Microsoft Surface Pro

The Microsoft Surface Pro is a x86 tablet. Optionally are a cover with keyboard and a digitizer/stylus. The good thing about the surface is that is as handy and mobile as a tablet but has the performance (cpu, ram, ssd) and software of a x86 notebook. And you get FullHD display resolution on 27 cm.

power connector

ground
positive
LED (when this pin has current -> LED lights up)
positive
ground

operating systems

The cpu is amd64, the UEFI is 64 bit, UEFI does not have CSM (legacy mode) support. To boot Linux/BSD with Secure Boot enter UEFI setup menu and select "delete all secure boot keys". This way Linux/BSD can boot and during install add keys to Secure Boot.

operating system	Version / File	Installer booting?
debian	debian-9.0.0-amd64-netinst.iso	true
devuan	devuan_jessie_1.0.0_amd64_NETINST.iso	false
FreeBSD	FreeBSD-11.0-RELEASE-amd64-mini-memstick.img	true
gentoo	install-amd64-minimal-20170629.iso	false
gentoo	livedvd-amd64-multilib-20160704.iso	true
gnewsense	gnewsense-live-4.0-amd64-gnome.iso	false
guixSD	guixsd-usb-install-0.13.0.x86_64-linux.xz	true
OpenWrt	lede-17.01.2-x86-64-combined-squashfs.img	false
NetBSD	7.1 amd64 install.img	false
OpenBSD	6.1 amd64 install.fs	true
ReactOS	0.4.5 i386	false

Hardware problems

• The WiFi chip is connected via USB.
• There is only one USB connector.
• There is no Ethernet connector.
• It's hard to put it on your belly.

Tricks

UEFI

Hold volume up button while pressing the power button.

The UEFI provides only two options. En-/Disabling trusted platform module and En-/Disable SecureBoot.

USB Boot

Hold volume down button while pressing the power button.

Bookmarks / Advertisments

• Surface at Wikipedia
• Microsoft update history tells that the last update was in February 2016