Installing Ubuntu 9.04 on an EeePC 900

I've been running Windows XP on my EeePC 900 for a couple of weeks and whilst the ease-of-use has been nice it has been (predictably) getting slower and fatter.

What I've been waiting for is a suitable replacement and yesterdays release of Ubuntu 9.04 provoked an immediate download and install.

I was hoping for something that could actually compete with / surpass Windows XP. I got what I hoped for.

I chose the standard desktop build for my install - I liked the previous NBR, but in the end I wanted it to be more like an ordinary desktop. I did this by downloading the ISO and burning toa CD-R and using a USB DVD-RW drive that I have.

The install itself is a very easy process apart from one stage - the disk partitioning. But more on that later, and remeber I'm describing this from a non-linux experts perspective tempered with the expereince of 10-15 differnet distributions on the EeePC 900.

The install starts ask you all familiar questions about location and keyboard layout wich I have to say it makes very easy. The installer also identifies the resoultion of the EeePC display by default and all the buttons and controlls are correctly positioned for the sice and aspect ratio of the screen.

The next questions are about where to install Ubuntu to. The EeePC 900 boasts 20GB of solid state disk storage, but this is infact split into a 4GB onboard drive and a 16GB secondary drive. The problem that I consistently encounter, even with installers that are supposedly designed for netbooks, is that they don't suggest a split installation where both disks are utilised. This meant that I ended up doing my own partitioning. I have to say that some installers make that proposition a very tricky process, but the Ubuntu 9.04 installer was easy to use and quickly enabled me to set up the following:

• 4GB SSD: single partition mounted as '/'
• 16GB SSD: 2GB swap partition, 4GB partition mounted as '/usr' and 10GB partition mounted as '/home'

From that point onwards things where very easy - provide my user details and off it went. The install took about 30 minutes and completed without event.

Then the reboot. I know that Ubuntu have been saying that they have improved boot times, but I was very impressed at how fast the OS booted. Not more than 30 seconds.

The interface iteself looks great, but what made me oven happier was to find that it had already identified the hardware so that audio, wlan, lan, function keys and even little things like two-finger scrolling with the trackpad all worked without my needing to do anything.

The experience of using Ubuntu 9.04 I will leave to another bloog post but I must just say that I was pleasantly surprised at just how slick and sorted is it, and how everything just worked in a way that I am not used to encountering with Linux. It may seem trivial, but when I started Firefox up and went to page containing an embedded Flash element, I got the usual popup asking if I wanted to install the plugin. This usually never works. I usually have to download it from Adobe and install it by hand. But I tried it anyway and one dialogue later the plugin has downloaded and installed perfectly.

So if I had to describe my Ubuntu 9.04 experience so far it's this: very slick, but more importantly it all just works.

Designer inside as well as outside

For a couple of years, the laptop manufacturers have produced designer exteriors for their laptops and are now continuing this with the netbooks (see the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition). This make an already attractive item into something quite special and helps to differentiate it from the other devices on the market and provides a little exclusivity.

Google were quick to pick up on this with the designer banners available for iGoogle.

What I'm keen to see is the Linux desktop community - particularly those working on netbook remix projects - to be developing intefaces with input from designers from outside the Linux community. In my opinion there is an opportunity for some very attractive interface work to be done, leading to unique distributions with the added desireability of a designer netbook-optimised interface. If anyone is working on this kind of project and wants t drop me a line ...

Netbook + Windows XP = Still the most usable combination?

I hate to be writing this. As you may have spotted from the rest of my blog, I love Linux and I own an EeePC 900. OK. I've tried a number of distributions and I have come to a conclusion that I don't actually like: Install Windows XP. Because in the end, it is just easier, and you'll be more productive because more of the software that you want to use will work.

It is a sad state of affairs really. We all know that Windows XP isn't all that - let's face it, we're talkign about an OS that has some fundamental flaws. But what it offers, and what I really hope that the Linux community will soon provide is true ease of use.

For example, I have a 3G usb modem that I can use while travelling. The device has a memory stick built in that contains the drivers - for both Windows and Linux. The Windows drivers install first time and work, the Linux drivers won't install properly and don't provide any feedback on why.

I don't actually want to use Windows XP - it feels like a step backwards. It just happens to work better. I'm hoping that JoliCloud will provide a real alternative ... then theres Windows 7 ...

5 Linux distributions for EeePC

Over the past few months I have installed a number of different Linux distributions on my EeePC 900 and these are my top 5 (in no particular order)....

Mandriva 2009.1 - Mandriva specify that EeePC and netbook hardware support (WLAN, LAN, Audio) is supported from the base install. I've tested Mandriva and it worked very well and the hardware in my EeePC 900 was supported straight off.

OpenSuse 11.1 - A nice distro that has a good set of features and has EeePC hardware support if you add the right repositories and install the required components. Not as easy as Mandriva, but there is a good amount of support information for EeePC specifically maintained on their site.

Fedora 10 - An interesting distribution that I'm running at the moment. WLAN, LAN and Audio worked from base install. The only Linux distribution I've run that has managed to integrate the 4GB and 16Gb SSDs into one single volume. A little more resource hungry than most distributions and so suffers from longer boot times.

EeeBuntu NBR 2.0 - A good distribution specifically for EeePCs. Uses a custom interface designed specifically to suit netbooks and is based on Ubuntu. If you aren't worried about haveing a 'classic' style desktop then this is well worth checking out, and a classic desktop version is also available.

EasyPeasy - Designed specifically for the EeePC and has a full set of driver for the hardware as part of the base installation. Based on Ubuntu and using the same custom netbook interface as EeeBuntu NBR.

If there is another distribution that has good support for EeePC or Netbook platforms then please post it here ...

Jolicloud - one to watch

Jolicloud is a new, linux base netbook operating system that is being hyped at the moment aso one of the next significant OSs to be released with the netbook platform in mind.

Wired discuss Jolicloud in their blog at some length here "Netbooks Offer a Chance to Challenge Windows' Long Reign" and provide a screenshot of what looks to be a nice tidy interface.

Jolicloud can also be found on twitter.

I'm looking to review this either as soon as I can get access to a beta version, or when the final release arrives.

8.9 inch or 10 inch .... ASUS stops marketing it's smallest netbooks

Asus announced recently that it would stop marketing it's smallest 8.9" netbooks ahead of a move to 10" displays as a minimum spec.

I can see why this is being done - for some, the 8.9" formfactor can seem a little cramped, but I have to say, I use an EeePC 900, with a 8.9" screen and I don't have any problems typing on the keyboard and I certainly don't have small fingers!

The other aspect that I feel is a little lost here is the resolution of the screens - 1024x600 was a good increase in resolution when the first netbooks jumped from 7" to 8.9" screens. If we are seeing a permanent shift to 10" screens I would hope to also see a suitable increase in resolution - how about 1280x800 ... that would make a significant improvement in the user experience, much beyond the slightly bigger keyboard ...

Windows XP on Netbooks ... Just say 'no'!

Even I have had a breif go with Windows XP on a netbook. But it's just wrong. The whole point of a netbook was to be small, cheap, robust, portable ... not something that is inherrent with Windows XP.

This article http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/06/microsoft-boasts-that-96-of-netbooks-now-run-windows/ explains how Microsoft is feeling pleased with themselves about their market saturation. If the numbers are true, then it's a pity. The linux community offers a belief in it's own product and a clarity of vision that has long been missing from Microsoft.

So the question is: why have XP on all these netbooks? Because of one simple fact: Windows XP make things easy. There are no hurdles to overcome, no difficulties in achieving simple or complex tasks. Downloaded software just installs and works. The drivers for the hardware always exist.

That is the one thing that the Linux community needs to learn from Microsoft - make it easy. I shouldn't have to do *anything* from the command line to make something work.

Fedora Linux 10 - First impressions

On Friday (3 days ago) I installed Fedora 10 Linux onto my EeePC 900.

The install was very easy (done from the Live CD, via USB DVD-ROM drive) and seems to support all the EeePC hardware out to the box (function keys, wlan, audio, trackpad). I don't know about the in-built camera yet as I haven't tested it.

The first things I noticed (after the slightly longer boot time than I'm used to (75 seconds to get to login prompt, +25 seconds to get logged in) was that the Fedora default disk build has done something very clever with it's disk partitioning system and has built a single 18.9GB volume out of my 4GB + 16GB solid state disks. This is the first time I have seen something like this (although I heard about it a couple of months ago). The cool thing is, it just works.

So far, Fedora is well behaved and works responsively, is s little slow to boot. As I get software installed on it I'll post further experiences. I'm aiming for the standard Open Office, Inkscape, Gimp (which was already included), Blender, Skype in addition to Firefox 3, Thunderbird and Remote Desktop. I'll also be seeing of I can find a way to get the '3' network 3G dongle that I have working on Fedora.

Looks good so far, I'll let you know about the rest ....

EeeBuntu NBR Mini-Review

I've been running EeeBuntu NBR (Netbook remix) for just over a week now and I'm struck by two things - first, how easy it is to use, and how well the innovative netbook interface works, and second, how much of a near-miss experience this has been for me.

I'm judging how well this works against other Linux distributions I have installed onto the same EeePC - OpenSuse and Mandriva being to key ones, as well as the user experience from using an operating system (OS) like MS Windows XP.

The install itself is as easy as can be - you answer a few questions about where and who you are, accept the suggested disk partitioning scheme (remember to backup any files before you do this - your disk will get formatted as part of the process) and everything goes ahead as planned.

The OS installs with no drama at all.

Once you have completed the install and logged in there is a configuration tool in the system menu that applies updates and fixes to ensure that all the right setup is done and that your EeePC works correctly. It takes only a minute or so and is completely automated.

The first problem I noted was when I tried to use my 4GB SD card in the EeePCs inbuilt reader - which didn't work. It seems that (on this install, on this hardware - a stock ASUS EeePC 900) that the OS is not configured to mount new devices automatically. Now, for those of us that are familiar with Linux, it's not too much of a problem to sort that out, but that is also not entirely the point.

The EeeBuntu NBR is designed specifically for people with netbooks who want a better OS, with a better user experience. The problem is, from what I've seen I'm not convinced that this would work without the user needing to sort a few things out by hand. If we think about MS Windows - you just plug in the device and it works. With the EeeBuntu NBR, that's not the case, and I don't think the target audience for that OS would necessarily know what to do to fix it or where to look to find out how.

Day-to-day the OS is responsive and works quickly. Boot times including login of about 60 seconds with applications starting fast and running well.

The other thing that struck me is that the pre-configured repositories (the online libraries of software available for installation) are rather limited - for example GIMP which is one of the most famous of open source graphics packages and is usually available along with Open Office and some other key applications, isn't - was rather surprised that it wasn't in the standard build.

Despite these few (minor) points, I'm struck by how good an OS this is and how well it works.

Essential accessories for your netbook #1: USB DVD RAM Drive

Having a netbook means that you're going to be taking it with you, so having a way of backing it up is more or less essential. A DVD RAM Drive is a very cheap way of making a robust backup of your stuff. It's also a great way to install any of the alternative operating systems (Linux based, Microsoft or others) that you might want to try on your netbook.

I spent £39.99 at a local Staples store and bought a LiteOn DX-20A3P drive which has proved to be simply brilliant. Burning either CDs or DVDs the drive works well, isn't too noisy and is standard enough that plugged into my EeePC or any of the Windows based computers that I use it just simply works.

The whole point about my netbook is that it's portable and it travelling with me every day, regardless of where I go. Being able to do that without worrying about dropping it *and* losing all my data leaves me able to enjoy it's ease of use where-ever I go ... and then there's the 20+ alternative operating systems I've installed with it.