The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

[ej-solutions]

Thought I'd start this one off, rather than continue on another thread.

As a quick catch up for others:

Have a look at Unetbootin, as a means to try out different versions of Linux, without producing numerous coasters (unwanted CDs).
I haven't tried the method of installing to hard drive, only the USB flash drive method (so far).

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Just skimming the surface

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[ej-solutions]

My experiences:
Most reliable (and quick) flashdrives for booting are Sandisk Micro (rubbery ones), Toshiba, and Kingston Traveller.

Not any help but an observation:
Downloaded Mint 9 RC - 16 mins.
Unetbootin to flashdrive - 3 mins. approx.
Boot from flashdrive - 1 min. approx.
Install on hard disk 'spare' partition - 12 mins. approx.
Boot from hard disk - 35 seconds, including wireless login.

I seem to recall 'media' issues with a certain Fujitsu tablet and had to use a Smart Boot Disk (floppy) for it to boot from USB. Though I think it only has USB 1.1 capability. For a netbook, this could be a real pain - a cheap external CD or floppy drive may be in order - though it may be down to using a different brand of flashdrive.

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[ej-solutions]

BTW, Samba has always been a PITA to configure, one way or another, and that's with using it on and off for 10 years.

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[grumpy-cook]

You're not kidding EJ. Guess what? Now I have reinstalled I cannot get my networking working again - even though I copied the working smb.conf to a flash drive before I lost the system and have put it back. I've given up for now before I smash something. Grrrr!

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[*scyllabub*]

Booted up, waste of time as usual but waited anyway... waited... suddenly Mint start-up appeared - I was so shocked I was paralysed and allowed it to default its way through lots of "error" messages until it loaded itself.

It's on the same flash drive, different USB socket (like wot Grumps suggested, so I'm not sure if I missed that one with Puppy). Wifi working 🙂 But apart from that, the only thing functional seems to be the Install ?:| There's no internet browser (just File Browser), and it knows what programs/apps I've got installed in Windows XP 😮 I must be missing something but I'm sure that a few years ago when I ran Puppy/Mint/Gnome etc from CD they had a browser

If I install it, shall I make a partition first (must have dual boot) or will it do it for me? I dare not progress any further.

Scuse my ignorance :(

[ej-solutions]

Tip: Disable (everywhere) and do not rely on WINS for name resolution, use the hosts file instead (or DNS for larger installations). Managing lmhosts and other Windoze peculiarities then becomes unnecessary.

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[ej-solutions]

Should be offered to split up the current disk during the install but it's more controllable if you do it yourself beforehand. Make a root partition (/) of around 6Gb, a home partition as large as you like and a swap partition slightly larger than the amount of RAM (to accommodate hibernation).

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[otherego]

This computer is risking an appointment with a large axe I try to post something here, the whole page turns blue and the CPU runs at 100% until I terminate Firefox - and have to start all over again.

No time no for the whole thing - but Scykk, I believe you may have a compatibility problem between Mint and your hardware.

It looks as if the Mint desktop has overflowed the screen, which suggests that it lacks drivers appropriate to the computer. Two possibilities come to mind: 1) install and be ready to spend days trying to find and configure drivers 2)try firing up the live flash drive again, this time tapping F4 (I THINK when the Mint screen appears - a while since I last had to do it) and see whether it offers any alternative modes - safe graphic, failsafe, specific resolutions(which might necessitate looking up vga codes), or using vesa.

It might be simpler to try out various distros until one just works out of the box. I find Mandriva (especially the 2009 version) and Mepis provide the best driver support. Ubuntu netbook edition might just include suitable drivers, too.

This might offer a few ideas re Mint:

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/install_linuxmint.html

I need to scuttle off. Can anyone else suggest distros likely to prove Advent-friendly?

(And this is my last attempt at sending this!)

[otherego]

Scykk - WTF?

Scylla, even!

[grumpy-cook]

:^O Sounds like an evil alien in Farscape.

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[otherego]

Sorry, Scylla, that was not what I meant at all!

On to happier matters...

I downloaded Ubuntu's latest netbook iso, and used Unetbootin to put it on the long-suffering 1gb Kingston.

For some reason, Ubuntu's never been my favourite. I suspect the death-in-the-desert theme of the first one I tried (8.04?) rather put me off, and I'm not hugely enamoured of the welcome-to-the reactor purple ambience of the current offering.

I don't even like the netbook desktop - really don't see what it offers over the standard Ubuntu layout.

But my goodness, it performs.

I've never seen the Eee PC run so quickly. Xandros is imminent danger of being booted off the mighty 4gb hard drive.

If I can find a persistent install function, then that might be the way to go. There's a rubberised old 8gb Sandisk Cruzer lurking in the drawer, and I reckon a persistent install to that could be very useful.

From Scylla's standpoint, though, this looks like a most promising candidate - as long as it has drivers to suit the Advent. So far, it's coped most impressively with the Eee.

I can heartily recommend giving it a spin.

Now it's time to go back to the trusty old desktop. I'm fond of the little Eee PC, but suspect that the 7" screen and miniature keyboard might better suit rather more youthful physiognomies. And eyesight.

[*scyllabub*]

Overflowed screen? That would explain it. Off I go (tomorrow hopefully, but voting may take up all my energy and time) in search of Ubuntu for netbook 🙂 Thanks a bunch, OE!

Yours truly,

Scykk :^O

[*scyllabub*]

I've just popped in to tell y'all that I'm typing this on my Asus G1Sn notebook via a Mandriva Spring DVD, another one from ? 3 years ago :^o

Managed to get wifi working by the skin of my teef 😉

I've just defragged the netbook with a view to installing a distro to be decided, now I'm thinking about doing this Windows7 one too :)

[*scyllabub*]

:^O I always set the keyboard's shift keys to behave like an ancient typewriter but haven't done it here so I couldn't get the O for my big laugh.



I wonder if I can disable the touchpad ?:|

[grumpy-cook]

Well done Scylla. :-)

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[grumpy-cook]

Well I sorted out my networking again, thanks to a clue from EJ (thanks EJ).

I only have one static IP address in the network and that's my server (CentOS). As it is the box that I keep all my backups on, I thought I might as well put that in the Hosts file. Miraculously, as soon as I did so it enabled the other PCs which are DHCP to be seen and the shares were accessible through the normal file browser via the workgroup. I don't know why it worked but never question a gift horse.

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[ej-solutions]

G-C: For future; you can always check connectivity via \\192.168.2.20\MyShare, for example. Workgroup expects to resolve namespaces, if I recall rightly. Popping the server into hosts allows the name resolution. :)

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[ej-solutions]

Happy *nixing Scylla :D

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[otherego]

Wonders whether Scylla has discovered yet that half the fun is downloading and trying different distros before deciding which to install...

The Ubuntu downloads page:

http://www.ubuntu.com/

And of course:

http://distrowatch.com/

is the place to go if you're trying to track down distros.

Always worth trying the most recent version that your computer can handle, of course.

Have fun!

[*scyllabub*]

Oh dear 😐 I thought I'd allow Ubuntu to install its netbook version on my hard drive from my flash drive. I fell asleep while it was crawling along, and woke up to alert messages which I can't remember, but I did take a screenshot of one underneath others I'd x'd out:

This is what I've got on my C:\ drive:

[grumpy-cook]

What happen when you reboot Scylla - do you get a Grub menu with an option to boot into Ubuntu?

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