Netbook linux OS

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jonwallace
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Netbook linux OS

Post by jonwallace »

Just a suggestion for those with elderly netbooks (I have an Acer Aspire One with 8gb SSD).

Mine ran Ubuntu Netbook remix happily for a bit, but the latest update killed the wireless adaptor (not completely, just enough for it to bomb out when I tried to download anything, taking the household wireless network with it and upsetting the other half. Her laptop disconnected and reconnected swiftly enough that she hardly noticed, but it reconnected to an unsecured network elsewhere in the street.)

Anyway, I wandered through the lesser known byways of the netbook Linux world and discovered that alternatives were either retro (polite for old fashioned - I'm not known for being in the forefront, but I'd like my kids to respect me...) or overspecified and dragged my poor AAO to its (figurative) knees or didn't handle the hardware.

Then I tried Jolicloud, mainly because the AAO was in the impressive list of supported hardware. I started with the Pre-release final, then updated this week to the 1.0 version.

I find it easy to ignore its "social networking" emphasis because everything just works. I can open files from the Synology server, installing my samsung scx-4100 was successful once I told Jolicloud that the print server was an HP Jetdirect (it isn't, but white lies are almost truths, aren't they?)

Downsides are that, while you can install linux software by hand, only stuff installed by the "official" route will show on the launcher (although that's under development). Also certain areas in the repository lag a little behind (Openoffice is still at 3.0.1).

Upsides may be (because I haven't tested it) that the integration of WINE means that there are some Windows programs in the apps repository that just work. Upsides are that I can sit with my feet up and do this, while my grandson monopolises the Desktop that I usually use.
John

“Always trust a microbiologist because they have the best chance of predicting when the world will end”
― Teddie O. Rahube

perryl7822
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Re: Netbook linux OS

Post by perryl7822 »

Have you tired Ubuntu remix. I really like the way it is designed for the netbooks. It really takes advantage of the small screen because it has really big navigation buttons on the left hand side. You should give it a shot.
Perry L. "Linux Freak"
www.mnui.com

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jonwallace
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Re: Netbook linux OS

Post by jonwallace »

perryl7822 wrote:Have you tired Ubuntu remix. I really like the way it is designed for the netbooks. It really takes advantage of the small screen because it has really big navigation buttons on the left hand side. You should give it a shot.
Thanks for your interest. Yes I did try Ubuntu remix, the problem was, as I said:
I ran Ubuntu Netbook remix happily for a bit, but the latest update killed the wireless adaptor (not completely, just enough for it to bomb out when I tried to download anything, taking the household wireless network with it and upsetting the other half. Her laptop disconnected and reconnected swiftly enough that she hardly noticed, but it reconnected to an unsecured network elsewhere in the street.)
I should really have reposted to say that for some obscure reason, my AAO doesn't want to upgrade to the new Jolicloud 1.1 . So I tried out Peppermint ICE (using it now), which does support all my hardware AND boots in 32 seconds AND sees my network NAS box and Samsung SCX-4100! Admittedly, I had to do a bit of Terminal typing to get the case fans under control, but hey, it's all part of the experience.

If I used this netbook for anything really serious, this would be dead annoying. Instead, It's a challenge, isn't it?
John

“Always trust a microbiologist because they have the best chance of predicting when the world will end”
― Teddie O. Rahube

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jonwallace
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Re: Netbook linux OS - update

Post by jonwallace »

jonwallace wrote:
perryl7822 wrote:Have you tired Ubuntu remix. I really like the way it is designed for the netbooks. It really takes advantage of the small screen because it has really big navigation buttons on the left hand side. You should give it a shot.
Thanks for your interest. Yes I did try Ubuntu remix, the problem was, as I said:
I ran Ubuntu Netbook remix happily for a bit, but the latest update killed the wireless adaptor (not completely, just enough for it to bomb out when I tried to download anything, taking the household wireless network with it and upsetting the other half. Her laptop disconnected and reconnected swiftly enough that she hardly noticed, but it reconnected to an unsecured network elsewhere in the street.)
I should really have reposted to say that for some obscure reason, my AAO doesn't want to upgrade to the new Jolicloud 1.1 . So I tried out Peppermint ICE (using it now), which does support all my hardware AND boots in 32 seconds AND sees my network NAS box and Samsung SCX-4100! Admittedly, I had to do a bit of Terminal typing to get the case fans under control, but hey, it's all part of the experience.

If I used this netbook for anything really serious, this would be dead annoying. Instead, It's a challenge, isn't it?
Updated to say that I just installed Peppermint onto a really old eeePC701 (yes, the one with the wee screen), and apart from an issue with some windows not fitting the minuscule screen properly, it picked up all the hardware first time and works fine. Only gotcha is that update manager tells you that there is a Ubuntu update. This will kill your Peppermint installation, so don't do it!! :hairout:
John

“Always trust a microbiologist because they have the best chance of predicting when the world will end”
― Teddie O. Rahube