q mod attempt -- this should work same way like for M920Q, difference - only 1 resistor for PCH needs to be soldered differently. Git instructions updated.
I can not test nor confirm yet if this is 100% working solution for M720Q, just because I dont have this board on my hands.
I looked at M720Q board detailed pictures shared by friendly Redditor user and compared with M920X schematics -- mod should work just fine, someone will have to do testing & confirm back. Cheers!

edit:
Just to add some clarity - M720q mod is same as for M920q, with just one difference:
For M920q -- solder all components and move R105 resistor.
For M720q -- solder all components and move R151 resistor (because R105 does not exist on this board).

@Parallax

 

[Parallax]

Update on M720Q mod attempt -- this should work same way like for M920Q, difference - only 1 resistor for PCH needs to be soldered differently. Git instructions updated.
I can not test nor confirm yet if this is 100% working solution for M720Q, just because I dont have this board on my hands.
I looked at M720Q board detailed pictures shared by friendly Redditor user and compared with M920X schematics -- mod should work just fine, someone will have to do testing & confirm back. Cheers!

@Parallax

Thanks, I've linked your first post in the reference guide and I'll add a note on the M720q.

 

[damex]

I had to change to bios boot instead of uefi. It will not show in the boot order. I also removed everything from boot order. On my 11th gen tinys it doesnt work since it is only uefi. On my 8th and 10th gen works fine.

is there anything else you did to the machine so it could boot from m2 drive in wifi/2230 slot?

i tried m720q, m920q and p330tiny with 8500t, 9400t, 9500t and 9900t es on last bios and they don't boot from m2 drive in wifi 2230 slot.
it is not detected by bios but test tool available by pressing f10 detects it as a storage. i tried installing esxi to that drive in legacy mode and i did remove everything from boot device list. it does not detect drive as bootable and does not proceed.

 

[legit]

I had to change to bios boot instead of uefi. It will not show in the boot order. I also removed everything from boot order. On my 11th gen tinys it doesnt work since it is only uefi. On my 8th and 10th gen works fine.

Oh this is a bummer. I ordered one of these to use with a P350 (11th gen). Looks like I can only use it for some sort of arbitrary storage.

 

[TinyLenovo]

is there anything else you did to the machine so it could boot from m2 drive in wifi/2230 slot?

i tried m720q, m920q and p330tiny with 8500t, 9400t, 9500t and 9900t es on last bios and they don't boot from m2 drive in wifi 2230 slot.
it is not detected by bios but test tool available by pressing f10 detects it as a storage. i tried installing esxi to that drive in legacy mode and i did remove everything from boot device list. it does not detect drive as bootable and does not proceed.

I bought two of these adapters to run in my m720q and m920x. Originally I couldn't get either to boot from them (no operating system found error) but both are working now!

Here's what got the machines to boot from the 2230 in the wifi slot:
CSM = Disabled
Boot = Legacy
Boot order = Removed M.2 and network drives from the order, leaving all the USB/other devices (inlc. M.2 Sata). I'm not sure how important this is TBH.
**I can't explain this, but once the machine starts booting from the drive (however you can get it to work), it continued to work after I switched the BIOS back to CSM=Enabled and Boot = UEFI.... Seems like it has some memory of whether or not it will try that device as a boot option.

I'm not certain you have to have Legacy boot either (for those of you with newer generations, e.g. p350). When I did a fresh install of Proxmox from a USB installer onto one of the 2230's it immediately started booting from it without having to change the BIOS. The issue is just getting the machine to recognize it as a boot drive once, then it seems to persist until you remove it.


On a different note - You will need to cut a small notch in the corner of the m.2 adapter as the power button interferes. Learn from my experience, scissors worked better than repeated scoring with a utility knife.

 

[damex]

I bought two of these adapters to run in my m720q and m920x. Originally I couldn't get either to boot from them (no operating system found error) but both are working now!

Here's what got the machines to boot from the 2230 in the wifi slot:
CSM = Disabled
Boot = Legacy
Boot order = Removed M.2 and network drives from the order, leaving all the USB/other devices (inlc. M.2 Sata). I'm not sure how important this is TBH.
**I can't explain this, but once the machine starts booting from the drive (however you can get it to work), it continued to work after I switched the BIOS back to CSM=Enabled and Boot = UEFI.... Seems like it has some memory of whether or not it will try that device as a boot option.

I'm not certain you have to have Legacy boot either (for those of you with newer generations, e.g. p350). When I did a fresh install of Proxmox from a USB installer onto one of the 2230's it immediately started booting from it without having to change the BIOS. The issue is just getting the machine to recognize it as a boot drive once, then it seems to persist until you remove it.


On a different note - You will need to cut a small notch in the corner of the m.2 adapter as the power button interferes. Learn from my experience, scissors worked better than repeated scoring with a utility knife.

thanks, i tried all available combinations of keeping devices in boot order and yet still the same 'no operating system found'.
you can not disable csm and keep legacy on so i enable csm and legacy boot.

is there anything else i could try? anything at'all? maybe you did some adjustment via efivars?


i have got lots of these adapters and few kioxia xg4 to use with them. i cut using snipping part of my pliers -> cut the rest with scissors -> use metal file to flatten everything up nicely -> finish up with pure/medical alcohol.

there seem to be no space for heatsink at'all.

 

[damex]

thanks, i tried all available combinations of keeping devices in boot order and yet still the same 'no operating system found'.
you can not disable csm and keep legacy on so i enable csm and legacy boot.

is there anything else i could try? anything at'all? maybe you did some adjustment via efivars?


i have got lots of these adapters and few kioxia xg4 to use with them. i cut using snipping part of my pliers -> cut the rest with scissors -> use metal file to flatten everything up nicely -> finish up with pure/medical alcohol.

there seem to be no space for heatsink at'all.

So i figured it out.

Esxi8 could not provide regular working legacy/mbr boot for bios so that’s why it didn’t work for me.

installing esxi8 in efi mode worked. Secureboot on or off - it does not matter. I turned csm off and kept efi mode with secureboot enabled.

Nvme ssd plugged in to 2230 wifi slot is present under ‘other’ in boot order so need to keep that one enabled.

works on m720q, m920q and p330tiny

 

[ddaenen1]

I am looking to procure an m920q and convert it into a pfsense router using the i350-T4 and the pcie riser and network bracket. The classic approach so to say as a backup to my current pfSense router so i can load the config and just exchange whenever needed. Did i read it correctly that you can just plug an Nvme m.2 2230 SSD into the wifi slot and use it as storage? Would ZFS recognize this and allow me to install pfSense in z-mirror together with the regular Nvme-slot?

 

[adman_c]

I am looking to procure an m920q and convert it into a pfsense router using the i350-T4 and the pcie riser and network bracket. The classic approach so to say as a backup to my current pfSense router so i can load the config and just exchange whenever needed. Did i read it correctly that you can just plug an Nvme m.2 2230 SSD into the wifi slot and use it as storage? Would ZFS recognize this and allow me to install pfSense in z-mirror together with the regular Nvme-slot?

Seems like it might be a little bit more involved than that from the above discussion. But you can install a "shucked" SATA SSD in there depending on how much room the i350-T4 takes up. That's supported out of the box no problem, since the tiny will just see it as a SATA drive. Then you can install pfsense in a mirror using that and the rear NVME if you'd like. You'll be performance limited to SATA performance, but I'm pretty sure that disk i/o performance doesn't matter much for pfesense.

 

[damex]

I am looking to procure an m920q and convert it into a pfsense router using the i350-T4 and the pcie riser and network bracket. The classic approach so to say as a backup to my current pfSense router so i can load the config and just exchange whenever needed. Did i read it correctly that you can just plug an Nvme m.2 2230 SSD into the wifi slot and use it as storage? Would ZFS recognize this and allow me to install pfSense in z-mirror together with the regular Nvme-slot?

zfs won't care what to mirror. both drives are visible to OS as a regular nvme drives so yes, you could.

Seems like it might be a little bit more involved than that from the above discussion. But you can install a "shucked" SATA SSD in there depending on how much room the i350-T4 takes up. That's supported out of the box no problem, since the tiny will just see it as a SATA drive. Then you can install pfsense in a mirror using that and the rear NVME if you'd like. You'll be performance limited to SATA performance, but I'm pretty sure that disk i/o performance doesn't matter much for pfesense.

maybe it will make more sense to use m2 2230 + sata ssd in a mirror (if that is the goal) and keep m2 2280 for data or whatever.
also no need to shuck sata ssd and guess which one is small and which is not. one can pick m2 2242 sata or mSATA drive and use an adapter.
my m920q come with flat front support since it does not have side ventilation and such adapter could be 'partially mounted' in there.

 

[unmesh]

Where are you guys buying your 2230 SSDs? I could use a small capacity one as a boot drive

 

[Phenic]

Where are you guys buying your 2230 SSDs? I could use a small capacity one as a boot drive

I bought my 2230s on ebay (SKhynix BC711) and aliexpress (Samsung PM991a) for my steam decks. I haven't tried using them on my tinys yet.

 

[badger707]

Thanks, I've linked your first post in the reference guide and I'll add a note on the M720q.

Thanks, I updated my last post with additional clarification, it should be less confusing now on level of efforts for M720q.