Ubuntu Install - EEE PC

The Eee PC 901 is an Intel Atom-based laptop, with 1 GB of RAM, a 20 GB SSD, and a 9 inch display. Since I bought mine, it’s been running Ubuntu 8.04 rather than the default Xandros-based OS. The laptop is surprisingly unfriendly to Ubuntu despite being preloaded with Linux. Ubuntu 8.10 has delivered some improvements for Eee PC laptops, but it still doesn’t work perfectly out of the box.

via TomBuntu

I have not used, EEE PC, but as I was doing some research for a friend of mine I came about this site, that goes into great detail about the initial install and how simple it can really be. As I read further it is good to know that EEE PC comes preloaded with a variation of Open Source Xandros,which is a variation of Linux.

It is truly wonderful to see that, that helps people step away from the annoyance and frustration that is windows. So in that I congratulate them, the challenge is once you setup Ubuntu on a laptop you can set it up just about anywhere. My hope is that this information helps, and until I get myself an EEE Pc I can only offer so much. Any other questions? Offer them in the comments.

It is possible to have Ubuntu or Kubuntu on a USB drive (AKA USB Stick or Thumb drive or Flash drive) or USB hard disk drive with persistent mode. This means that you can boot from a USB drive and keep customisations such as keyboard layout, numlock, preferences, additional packages saved on the drive. This can be done using linux or windows. You will need a USB drive of 1 GB or more. This page is written after having tested the instructions on a Peak III 1 GB drive. The preparation of the drive is explained using 'fdisk' because I had errors with 'gparted' and i could not give the partitions a volume name. I used Ubuntu to make the drive. In Kubuntu it is more or less the same. Where you see 'ubuntu' replace it by 'kubuntu'. I will mark the other differences.

via Ubuntu Wiki

Another aspect of EEE PC to set up Ubuntu 8.04 via Pen Drive or more specifically USB Drive since EEE Pc's do not have solid state drives, and to install it from a cd to a USB Drive would make sense. This is more specific to my buddy @thepete who has been trying to deal with the challenge of setting up Ubuntu on an EEE Pc via USB, so my hope is this additional tutorial will help with that circumstance. The eee Pc are a nice addition so that is a good thing, and as time progresses I will have to pick one up and explore it for myself.

Setting Up Wireless - Ubuntu 8.10

The problem is that Network Manager isn't there... which is why I'm now reinstalling.
via @Ubuntu101

Instead of going this extent, to the point of needing to reinstall one more time, just to see the Network Manager on Ubuntu, in order to be able to tweak the settings to work with your current wireless setup. I would first suggest connecting your machine into a wired network, whether it be at home, or a library, possibly even a Internet Cafe. Once you are connected you can usually update your Ubuntu Box via the wired connection and get the most recent distro updates. In simpler terms once you get the most up to date software from Ubuntu, many of the problems you may face in the early stages may of been solved. Now connecting to a wired network is one way, perhaps you cannot do that so below we will explore other options.

Possible Solutions besides a complete reinstall:

• Using Windows system via Wubi
• Order An Ubuntu Disk and Upgrade
• Already using Ubuntu - Follow the Tutorial.
  

Option A: Using a Windows System with Wubi, to add Ubuntu through the User Friendly Installer.

Run Wubi, insert a password for the new account, and click "install". The installation process from this point is fully automatic. The installation files (700MB) will be downloaded and checked, after which you will be asked to reboot. Do so and select Ubuntu at the boot screen. The installation will continue for another 10-15 minutes and the machine will reboot again. This is it. Now you can select Ubuntu at the boot screen and start using it.
via The Wubi Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Option B: Order an Ubuntu Disk And Upgrade

This is pretty straight forward, each person can simply request them from Shipit and receive a burned copy within 6-8 weeks and then follow the procedure outlined there. Once that is done the hope is that will solve it. If it doesn't keep reading.

Option C: If you are already using Ubuntu it's even Easier using the Network Manager following the tutorial below.

Network Manager aims for Network Connectivity which "Just Works". The computer should use the wired network connection when it's plugged in, but automatically switch to a wireless connection when the user unplugs it and walks away from the desk. Likewise, when the user plugs the computer back in, the computer should switch back to the wired connection. The user should, most times, not even notice that their connection has has been managed for them; they should simply see uninterrupted network connectivity.

More information about Network Manager is available in Gnome website and wiki .

via The Tutorial

Try those options and see how they find you, I will update this later, share your experience.

Ubuntu 101 - Tips & Tricks

In this article we’ve compiled 101 list of Ubuntu tutorials. If you’re thinking of switching to Ubuntu from Windows, don’t waste your time thinking too much. Switch to Ubuntu now and you’ll never think about going back. Windows maybe more popular but Linux isn’t too far behind and Ubuntu distro is one of the main reasons. Ubuntu is the simplest, easiest, and a very stable Linux distribution to switch to from Windows.

via LXPages

Some great tips and tricks on Working With Ubuntu from the start to the finish, more is coming soon from my own experiences.

Adobe Air - Ubuntu 8.10 - Running Twirl

I love Adobe Air! Applications like Twhirl and Woopra have become an important part of my daily computing arsenal. Over the past 6 month I have been running Adobe Air alpha which wasn’t exactly quirk-less. Twhirl never saved my passwords, never minimized to the panel, and the window always had a black shadow around it. A couple of days ago I decided to upgrade to beta, I thought it was going to be a walk in the park, well I was wrong.

Simply downloading the beta version and running it will not work (at least for me). I got a permission error, adding a ’sudo’ or logging in as root won’t solve the problem either. So what we will need to do is completely remove the alpha version, install beta, and reinstall our Adobe Apps.

via hehe2.net publish by @Voodoologic

Great information for those who enjoy using Twhirl or any of the many Adobe Air Apps, and are running on a 64 bit system, The tutorial this is linked to enables the full use of those same projects on an AMD64 Bit System, Great Stuff and more is coming soon.

As an update, there should probably be some level of understanding how there is an install or uninstall, so by most standards this may be a bit advance, soon as I explore it further will offer better understanding of some of the things you may experience with Ubuntu 8.10 on an AMD64 System.

Skype - In Ubuntu, How to Make it Happen

Skype is proprietary software that allows you to make calls over the Internet using your computer. Skype uses decentralized peer-to-peer technologies, so your calls do not go through a central server, but through distributed servers and other users. It uses its own proprietary communication protocol to achieve this. In addition, all communications are encrypted from end to end so that others cannot listen in. The Skype software is free to use, but it is not free software; the source code is proprietary and not available for modification.

via Ubuntu Help

Was doing some reasearch on Skype Over Ubuntu and Came Across this site, that gives you a general idea and presents you with links to further information. I will have to explore Skype on my system to see how it goes and offer updates on that resource. This is a good starting point.

Ubuntu & Firefox

Yet another great set of updates came over the wire today, including the new Firefox 3.05, which seems faster and better setup then previous versions. The wonder of the current setup, is that from the first install of Ubuntu, Firefox is included, not Internet Explorer - the chance to escape Microsoft you see. So on that I just want to say how well the constant updates have been.

You should probably check at least every 3 days because that is about as fast as Ubuntu Updates depending on what you chose to look for.

System - Administration - Update Manager - Click Check - and Then Install

Simple as that to run the Update Manager using Ubuntu 8.10, Once updated you have a more stable, secure system and it only gets better from there. That is about it for now, more is coming soon, thanks for taking part in Learning through Ubuntu 101.

Let the Open Source Movement Continue - Escape Microsoft!

Google Chrome - Now Available for Linux

Chromium is an open-source browser project that aims to build a safer, faster, and more stable way for all Internet users to experience the web. The Chromium codebase is the basis for Google’s Chrome browser.

Great news on the open source front - specifically to Ubuntu with the advent of The Google Chrome browser for Linux from the Great Folks @ codeweavers, who are the founders of what is called,  wine which enables you to run windows programs in the emulator thereby enabling you to run most programs that would otherwise only run in Windows. 

And in that, being able to run many of the more popular windows programs within Ubuntu, or Linux for that matter. Giving the user an increased flexibility to run whatever you need to do. To close that is one more improvement over the rest of the story. More is coming soon stay tuned, subscribe and grow together.

Ubuntu - Updating Again

Ubuntu vs Windows Part 1:

Within the last few months, there have been numerous updates to the awesome open source operating system, that is Ubuntu, and with every update better features, more support for popular devices and constant improvements.

In all the years I have had the misfortune of dealing with windows there was never one point in time where the updates were that fast, with windows it would be only a few per month. The most updates were on a new install, while Ubuntu on the other hand has updated many times in a per week basis, to a point whereby you can almost be sure that just about every 3 days, some part of Ubuntu updates. And with each update you see constant improvement.

Not to mention you can be sure that every day there is someone working on the next update, as there are many who can work with Ubuntu making it a wonderful collaborative effort making it a powerful project that is constantly improved like the internet under regular revision.


With such a constant cycle of updates and improvements as each day passes more and more of the Operating System market is capture by those more interested in an Open Source Ideal. Then being limited to a closed source annoyance that is windows. The thing is that since many of the more popular games had been setup for windows people still must dual boot with windows on the hard drive simply because not all games work with Linux, Yet. In that statement and from my research that is one area that is also being constantly improved.

With Round 1 coming to a close ... seems so far Ubuntu is on top - we're going 12 rounds though so Round 2 is coming soon. :) Thoughts - Share them in the comments.