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Ubuntu at last on the EEE 1000

troycoon — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:01:32 +0000

It has been some time since I have had a functioning ubuntu laptop. I had an EEE 701 with ubuntu on it but I traded up to the 1000. I duel booted Xandros and WinXp for awhile, but now at last I have ubuntu.

I loaded the latest Ibex release and the array.org kernal, then I installed the eee control center and added CPU frequency scaling to the toolbar. This was a painless install and now I am so freaking happy. The performance is awesome and I have not run into any problems yet, and I’m getting about 6hrs of battery life. Not bad considering the lack of undervolting. If you want the complete step by step just drop me a line, but I think the information you need can be found on the array.org site.

Eee PC 901 – 1000 Dual Boot Xandros and Windows XP

troycoon — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:09:37 +0000

Michael has put up a post on how to dual boot your 901 or 1000, so as a form of quality control I followed his instructions. He has the 901 and I have the 1000, which has a larger hard drive, so I wanted to try something different. I wanted to put the Xandros system partition on the 8GB SSD which is /dev/sda, and a 20GB~ish Xandros user partition on the 30GB SSD as /dev/sdb1 and an 8GB WinXP partition on the end of the drive as /dev/sdb2. Well it didn’t work. I used Michael’s instructions and successfully backed up my WinXP partition, but no matter what I tried, I could not get it to boot from /dev/sdb2. I tried rebuilding and reinstalling GRUB. I tried Super Grub Disk. I tried installing Ubuntu, which allowed me to see the Windows partition, but it still would not boot. I might add that Xandros would boot the whole time. So my solution: I moved Windows to the second hard drive with its Master Boot Record and expanded it to take up the entire drive, so when it boots I hit escape and boot from the second drive. It works, WOOT. I then reinstalled Xandros using the disk that came with my computer. The only thing you have to do to keep it from overwriting the second drive is when it says /dev/sdb1 is currently formatted …blah..blah JUST SAY NO. It will finish setting up Xandros just on the first drive and you are good to go. If anyone knows how I can get XP to boot from /dev/sdb2 I would be very happy to hear from you.

Ubuntu CPU Frequency Selector

michael.stahlman — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:53:24 +0000

Something I have been wanting recently in Ubuntu for laptops and specifically my Eee PC is the ability to control the CPU frequency easily. With Asus’s unwillingness to provide their “Super Hybrid Machine” for Ubuntu and the several times I can run applications that push the frequency to its limit, my Eee PC can get a little toasty in the lap. Many thanks go to The Ubuntu Labrador for the instructions.

The first step to be able to adjust the CPU frequency in Ubuntu is to add the “CPU Frequency Scaling Monitor” to a panel in Gnome. Do this by right-clicking in an open area on a panel and choosing “Add to panel.” Next, choose the monitor from the list. This will show the frequency your CPU is running at during that exact moment. If on an Eee PC with an Intel Atom processor, it will show 800MHz when idle and jump to 1.6GHz when running applications.

In order to enable manual control of the CPU frequency, a command must be executed to configure the applet. Start by opening a Terminal window and enter the following command:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure gnome-applets

This will show a text-based GUI informing that a component can be added to the CPU Frequency Scaling Monitor with the SUID bit set. Select “OK” and it will prompt you to confirm that you want to install the component. Select “Yes” and you should be returned to the terminal. Close the terminal and yoou should now have control by left-clicking on the monitor in the panel. You automatically receive varying frequencies and pre-defined modes of frequency management!

Dual Boot The New Eee 901 & 1000

michael.stahlman — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:23:31 +0000

With the release of the new Eee PCs has come larger solid state hard drives. Previously it was unfeasible to dual boot these UMPCs due to the lack of space, but now it is possible for the Eee 901 & 1000. Unfortunately, these models have two solid state disks (one small & fast for the system, one larger & slower for the user data), so the process can be confusing.

I prefer Linux over Windows XP, so I prefer to have Linux on the faster disk even though it is smaller. I have also found that I can install everything I need for the Linux system in 4GB if I keep my data elsewhere (the Eee 1000 has an 8GB system disk, so this is not an issue). With this in mind, I decided to use the 4G system disk, formatted as Ext2, for Ubuntu and the 12GB data disk, formatted as FAT32, for Windows XP and my user data storage. I am also using a 16GB SDHC card for additional storage.

Since Windows XP does not allow installation to a secondary hard disk without writing to the first disk, a few additional (sometimes lengthy) steps must be taken to optimize the dual boot setup. So, the general steps to dual boot the system are as follows:

Format both drives
Install Windows XP to the first drive
Image a duplicate of the first drive to the second drive
Expand the second drive partition to full potential
Format first drive
Install Linux to the first drive

Installing Windows
To start, insert the Windows XP installation disc into an external CD drive attached to the Eee PC. The Eee PC can boot from an external drive by pressing ESC during the ASUS splash screen. When the Windows XP installation menu has started, provided a backup of any user data is made, all partitions should be erased and a new partition on the first hard disk should be made. This partition should be the full size of the first disk. Instruct the installation of Windows XP onto that partition and indicate it should be formatted with FAT32 (quick). Follow the instructions to complete the installation of Windows XP.

Move Windows Installation
Once the Windows XP installation is complete, insert a copy of Ubuntu-Eee into the external CD drive. Boot from this disc into a live session to perform the move of Windows XP. For this process, I chose to use the “dd” command included in Linux for imaging the drive. There are several other methods available, but this is a simple method for the size of the drive. With a few commands, the master boot record (MBR) and the Windows XP partition can be duplicated to the second drive. This duplication method is an exact duplicate of the entire partition, so the process can take a long time (approximately 50 minutes).

Start by opening a terminal from “Applications > Accessories > Terminal.” The first command executed will take just a couple seconds to duplicate the MBR. Provided a backup of all essential data on the second disk has been made, issue this command in the terminal:

sudo dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=1

This command will duplicate the MBR from the first disk to the second, which includes the Windows bootloader and the partition size. For safe measure, I formatted the partition created on the second disk with FAT32 using the Partition Editor in “System > Administration.” In order to format that partition, select “/dev/sdb” from the drop-down menu in the upper-right corner. Next, right-click on the partition labeled “/dev/sdb1″ and choose “Format to > fat32.”

Now, the long process of duplicating the partition with Windows must be completed. Issue the following command, in terminal, to do that:

sudo dd if=/dev/sda1 of=/dev/sdb1

Once that command has completed, it is a good idea to format the first disk to Ext2 in the Partition Editor. I have 2GB of RAM in my Eee 901, so I chose to not establish a swap partition.

Installing Ubuntu-Eee
To complete the dual boot configuration, start the install of Ubuntu-Eee. When prompted to partition the disks, I always choose to manually configure. From there, edit the partition on /dev/sda to use the Ext2 partition type, formatted, and mounted at “/” Next, I editted the partition on /dev/sdb to use the fat32 partition type, not formatted, and mounted at “/media/winxp”

Once the installation of Ubuntu has completed, upon restart, the option to boot into Windows XP or Ubuntu should be given by the GRUB menu. Congratulations, the Eee PC is now dual booted.

Currently, Ubuntu-Eee does not work 100% upon install on the Eee 901, but there are a few work-arounds. I have tested these and will be posting my findings on these soon.

Eee PC 1000 Advanced Full Desktop Mode

troycoon — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:23:43 +0000

My new Eee 1000 is here and it is sweet. The larger screen and keyboard are just what I needed, not to mention the 40gb SSD. So now that I have it Hmmm….. what to do? Eee Ubuntu does not have a compatible version yet but I want a full desktop. It seems that the 901s and the 1000 don’t have that as an option in the repositories, well I know that the two packages that were need to get full desktop on the 701 were ksmserver and kicker, so why not try them. so here are the steps I took to get it working, and it seems to be working fine. Disclaimer, try these are your own risk. I assume that these steps will work with the 901s also, but Michael is not interested in trying it on his.

How to set up Advanced Desktop or Full Desktop on an Eee PC 1000

Press Ctrl & Alt and T at the same time to get to the terminal.
Type sudo synaptic
Click settings and then repositories
Click add in the bottom left corner
Put http://download.tuxfamily.org/eeepcrepos/ in the URl:
Put p701 in the distribution
Put main etch in the sections
You have just added the 701 repositories
Now close the repository window and click reload in synaptic
Next search for ksmserver and then kicker right click on each one and mark install
Click apply at the top of the page and wait for synaptic to finish
Close synaptic and the terminal window
You should now have a full desktop option in you shutdown options.

I hope that you will find this useful, I will keep you up to date when we get eee-Ubuntu running on the 901 and the 1000

Eee PCs Have Arrived!

michael.stahlman — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:40:12 +0000

After much delay and waiting for a release of the new Eee 901 and 1000, we now have the new Eee PCs in hand! The 701 version was very nice and now the new versions are that much better. I chose the 901 version because I was satisfied with the keyboard size of the 701 and wanted the higher screen resolution, faster processor, and more SSD space. Troy chose the 1000 for the same reasons and because he wanted the larger screen size and keyboard.

So, it seems after all that hassle with Amazon and Asus, it turns out that Newegg knows what’s going on. I gave another call to Amazon and it seems they didn’t even order the laptops so they would be ready to fulfill the pre-orders… They told me that I might expect it in September! I was very pleased that the information I received from calling Asus previously was correct and they did release on July 23rd.

I realized that Newegg had stock of the new 901 and 1000, so we decided to trust them and purchase. First the 1000 was purchased and overnighted. Newegg was truthful and indeed, the 1000 was in hand the next day. After realizing the 1000 was shipped, I decided to also purchase the 901 through Newegg. I ordered yesterday and it was here today.

When I purchased, Newegg was apparently restocking as I looked, so I was unsure whether I would actually receive it soon. I decided to use their live online chat and spoke with a representative that gave me accurate and detailed information. I was informed that the stock was truly there and my order would be filled. Thanks Newegg!

You can expect reviews of Xandros, Ubuntu, and Windows XP on the new Eee PCs soon.

Asus Eee 901 & 1000 Linux Delays

michael.stahlman — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:26:34 +0000

Released on July 8th? Think again.

So, it seems that no party wants to take responsibility for the delays of the Eee PCs. I would like to have the new Eee 901 in hand, but I am not desperate. What I dislike most about this situation is that no information is being provided to those of us who made pre-orders. Seriously, this is 2008: Worldwide communication should not be complicated.

I have made a few calls to find the status even though no one wants to help. I started with Amazon, hoping that they might have stock and working on getting the products shipped. I don’t think I could have gotten a more dry, pre-fabricated answer. No matter how I phrased the questions, all I could get out of the rep was basically, “When you receive an email, it will have information on shipping and arrival.” Wow, I didn’t realize Amazon forwarded me to the “Captain Obvious” department…

Next, I gave a call to Asus after seeing many stories floating around the internet about production delays, customs delays, or deals with Microsoft. After being transferred everywhere, I finally was able to talk to the notebook sales department. It seems the Eee 901 and 1000 series are delayed due to production issues. The rep told me they are estimating another week of delay and hoping for an availability date of July 23rd.

If you decide to call, be sure to mention you are interested in the Linux version, because they will automatically assume that you want the Windows version…

Even though I don’t like the wait, it is better knowing not to expect it before July 23rd. If only I could request one even with the software bugs, because it won’t have Xandros long for me. Bring on the Ubuntu Netbook Remix!

Pre-Order an Eee PC

troycoon — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:21:12 +0000

The new line of Eee Pc’s is ready for pre-order at amazon.com. I’m going to order mine right after I finish this post. Just click one of the links below to order yours too.

ASUS Eee PC 1000 40G (10″ Display, Intel ATOM Processor, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB Solid State Drive, Linux ) Fine Ebony

ASUS Eee PC 1000 40G (10″ Display, Intel ATOM Processor, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB Solid State Drive, Linux) Pearl White

ASUS Eee PC 901 20G (8.9″ Display, Intel ATOM Processor, 1 GB RAM, 20 GB Solid State Drive, Linux) Fine Ebony

ASUS Eee PC 901 20G (8.9″ Display, Intel ATOM Processor, 1 GB RAM, 20 GB Solid State Drive, Linux) Pearl White

ASUS Eee PC 901 12G (8.9″ Display, Intel ATOM Processor, 1 GB RAM, 12 GB Solid State Drive, XP Home) Fine Ebony

ASUS Eee PC 901 12G (8.9″ Display, Intel ATOM Processor, 1 GB RAM, 20 GB Solid State Drive, XP Home) Pearl White

Eee PC 1000

troycoon — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:24:51 +0000

I have been a little fixated on the release of the new line of Eee PC’s specifically the Eee 1000 40gb SSD. I can hardly wait to get one, especially since I sold my Eee 701 to my brother, which leaves me without a portable computer. I am really excited about the 40gb SSD, battery life and the slightly larger keyboard since I have giant sausage fingers. As far as I can tell the EEE 1000 should be out in the UK and will be available sometime in mid july in the US, but if you cant wait it is available for pre-order from Dynamism. If anyone hears of a pre-order site in the USA please add a comment and help me get one quick.

Ubuntu Netbook Remix on Eee PC

michael.stahlman — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:23:44 +0000

As soon as I had Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron on my Eee PC, I couldn’t resist trying new interfaces. I had seen the Canonical Netbook Remix on Tombuntu less than a week earlier and did some searching until I found the launchpad site and found that I could add the applets into my current installation!

I added the ppa apt repository and installed everything except the ume-config-netbook, because it is not meant to be used on all systems. The applets are:

go-home-applet: a button that when clicked, returns to the main launcher
window-picker-applet: a nice window switcher that shows windows opened by the application icon and the title of the current window
maximus: forces all windows to open in fullscreen mode while leaving only the top panel
human-netbook-them: a nice theme with dark colors
ume-launcher: an application launcher that makes it easy to get to applications and fills the easy mode need that Xandros offers

I took a few screenshots of it in action:

Here it is in the internet category with the default appearance.

It has a nice popup showing an application is loading.

The window picker handles several windows nicely.

Of course the colors, themes, and panels can still be changed.

All I can say is: Well done Canonical. Maybe this will help convince new mini-pc manufactures to choose Ubuntu instead of Xandros…