Can Ubuntu be installed on Intel Atom based laptop or mini PC?

I was able to install Lubuntu 17.10 onto a Lenovo Ideapad 100S, I think mine might be a little later generation (14-1BY) because the bios does allow modification of boot order, and other things I'm used to in a bios.

Regular install of just the standard 17.10 64-bit iso for Lubuntu did not work; booting into the LiveCD was fine, install seemed fine, but then it wouldn't boot on its own. Through searching threads like these, it seems the Ideapad really does need a 32-bit booter.

I was able to get there (pointed to by other posts like this) using isorespin.sh. I respun the lubuntu 17.10 64-bit iso with options --atom -u -s 2GB (-u updates to latest kernel, and -s makes a persistent partition, because I thought, if this fails, at least I'll have a more usable bootable USB). Check also respun ISOs (suitable for Intel Atom and Intel Apollo Lake devices).

Before, with preinstalled Windows 10 and Quickbooks and Chrome and THAT'S IT, the measly 32gb drive was full and screaming about windows updates it couldn't apply because it had no room. It's irresponsible of Lenovo to make a pc with a drive that small and sell it with windows 10 on it. I pity all the less-computer-literate, low-income households that bought one of these because of the price, and found it largely unusable.

Now with Lubuntu installed I've got 22GB drive space available! More than I'll ever need because this box will only ever need to be used for browsing (including document and spreadsheet writing in Google Docs).

The problem with installation is 32 bit UEFI (yeah, despite the 64 bit CPU), so the simplest solution is to find a 32 bit distro, shipped with EFI loader. You still could install 64 bit distro, but it's a bit tricky. Here's a list of helpful links you'd be interested in: someone installing Ubuntu on the same notebook, experimental Fedora for Bay Trail (non official), Archlinux topic on alike installation.

Just in case if a distro doesn't boot: make sure that it got 32 bit ….efi file, probably somewhere down the /boot/ or the /efi/ directory.

There's a bigger problem: you've got a System-On-Chip called Bay Trail, and Intel is struggling yet to supply good support (which is funny, given the number of engineers, and that Bay Trail is in production). Most of the issues are fixed as of kernel 4.7, except that there's no sound.

You can track the process of solving the bug with sound here. I'd recommend to hold with installation, while it gets solved (or, just in case you're a programmer, you could try to join the fun of getting the sound up and running).