Installation

Startup Hotkeys

Access the firmware by pressing F10 on an external keyboard, or Fn+F10 on the Cover Type keyboard
Boot on a USB media by leaving "Volume down" pressed on boot, until the Surface logo appears on screen

Both of those can also be achieved from the Advanced startup section of the "PC Settings" in Windows 8.1.

Dual-booting

To set up a dual-boot (useful to install firmware updates!), and be able to resize the Windows partition, be sure to disable Bitlocker disk encryption.

Fedora installation

You'll probably need to update the kernel on the Live USB before you're able to install. After creating a Live USB image with persistence, you can get the latest kernels for the Surface 3 in my COPR, and follow the instructions here.

Hardware support on the Surface 3

Feature Status	Markup
not working	`<: #ff8080> not working`
needs work	`<: #ffcc50> needs work`
working	`<: #80ff80> working`

Feature	Reference	Notes
EFI		With `efi=old_map` on older kernels, see kernel bug
Secure Boot		Crashes on boot, see Fedora bug
Graphics card	Intel HD Graphics (Cherryview)	Supported with caveats, see kernel bug, fd.o bug
DisplayPort output		Display only (audio patches)
Brightness		Works with some drivers builtin, Kernel bug
Internal MMC		Not detected before kernel 4.3, work-around available in Kernel bug
SD card reader		Working
Volume/Power buttons		driver upstreaming in progress, see kernel bug
Detachable keyboard	Type Cover	Keyboard and touchpad working, multi-touch upstreamed
Sound	Intel SoC	Kernel driver patch and alsa-lib config upstreamed (see Kernel bug), jack (including microphone) and internal speakers and mic
Power Off/Reboot		Works
Suspend		Working with power button, some drivers need work
Lid switch		Initial LID state, LID WMI driver (WIP) (note that you need to disable the power management patch
Battery		MSHW0011 Driver in progress, Kernel bug
Wi-Fi	Marvell	Working with upstreamed driver and recent kernel/firmware combo
Bluetooth	Marvell Bluetooth 4.0	Works with upstreamed driver
Rear Camera	OV8835 8MP	Not working, (non-upstream untested driver, camera framework)
Front camera	Aptina AR0330	Not working, (non-upstream untested driver, camera framework)
Accelerometer, ALS	HID sensor hub	Necessary quirk now upstream
Touchscreen	N-Trig touchscreen	Works, driver merged upstream
Pen	Surface Pen	Works, driver merged upstream

Original OS recovery

In case you wiped the whole disk, and forgot to do a recovery disk, and either want to restart using Windows 8, or want to do firmware upgrades, you can download recovery images from Microsoft directly.