Ubuntu on the Eee PC

tdroza — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:16:40 +0000

After a couple of days playing with my new Asus EeePC 901 I was left more than a little disappointed: The innovative multitouch mouse pad was limited by the provided drivers – two-finger scroll would work but not pinch-to-zoom. The browser would crash if I tried using any flash recording in websites like youtube or ustream with the in-built webcam. The performance seemed a little sluggish when swapping between applications or even between browser tabs, and I’d describe the interface as something I’d expect to see on a kids “my first laptop” – poor quality icons and use of colour. I also found the default Xandros Linux operating system to be cumbersome – the update manager failed to install updates that it told me were available and it was incredibly difficult to install applications not listed in the update manager. Then when I told the thing to shutdown, sometimes it would but sometimes it would refuse to turn off the power and just sit there with black screen. I spent two whole hours installing seven different packages just to install Firefox 3, and then a further hour changing the Firefox shortcut in the application launcher to load version 3 instead of 2. I thought Linux was supposed to be user friendly these days!? I was left wondering whether perhaps these were just compromises I would have to accept for the portability and battery life that the EeePC could provide?

: MAME running on the Eee901

I mentioned these issues on Twitter and @robb1e replied to suggest I try Ubuntu instead of Xandros. I’d read good things about Ubuntu but also read that it needed some manual tweaks to get some features of the 901 (wifi, bluetooth, webcam) to work. Then I found the Ubuntu Eee project – a version of Ubuntu customised with software and drivers specifically for the EeePC. It can be installed on a USB flash drive using a windows installer so that you can give it a try completely risk free as it wont touch your existing OS. I gave it a try and after just 15 minutes testing was convinced enough that I installed it permanently (from the same flash drive) and said goodbye to Xandros forever.

: Before: Xandros Linux

: After: Netbook Remix in Ubuntu Eee

Here’s why I believe that Ubuntu Eee is streets ahead of Xandros:

Much slicker, crisper user interface (the NetbookRemix interface is a simplified application launcher similar to that provided by Xandros, but it’s still possible to go back to the standard Ubuntu desktop although I think NetbookRemix is perfect for this form-factor).
Great set of bundled applications (OpenOffice, Firefox 3 (including full flash support), Skype)
Full support for the multitouch touchpad
Fully functioning update manager
Far more responsive when switching between applications
Almost all of the hardware works without any extra configuration (see below for the exceptions)
Shutdown really does shutdown and power off!

There are still a couple of things I think could be improved with Ubuntu Eee but I have more confidence in the community being able to resolve these quickly than Asus being able to fix the Xandros issues. In fact, there’s a new version based around Ubuntu 8.10 due at the end of which should have even better support for the 901. Here’s a quick roundup of the issues I had:

Lack of bluetooth software – bluetooth drivers are installed but the only way to send or receive files (as far as I could tell) is via the command line until you install addiitional software to enable right-click > Send-to…
SD card reader support – my card wasn’t mounted properly because of a conflict caused by Ubuntu expecting the presence of a CD-ROM drive. Easily fixed by a one-line change in a config file, but should work by default as none of the EeePCs have a CD-ROM
Shortcut keys weren’t configured (home key and the row of 4 buttons above the function keys)
MAME – one of the first things I installed. Surely Space Invaders and Pacman should come as standard, no?

I’m so impressed that I’m even considering scrapping WinXP from my main laptop and installing Ubuntu. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that Asus are underselling their EeePC by shipping it with Xandros – it should come with Ubuntu Eee by default.

Netbook revolution

tdroza — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:19:58 +0000

I’ve been paying attention to the market for portable internet enabled devices recently as I’ve been wanting a device that allows me to read news feeds, browse the web and manage emails while away from home. Most of the devices I’ve seen so far have been frustrating to use for one reason or another. I have a Windows Mobile handset which is fine for reading short plain-text emails or checking train times but anything else is likely to lead throwing either the handset or myself from the top of a very high bridge! At the start of the year I bought a Nokia N800 “internet tablet” but soon found that the screen was still not a high enough resolution, and there was a lack of thrid-party software (which was impossibly difficult to install anyway). I fount the N800 just too slow and clumsy when browsing web pages or scrolling through RSS feeds. I came to the conclusion that I don’t want to make do with a “mobile internet” experience, I want the full internet (including ajax, flash etc) but in a portable form-factor.

Six months ago a friend bought an Asus EeePC 701. He soon returned it becuase he found the keyboard too cramped and the 7″ screen too small, but I was sold on the concept. Asus have since saturated the market with a plethora of devices and model numbers which serve only to confuse the consumer but the latest model, the EeePC 901, is significantly improved from that first model and I think has the potential to be just what I’m looking for. The important features for me are:

9″ screen
1024 pixels wide so almost all webpages will fit without horizontal scrolling.
Intel Atom mobile CPU running at 1.6GHz – low powered and cool running.
802.11b/g and n WiFi and bluetooth built-in
1.3megapixel webcam,
20GB solid state disk (SSD) if you go for the Linux option, otherwise 12GB so no moving parts and better battery life than a conventional hard disk.

In fact, it’s claimed that with some clever CPU performance management it’s possible to eek out 8 hours from a single charge.

So, just over a week ago I bought one, and put the N800 on eBay. I’ve been playing with the Eee901 for a while now, I’ve used it on the train, taken it when I went away for the weekend and shown it to several friends and colleagues. So far I’ve been very impressed with the hardware, design and build quality but disappointed with the Xandros Linux operating system. However, I made one big change yesteerday which has completely transformend the Eee901 and resolved almost all of my concerns. More on that in my next EeePC post…

tomputer » asus

Ubuntu on the Eee PC

Netbook revolution