Im planning on using Ubuntu with the Eee so will be interested in reading how you get on as im pretty new to linux to.

I got a little sloppy with my instructions, so I'll try to answer your questions the best I can. I'm a noob to Linux too, but I'm learning more every day

I roughly followed a guide for making the bootable USB network installer. Unfortunately, some may see this as a cart before the horse kind of situation, because they want Ubuntu, and don't necessarily have it already, but I only know how to do this in Linux. I assume it isn't much different in Windows, but you need to find Syslinux on the internet somewhere, and use your own formatting program (the built in Windows one may do the trick),

https://help.ubuntu.com/7.04/installati … files.html

I'll pick out the important bits that I used. I basically used the "easy way".

First, I popped in the USB, and found it's location.

fdisk -l

Then, using this information, I formatted the USB properly (replace X in "sdx1" with your drive letter you found in the above step)

sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n ubuntu /dev/sdX1

Now, you need to download the 8MB boot.img.gz file found at http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/ … s/netboot/

Navigate to the directory where you downloaded it (if it's on your desktop, usually "cd ~/Desktop") and then extract it.

zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sdX1

Finally, make it bootable.

syslinux /dev/sdX1

If you don't have syslinux installed, in Ubuntu you can snag it with "sudo apt-get install syslinux".

That should do it. Pop it in the Eee, hit Esc while booting, select the USB drive, and you can boot it up and install Ubuntu. This minimal installer is a tad more difficult to use than the default full-featured installer, but it isn't too difficult if you read all the instructions.

I've tested these steps using Ubuntu on my Eee, and it works like a charm.

Last edited by Brenny (2007-11-05 4:25:54 pm)

Added the instructions to the Wiki. That's a good point that you can simply use a LiveCD and use the exact same method. I'll add that as a point in the instructions.

I'm going to add instructions for getting ndiswrapper working, because it didn't quite do the trick the first try.

I have tried following what is on the web, to prepare a liveUSB for ubuntu 7.04.

However, after boot up seems it missed the ethernet driver or what, network connection is not possible, any idea ?

I switched to live ubuntu 7.10 and network conection is ok, seems that 7.04 got the driver missing.

Last edited by o2smartphone (2007-11-15 6:34:50 am)

Hi:

I have been reading the forums/Wiki and have successfully installed Ubuntu 7.10 dual boot Xandros, Ubuntu 7.10
I bought a 8GB SDHC ( 4MB/sec, Secure Digitalâ„¢ High Capacity (SDHC) Compliant  )
    http://www.anitec.ca/product/8814/ocz_h … _card_8gb/

I started with the minimal install CD ( 9.1M )
    http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/ … t/mini.iso

I have an external usb-DVD drive and plugged into one of the available ports
   -configured the bios to boot from CD first.

Inserted the Ubuntu 7.10 Mini.iso and booted.
  - installed the bare bones cli ( command line interface first )
  - verified wired lan worked
  - rebooted to see that bootloader works. OK ( and still have Xandros on 4G disk )

  - then installed ubuntu-desktop
     --sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop ( dowloaded and installed over 1G )
  - then installed ndiswrapper
     --sudo apt-get install ndisgtk ( and installed it dependencies which includes ndiswrapper )
  - then got a copy of XP driver for ndiswrapper off of CD that comes with eeePC
  - net5211.inf is avalible from the within the Asus EeePc 701 Support DVD Rev:1.1
     at location: â€�/Drivers/Wireless/ndis5x/net5211.inf
  - How: I used external usb CDROM, or copy to usbflash, or share over network, etc
  - then I followed...
    http://wiki.eeeuser.com/howto:configurendiswrapper
    -rebooted, verified ndiswrapper loads on boot successfully: dmesg  or  tail -f /var.log/messages from terminal
    -wireless now shows up under network manager, configured wireless
   
  -then I went on to configure Compiz as discussed elsewhere to remove y lock under move
   sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager
   -System -> Preferences -> Advanced Desktop Effect Settings
    then tab your way to Window Mangement > Move Window, and disable "constrain y"
   -enable whatever other Compiz features suit your fancy.
   -Under preferences of upper and lower menu bars, I enabled autohide.

   Installed Gcompris and external USB mouse and my 4.5 year old daughter was having a hoot
   Childsplay does not appear to load up. Too bad.

   -Anybody know any other good kids games I can load up for my daughter.

That's basically it. The two things that were causing me most grief were finding a working wireless config
and not being able to Alt-Drag my windows to my hearts content.

This Forum and associated Wiki have been very helpful in this regard, Cheers.

Hope this helps a few people out there with their cool new little toy.
   
Issues:
battery monitor still confused
power down, does not power off
-( workaround: hold power button down for five seconds like discussed in other places on the forum/wiki )

So elsewhere, it has been mentioned that the ACPI implementation seems to report back battery state as a percent of max, instead of in traditional mAh numbers. That's why tools in Xandros report a current charge of 100 mAh (which is meant to be 100%). Is this the same core issue in Ubuntu (that Ubuntu is seeing 100, interpreting it as 100 mAh out of 5200, and saying, "Dude, your battery is junk!")?

P.S. can anyone help with this issue?

I went through the process to create a Gutsy USB pendrive. It has a casper-rw partition (ext2fs) that should be usable for persistent mode. It loads, and Ubuntu is gorgeous (modulo the known driver issues). However, although the casper partition mounts to the desktop, it does not seem to be making use of it and does not seem to be persistent. Any help? Thanks!

And God, Ubuntu looks nice on this computer.

Last edited by mkrishnan (2007-11-11 10:34:45 am)

I followed what jitz0722 posted.  I got just about everything working the way it should, battery actually seems correct (got a warning at first), suspend works (suspends when closing the lid), wifi via ndiswrapper.  I need to get the function keys working right, display brightness is the only one I believe that works.

EDIT: 2 Gigs of RAM, no SWAP, about 848.8MB's free on the drive.  Installed a lot of development stuff for programming, abiword, etc....  Still a good amount of storage, I need to make a script for suspend that will take care of wireless since the solution in ACPI-Support doesn't always work, also have it take care unmounting the internal SD on suspend and remount on wake.

Last edited by brushedtooth (2007-11-15 12:34:05 am)

I followed the instructions on the wiki, both

http://wiki.eeeuser.com/ubuntu#wireless … diswrapper

and

http://wiki.eeeuser.com/howto:configurendiswrapper

but the wireless does not work. I turn on the EEE PC, hit Fn+F2 to turn on the wireless, the little blue light goes on in the lower right... but I open up Firefox and can't surf the web. Right next to my EEE PC, my sister's laptop and my mother's laptop clearly show a strong wireless connection.

I go to System -> Administration -> Network but only see "Wired Connection" and "Modem Connection".

What am I missing here?

How do I find out whether ndiswrapper is doing its thing?

Help!

I've tried both ways. I have tried turning the computer on with the blue light off, and only activating the wireless once Ubuntu was running. I have tried turning the computer on with the blue light on right from the start, still no luck. Tried deactivating and activating the wireless while Ubuntu was running. Nothing!

And have you considered (once you're comfortable) trying to use the native madwifi drivers?  And the 900mhz module?  Both are in discussion on the forum, and both have instructions and source available.

Would you consider starting a wiki outline? Maybe people could start filling it in (which would help you, too.) As you get answers, you flesh it out and make it noob-proof. ie:

[A] Materials:
   1) USB Pendrive

[b] Software, Images and Source-Code:
   1) Ubuntu Minimal Install Image
   2) Syslinux
   3) asus_acpi (precompiled as .deb?) and scripts to fix Fn-Fx keys
   4) madwifi, and madwifi patch (precompiled as .deb?) (instead of ndiswrapper)
   5) eee.ko (900mhz) and script to start it
   6) ethernet module (atl2.ko?)
   7) any script fixes (suspend/resume etc.) (available on forum)

[C] Howto make the bootable pendrive
   1) format pendrive
   2) dd minimal-image to pendrive
   3) syslinux pendrive?

[D] Move files from [A] to bootable drive
   1) make storage folder on pendrive
   2) copy files to folder

[E] Reboot. Adjust BIOS as necessary
   1) Hold down F2 as booting
   2) OS installed to 'Start'
   3) Boot Boost?
   4) Enable Camera?

[F] Reboot. Do minimal install. Install build-essential, kernel-headers (?)
   1) Partition without swap.  Use SD as /home ?
   2) repair fstab, so that you boot from SSD (or is it menu.lst? or both?)

[G] Pick your desktop (apt-get) ubuntu- xubuntu- or <shudder > kubuntu-desktop. Or window manager --> fluxbox, icewm, etc (this step should install X. Any way to install a tiny X here?)

[H] Update or build madwifi, asus_acpi, atl2.ko, eee.,ko, suspend/resume scripts, Fn-Fx scripts, etc. (anything else?)

[i] Reduce writes to SSD: change fstab, logs, firefox cache (if installed) (anything else?)

[J] Compiz manager (for ubuntu-desktop) (?)

Just to start.  I'm sure I missed a bunch on this big picture view.  People could add, and point you to parts of the forum.  You could then do as all good writers do, steal from other writers and file off the serial numbers.   The ubuntu install post on the wiki would be an excellent start.  I really like your step-by-noob-step idea, and I have a feeling that you're trying to fit the install to maximize the eee's potential.

Anyone should feel free to rewrite this outline.  Just my current thinking on an ubuntu install.  Haven't done it yet.  (Well, I've made a persistent xubuntu pendrive, and I've used that.  It's sweet, but no wifi.)

Above I mention .deb a couple of times.  Even dimwits like me can make a .deb with checkinstall.  And it would work on anyone's machine, because the hardware is identical.

Just my $2,

m a r