Convert Microsoft to LINUX: Ubuntu/Netbook

This section will feature info on the latest Ubuntu Linux Distribution. The 10.04 ReMix is the best thing yet. I put it on my ASUS 900HA Netbook and it worked fine out of the box. Note you will probalby have to put it on a USB flash drive, also known as a stick. Go to a terminal prompt and type:
apt-get install usb-creator
You can then use this applicaiton to burn the .iso image on to the stick.

In order to be able to view all videos please click this link. Note if you want to use an external video, just follow the standard procudre. Click on Display under Preferences. Do not check the mirror and choose your appropriate resolution for your external monitor. Note, the ASUS card can not do more than 1024 X 768 so I stuck with this resolution.

Troubleshooting Install

Sometimes you may get a file system check errors such as unattached inode xxxxx . In this case reboot again, this time picking recovery mode . It will fail after a while with the file system check and then bring you to a # root prompt. Here type fsck /dev/sda1 or whatever device it is failing on. You can also type fsck all by itself at the prompt. It will make a few passes, when it asks you to fix the unattached inode, that is connect it to the "lost and found", just type y for yes or hit return. When you reboot after this, everything should be fine. Let me know via my email if you ever have any other problems.

For those used to a MAC, Ubuntu feels very much like a MAC. You do not automatically get root privileges. To do root level commands, you use the sudo command. i.e.:
sudo su root
You are now root and can type exit when you want to return to being your normal user. Ubuntu automatically detected all firewire devices on all three platforms. This is a tremendous advantage meaning that I do not have to upgrade to Leopard to see my external DVD firewire burner. I find the Ubuntu operating system certainly as good as the MAC. It also sees my Hewlett Packard Scanjet fine. Be aware that on the MAC hfsplus is the prefered file system. This also known as extended MAC file sytem and comes with your MAC. Your MAC can also multiboot and while in Ubuntu you can see all your MAC partitions and files. If you are installing both on a MAC, create two hfsplus partitions first. Install Ubuntu to the first partition and MAC OS X to the second partition. Lastly note, Ubuntu comes in two GUI environments. Kubuntu gives you the KDE desktop and Ubuntu gives you the GNOME desktop.

Note, there is one bug in Feisty Ubuntu on a PC (i386) laptop install. It messes up the video resolution so it is stuck at 800 x 600. Here is how to fix it:

  1. Install the newer Intel drivers. These are not installed by default and they should be.
  2. sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-intel
  3. It asks if you want to replace the old drivers. Yep, you sure do. Then run the xserver video autodetect thingy:
  4. sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
  5. Choose all the autodetected and default settings it offers, with these exceptions:
  6. At one point it asks about allocating system memory to the video card, making specific mention of the the i810. I'm not sure if it made any difference, but I set this to 64000 KB.
  7. When it lists the resolutions you want enabled MAKE SURE your monitors native solution (in my case 1024 x 768) is checked.
  8. Now you must reboot.

Many thanks to Filippo Guglielmetti for providing this solution on an Ubuntu forum. Note, if you want to just use the xorg.conf file I have and take a chance please follow intructions at /etc/X11/xorg.conf on my commands   link.

Here is my Ubuntu Netbook Desktop for your viewing pleasure:

Ubuntu Desktop on Netbook