Download a different ISO file, 11.04 this time.
I used dd using BU's parameters this time.
Still won't boot.
I give up, moving on....
I don't know what you are doing.
Download the grml iso image, it comes in a dual-boot version.
Quote:
"Grml provides an excellent selection of software packages for installation, deployment and system rescue. You'll get sysadmin's favourite tools. Choose between a x86 and an amd64 version depending on your needs or just grab the multiboot ISO grml96, providing 64bit and 32bit ISOs in one single place."
With this, you should be able to boot from USB. As I wrote: it never failed to me.
OK I just downloaded the grml bootable ISO, the double big mac version, 1.5GB, 32+64bits.
Googling it, looks like the Atom CPU was a mixed bag in this regard : 64 bit on desktop, but 32 bit on laptops.
I used Etcher for convenience and the laptop seems to like it, it boots, yeah !!
Don't know why the Ubuntu ISO don't work... they always work when I burn them onto a CD to install on my desktop computer
OK so I wanted to start paying with grml, but big problem : looks like the guy who wrote it does NOT like French people !
Once I have booted the thing, it asked me to set my keyboard layout, great but... it gives only 4 or 5 choices, like German Spanish or American but NO French ?!
It's a huge mess, I can't type anything, I am screwed, can't go further
EDIT : OK I painfully managed toi type the command "grml-lang" and it gave the option to set a French layout, PHEW !
Will run cfdisk to wipe the zillion partitions Lenovo put on the HDD, then try to install Debian on the disk. Let's see...
Need to do that before running the installer, because it let's you select what partition you want to use, but does not let you delete/create partitions on the fly.
So I need to partition first, then only run the installer.