Simple Help » Eee PC http://www.simplehelp.net Common questions, simple answers Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:12:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Customizing Firefox to work faster in netbooks http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/12/06/customizing-firefox-to-work-faster-in-netbooks/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/12/06/customizing-firefox-to-work-faster-in-netbooks/#comments Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:12:39 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=1792 Firefox

This is a guest post by Devicepedia – if you like this article consider subscribing to the Devicepedia RSS feed.

Mozilla Firefox is the fastest growing web browser and there are a whole lot of reasons for this. Developers have created a huge number of plug-ins and add-ons allowing for virtually any online activity to be done effortlessly. In this simple tutorial, we will show you how to customize Firefox to work faster in netbooks.

  1. Type in about:config in the address bar of Mozilla Firefox.

    2. about:config in firefox

  2. In the filter bar which pops up under the address bar, type the following commands to enable a technique called pipelining. This is a method by which Firefox, instead of making one request at a time to a webpage, makes several requests simultaneously, thus increasing the web browsing speed.
  3. Search for network.http.pipelining and change its value to true, then search for network.http.proxy.pipelining and change its value to true. Finally, search for network.http.pipelining.maxrequests and change its value to 15.
  4. Now right click inside the browser window and select New –> Integer
  5. Name this new file as nglayout.initialpaint.delay and put the value as 0.

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/12/06/customizing-firefox-to-work-faster-in-netbooks/feed/ 0 How to add KDE to Ubuntu Eee 8.04.1 http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/23/how-to-add-kde-to-ubuntu-eee-8041/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/23/how-to-add-kde-to-ubuntu-eee-8041/#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:30:33 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=1187 Linux

Now that you’ve installed Ubuntu Eee 8.04.1 on your Eee PC, perhaps you want to add KDE to the mix. This tutorial will guide you through doing just that. Keep reading for the instructions.

  1. The first thing you’ll have to do is enable another software source. From the Netbook Remix panel select Administration and then Software Sources. Select the Third-Party Software tab, and place a check in the box next to http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu hardy partner. Then click the Close button.


    2. click to enlarge

  2. You’ll be prompted to update the software sources. Click the Reload button. It’ll take a minute or two for the sources to refresh, and when they’re done the window will close.

  3. Once it has closed, select Accessories in the Netbook Remix panel, and then Terminal.


    4. click to enlarge

  4. From the command prompt, enter the following line:

    sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

    Enter your password when prompted.


    5. click to enlarge

  5. A bunch of text will fly by, and you’ll be asked if you want to continue. Hit the y key on your keyboard to indicate “yes”.


    6. click to enlarge

  6. Part way through the installation you’ll be prompted with a message about running multiple display managers. Hit the Enter key to acknowledge this message.


    7. click to enlarge

  7. Then you’ll be asked which display manager you want to use by default. I opted for KDM, but the choice is yours. I’d suggest KDM – you’ll be able to continue to use Netbook Remix, and run KDE apps. In fact, the desktop and interface itself will remain nearly identical. The only major difference is the login screen.


    8. click to enlarge

  8. The installation will eventually finish up.


    9. click to enlarge

  9. Log out and back in again. You’ll notice a lot of new apps are installed (for example, check the Internet panel of Netbook Remix).


    10. click to enlarge

  10. One of the many new apps is Konqueror, a web browser, file manager and file viewer all-in-one application. Give it a test run.


    11. click to enlarge

  11. That’s it – you’re done. Be sure to check the terrific music player/manager Amarok too (found in the Sound & Video panel).

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/23/how-to-add-kde-to-ubuntu-eee-8041/feed/ 7 How to install Ubuntu Eee 8.04.1 on your Eee PC http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/18/how-to-install-ubuntu-eee-8041-on-your-eee-pc/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/18/how-to-install-ubuntu-eee-8041-on-your-eee-pc/#comments Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:00:40 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=1156 Linux Web Design & Dev

Yes, I previously wrote a tutorial covering how to install Ubuntu 8.04 on your Eee PC. Since then, a new version of “Ubuntu Eee” has been released, 8.04.1. One my favorite new features is that Netbook Remix is now installed by default. So rather than have to install Ubuntu Eee and then Netbook Remix, you can just install this updated version and it’s all done at the same time.

Something worth mentioning before we get started – the name “Ubuntu Eee” has to change. The good folks over at Ubuntu sent a message to the fellow that creates and manages this version of Ubuntu, and asked him very politely to rename it. So if you have any thoughts, by all means head over to his blog and let them be known.

And now on to the installation.

  1. Rather than write it all out again, I’m going to take the lazy route. Follow the first 11 steps of this tutorial, and then come back to this one. Just make sure to download 8.04.1 instead of 8.04.
  2. When your Eee PC starts and Ubuntu loads, the Installer will automatically launch. Select your language and then click the Forward button.


    3. click to enlarge

  3. Now select the city/region that represents your time zone, and again click Forward.


    4. click to enlarge

  4. Pick the keyboard layout that you want to use, and click Forward.


    5. click to enlarge

  5. At this step you’ll have to decide how you want to have Ubuntu Eee installed. If you already have an operating system (like Windows, or another Linux) installed, you might want to keep it. As illustrated in the screenshot below, I already have Fedora installed on my Eee PC. If you want to keep the existing operating system and dual boot, so both it and Ubuntu Eee are available, use the slider to determine how much disk space you want to allocate to each OS. Then click Forward (and ignore the next step).


    6. click to enlarge

  6. If you want to wipe whatever operating system you currently have installed completely off your Eee PC, select Guided – use entire disk. If your Eee PC has more than one disk, you’ll need to select the one you want to install Ubuntu Eee on. Choose the first. You can use the second to store files etc. Important Note: this will wipe your first drive (or only, if you just have one) completely clean. If you have files on your drive that you don’t want to lose, or haven’t backed up, exit out of the installation now. Boot back into your existing operating system (remember to unplug the USB thumb drive or external CD/DVD drive that has Ubuntu Eee on it) and back up those files. Then start over. Otherwise, click Forward to continue.


    7. click to enlarge

  7. Enter all of the required information in each of the fields provided, then click Forward.


    8. click to enlarge

  8. You’ll be presented with a summary screen of all the selections you’ve made so far. Assuming everything is the way you want it, click Install.


    9. click to enlarge

  9. The first part of the actual installation will be to create and/or format a partition. It’s not exactly entertaining to watch, so you may want to grab yourself a beverage.

  10. After the formatting has completed, Ubuntu Eee will install.

  11. Once everything has completed, you’ll be prompted to reboot your Eee PC. Remember to unplug the USB thumb drive or external CD/DVD drive before your Eee PC starts again.


    12. click to enlarge

  12. After your Eee PC starts up, you’ll be set to start using Ubuntu Eee, with the Netbook Remix interface. Have fun!


    13. click to enlarge

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/18/how-to-install-ubuntu-eee-8041-on-your-eee-pc/feed/ 25 How to enable WiFi in EeeDora http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/16/how-to-enable-wifi-in-eeedora/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/16/how-to-enable-wifi-in-eeedora/#comments Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:20:18 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=1140 WiFi Radar. If your wireless network is already listed, select it and click the Edit button. [...]]]> Linux

This very brief tutorial will show you how to enable WiFi (wireless Internet) on your Eee PC that’s running Eeedora (Fedora).

  1. Click the “X” button in the far left of your bottom panel, and select Network -> WiFi Radar.

  2. If your wireless network is already listed, select it and click the Edit button. If it’s not listed, click the New button.

  3. Enter the name of your wireless network (if it’s not already listed) and then select the arrow to expand the WiFi Options menu. Make the appropriate selections in each section for your wireless network, and then click the Save button.

  4. Now click Connect. You’ll be connected to your wireless network, and your IP address will be displayed at the bottom of the window.

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/16/how-to-enable-wifi-in-eeedora/feed/ 0 How to customize the EeeDora Panel http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/16/how-to-customize-the-eeedora-panel/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/16/how-to-customize-the-eeedora-panel/#comments Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:06:55 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=1137 Linux

This brief tutorial will show you how to customize the EeeDora panel to include helpful items like a battery monitor, weather display etc.

Now that you have EeeDora (Fedora) installed on your Eee PC, you’ll want to customize it a bit. The first step is to create a panel that includes the items you need. It’s really quite simple.

  1. Right-click on the bottom panel and select Add New Item.

  2. From the menu that appears, select an item that you want to include in your panel, and click the Add button.

  3. Repeat the above two steps until you have all the items you find useful. That’s it!

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/16/how-to-customize-the-eeedora-panel/feed/ 0 How to install Fedora on your Eee PC http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/15/how-to-install-fedora-on-your-eee-pc/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/15/how-to-install-fedora-on-your-eee-pc/#comments Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:51:03 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=1122 Linux

If you’ve tried Ubuntu on your Eee PC, or have dual-booted Ubuntu and Windows XP, and you’re still not happy – give Fedora (the custom version titled “EeeDora”) a try. This tutorial will guide you every step of the way though installing Fedora (EeeDora) on your Asus Eee PC.

Installing EeeDora on your Eee PC is actually quite easy. There are a couple of things you’ll need to download before you get started. First is the EeeDora .iso image (the Operating System itself). The EeeDora image is just under 350MB, so the download shouldn’t take that long. There are two ways to get EeeDora installed on your Eee PC. The first is to use the tool liveusb-creator to transfer your EeeDora image onto a USB thumb drive. That’s the method we’ll outline in this tutorial. The other is to burn the EeeDora image to a CD, and boot from that CD – which requires you have an external USB CD/DVD drive you can plug in to your Eee PC. If you need help burning an iso to CD, here’s a tutorial on how to do just that in Windows.

  1. Make sure you’ve downloaded both the EeeDora .iso image and liveusb-creator. The liveusb-creator comes as a zip file – unzip the contents to a folder on your Desktop.

    2. eeedora iso and liveusb-creator on a windows desktop

  2. Open the liveusb-creator folder, and double-click liveusb-creator.exe

  3. Click the Browse button from the Use existing Live CD section.

  4. Navigate to the EeeDora .iso file, select it, and click Open


    click to enlarge

  5. Select the drive letter that represents your USB thumb drive from the Target Device drop-down menu. In my case (see the screenshot below) – my USB thumb drive is E:

  6. Click the big Create Live USB button from the bottom of the window.

  7. After a minute or two, the process will be completed. Exit out of liveusb-creator, and use the Windows “Safely Remove Hardware” utility in your system tray to remove/eject your USB thumb drive.

  8. Now it’s time to install EeeDora (Fedora) on your Eee PC. The first and most important step is to back up everything on your Eee PC before you begin. Using the steps outlined in this tutorial, you will be wiping the drive clean, so any/all existing files will be erased. Back them up now, or they’ll be gone forever.
  9. With your Eee PC turned off, plug in the thumb drive that you just put the EeeDora image on. Turn on your Eee PC, and tap the Esc (escape) key a few times while it boots up. You should be presented with a window asking you which device you want to boot from. Select the USB thumb drive.

    10. eee pc boot screen

  10. Your Eee PC will now boot into Fedora. This is the “live” version, so you actually have access to the entire Operating System right now. Feel free to play around and check it out. If you decide EeeDora isn’t for you, you can power off your Eee PC, unplug the USB thumb drive, and boot back into your previous Operating System. Nothing will have changed.
  11. If you decide you like what you see, double-click the Install-Live-Image icon on your desktop. This will take you through the process of installing Fedora on your Eee PC (and again, just to stress it, all of your files will be deleted).

  12. You’ll need to authenticate as root in order to install Fedora. Enter the password eeedora (all lower case) in the space provided, and click OK.

  13. Click Next on the initial installation screen.


    14. click to enlarge

  14. Select the keyboard layout you want to use in EeeDora, and click Next.


    15. click to enlarge

  15. Here’s where it gets just a tiny bit tricky. Different models of the Eee PC come with different drives. Some, like mine, have a single (12GB) drive. Others have multiple drives. If yours has just one, this is actually a very simple step. Make sure it’s selected and then click Next. If yours has more than one, you’ll want to select the first drive, and then click Next. That will install EeeDora on your first drive, leaving the second one alone. You can use the second to store files, or mount it as your home directory.


    16. click to enlarge

  16. Now you’ll get a ‘warning’ message asking you to confirm that you do indeed want to wipe the data from that drive, and install EeeDora on it. Click Yes.


    17. click to enlarge

  17. Select your time zone from the drop-down list, and click Next.


    18. click to enlarge

  18. Choose a new root password and enter it in the fields provided. It’s probably not a good idea to stick with the default (eeedora). Click Next.


    19. click to enlarge

  19. Now you’re at the final installation screen. Review the info and then click Next.


    20. click to enlarge

  20. You might want to take this time to grab yourself a beverage. The installation doesn’t take a super-long time, but it’s not particularly entertaining to watch either.


    21. click to enlarge

  21. If you do decide to watch it, you’ll be updated along the way.


    22. click to enlarge

  22. A few times..


    23. click to enlarge

  23. Until the installation has completed. Once it’s done, click Close. Quit EeeDora (the small “quit” button in the bottom left corner of your screen) and power off your Eee PC. Remove the thumb drive, and start it up again. You’ll boot into your newly installed EeeDora.


    24. click to enlarge

  24. That’s it – you’re done!

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/09/15/how-to-install-fedora-on-your-eee-pc/feed/ 0 1000+ Desktop Wallpapers for your Asus Eee PC http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/12/1000-desktop-wallpapers-for-your-asus-eee-pc/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/12/1000-desktop-wallpapers-for-your-asus-eee-pc/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:16:36 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=859

Below you’ll find several resources for desktop wallpapers perfectly sized for your Asus Eee PC (800×480). If you know of any other good Eee PC wallpaper resources by all means please leave a comment with the link. Or, upload your Eee PC wallpaper and share that link :)

  1. Eee PC Wallpaper Pack @ mininova (720 wallpapers)

  2. tortugoa’s Eee PC flickr photostream (165 wallpapers)

  3. shad0wplay Eee PC flickr set (36 wallpapers)

  4. eeeuser.com forum (50+ wallpapers)

  5. Ubuntu-eee.com wiki (36 wallpapers)

  6. Eee PC wallpapers @ Deviantart (18 wallpapers)

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/12/1000-desktop-wallpapers-for-your-asus-eee-pc/feed/ 0 How to install and setup Netbook Remix on the Eee PC http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/07/how-to-install-and-setup-netbook-remix-on-the-eee-pc/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/07/how-to-install-and-setup-netbook-remix-on-the-eee-pc/#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:26:10 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=827 Linux

This tutorial will guide you through the steps required to install and setup Netbook Remix on your Eee PC. Netbook Remix is an alternate interface of the standard Ubuntu 8.04 desktop. It’s an interface that allows you to work more easily on a smaller screen devices (such as the Asus Eee PC).

netbook remix on the eee pc

  1. Yes, you will need to install Ubuntu on your Eee PC first.
  2. Once Ubuntu is installed, open a Terminal (select Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal) and issue the following 3 commands, one at a time:

    wget http://netbook-install-script.googlecode.com/files/netbook-install.sh
    chmod +x netbook-install.sh
    sudo ./netbook-install.sh

    After entering the last command (sudo ./netbook-install.sh) you’ll be prompted to enter your password. You’ll also be asked to confirm several of the installations by hitting the y key on your keyboard.

    3. ubuntu terminal
    click to enlarge

  3. If everything went fine (no errors), delete the bottom panel on your Ubuntu desktop. To do so, right-click it and select Delete This Panel.

    4. delete a panel in ubuntu

  4. Open your Appearance Preferences by selecting System -> Preferences -> Appearance. From the Theme tab, select Human-Netbook.

    5. ubuntu appearance preferences
    click to enlarge

  5. Click the Visual Effects tab and select None. Exit out of the Appearance Preferences by clicking the Close button.

    6. ubuntu appearance preferences
    click to enlarge

  6. Now we’ll add maximus to the startup programs by selecting System -> Preferences -> Sessions. Make sure the Startup Programs tab is selected, and click the Add button. In the Name: field enter maximus. In the Command: tab, enter /usr/bin/maximus. You can add an entry to the Comment: field (like “maximus for Netbook Remix”) but it’s not mandatory. Click OK and then Close to exit the Sessions Preferences.

    7. ubuntu startup programs
    click to enlarge

  7. The final step is to create a new “top” panel. Right-click on the existing one, and select New Panel. It will appear on the bottom of your desktop by default. Right-click the new one and select Add to Panel…. Add the following items to the panel: Go Home, Window Picker, Notification Area and Clock. You can add more items later, depending on your needs.

    Now click and drag your new panel from the bottom of the screen to the top. Right-click the “old” top panel and select Delete This Panel.

  8. You’re done. Close any open programs, and click Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart Gnome (the default desktop environment for Ubuntu). Log back in, and the Netbook Remix desktop will your new desktop interface.

    9. netbook remix desktop
    click to enlarge

  9. If you want to make things “blend” even more, go back to the Appearance Preferences and make your desktop background (wallpaper) solid black.

    10. netbook remix desktop with a black background
    click to enlarge

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/07/how-to-install-and-setup-netbook-remix-on-the-eee-pc/feed/ 12 How to dual boot your Asus Eee PC 900 with Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/07/how-to-dual-boot-your-asus-eee-pc-900-with-windows-xp-and-ubuntu-linux/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/07/how-to-dual-boot-your-asus-eee-pc-900-with-windows-xp-and-ubuntu-linux/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:27:53 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=821 Linux Windows

This tutorial will guide you through the steps required to dual boot your Asus Eee PC with Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux.

Note: This tutorial is specific to the Asus Eee PC 900 with the 16GB flash SSD hard drive. The other versions (found here) – with different hard drive configurations, are not covered by this tutorial.

  1. The easiest way to dual-boot your Eee PC is to install Windows XP first. If yours came w/ XP installed by default, great. If not, this guide has you covered (it’s pretty straight forward).
  2. With Windows installed, follow the instructions outlined in this tutorial, up to step #16. When you hit step #17, return to this tutorial.
  3. At this point you will have started the Ubuntu install, and have just set your keyboard layout. On the Prepare disk space screen, make sure that Guided is selected. In the New partition size area, you should see two distinct partitions. One for Windows, and one for Ubuntu. Click the small space between the two, hold down the mouse button, and drag to the right. This will resize the two partitions.


    4. click to enlarge

  4. When you’ve decided how much space you want to allocate to each Operating System, click Forward. The screen shot below illustrates a 50/50 split between Windows and Ubuntu.


    5. click to enlarge

  5. Review the partition resize window and click Continue.

  6. Go grab yourself a cup of coffee.

  7. When the partitioning has completed, you’ll be presented with the “rest” of the Ubuntu installation wizard. Enter the required info in the spaces provided, and click Forward.


    8. click to enlarge

  8. If you’d like, you can import your Windows account(s). If you’d rather not, just leave the box(es) unchecked and click Forward.


    9. click to enlarge

  9. Finally, click Install.


    10. click to enlarge

  10. Now would be a good time to refill that cup of coffee. Once the installation has completed, you’ll be prompted to reboot your Eee PC.

  11. When your Eee PC starts this time, you’ll be prompted to select which Operating System you want to use – Ubuntu or Windows.

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/08/07/how-to-dual-boot-your-asus-eee-pc-900-with-windows-xp-and-ubuntu-linux/feed/ 0 How to customize Ubuntu for your Eee PC http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/31/how-to-customize-ubuntu-for-your-eee-pc/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/31/how-to-customize-ubuntu-for-your-eee-pc/#comments Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:00:09 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=769 Linux

Now that you’ve installed Ubuntu on your Asus Eee PC, you’ll want to customize it a bit. Though the following instructions apply to any new installation of Ubuntu, they’re particularly helpful if you’re using an Eee PC.

  1. Slow down the cursor
  2. Change the appearance
  3. Uninstall programs you’re not going to use
  4. Install Webcam software
  5. Clean up the menus
  6. Install Netbook Remix



Slow down the cursor

  1. One of the things you probably noticed first after install Ubuntu on your Eee PC, is that the cursor flies. Drag your finger half an inch across the trackpad, and your cursor goes all the way across the screen at the speed of light. To slow down the cursor speed, select System -> Preferences -> Mouse

    2. mouse preferences menu in ubuntu

  2. The main preference you’ll want to change is the Acceleration:. Feel free to test other changes as well. When you’re done, click Close.

    mouse preferences in ubuntu


Change the appearance

  1. The default theme for Ubuntu Eee is a “custom” one. If it doesn’t appeal to you, it’s quite easy to change. Select System -> Preferences -> Appearance. On the Theme tab, choose a theme to use. As soon as you select it, it will be applied. Give a few of them a try until you find one you like.

    2. ubuntu theme preferences

  2. Select the Visual Effects tab. If you’d like to use some of the fancy effects, select Extra.

    3. visual effects preferences in ubuntu


Uninstall programs you’re not going to use

  1. Though Ubuntu Eee comes with a much smaller footprint than “regular” Ubuntu (fewer programs installed by default) – there may be several you don’t need or want. To free up some valuable disk space, uninstall them. Open the Synaptic Package Manager by selecting System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager. Use the Search feature to find the program you’re not going to use. Since I use the web based Gmail for my email, I don’t need to have Thunderbird installed. After locating it, click it once and select Mark for Complete Removal.

    2. uninstall thunderbird using the synaptic package manager in ubuntu

  2. You can also locate programs to uninstall by clicking the Status button in the Synaptic Package Manager, then Installed from the panel on the left. Be careful what you uninstall – most of the items listed will be required system files.

    3. list of all programs installed in Ubuntu


Install Webcam software

  1. Ubuntu Eee comes with the drivers required to use the built-in webcam. To test it out, launch Skype and open it’s Options. Select the Video Devices tab, and click the Test button.

    2. skype video device options

  2. You should see yourself in the small video window

    3. skype video device successful test

  3. To install a video capture and display program for recording video, visit the Ubuntu Package Repository setup page for UCView. It provides very easy to follow installation instructions to install UCView in Ubuntu.
  4. Once installed, select Applications -> Sound & Video -> UCView

    5. UCView menu item in Ubuntu

  5. Your device will be listed. Choose a resolution (I left mine w/ the default 320×240). Click OK

    6. ucview device settings

  6. And now give it a test. Record a video, make video adjustments etc.

    7. ucview in action


Clean up the menus

  1. Because the screen size on the Asus Eee PC is fairly small, you’ll want to remove items from the drop-down menus that you don’t use, to avoid having to scroll. For example, in the Administration menu, you don’t need the Install item – since Ubuntu has already been installed.

    2. install in the administration menu

  2. To remove items from the various menus, select System -> Preferences -> Main Menu. From here, remove the check box next to each item you don’t want listed. Note: that won’t actually uninstall the program, it’ll just remove that item from its respective menu.

    3. main menu editor


Install Netbook Remix


The final thing you may want to do, is install Netbook Remix. Netbook Remix is an alternate interface of the standard Ubuntu 8.04 desktop. It’s an interface that allows you to work more easily on a smaller screen devices (such as the Asus Eee PC).

netbook remix desktop with a black background
click to enlarge

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]]> http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/31/how-to-customize-ubuntu-for-your-eee-pc/feed/ 0 A step by step guide to installing Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron on your Eee PC http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/28/a-step-by-step-guide-to-installing-ubuntu-804-hardy-heron-on-your-eee-pc/ http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/07/28/a-step-by-step-guide-to-installing-ubuntu-804-hardy-heron-on-your-eee-pc/#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:35:25 +0000 Ross McKillop http://www.simplehelp.net/?p=748 Linux

This tutorial will take you every single step of the way through installing Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) on your Asus Eee PC. The steps are specific for the Eee PC 900 (16GB flash SSD model), but will be similar for other Eee PC’s.

  1. First, download the Ubuntu Eee iso. This is a version of Ubuntu 8.04 created specifically for the Asus Eee PC.
  2. You have a choice of 3 different ways to install Ubuntu.
    1. You can burn the .iso file to CD, and use an external USB CD/DVD drive to boot from that CD.
    2. You can transfer the iso file (and make it bootable) to a USB memory stick/thumb drive using the UNetbootin-Ubuntu Eee tool (Windows version/Linux version).
    3. You can transfer the .iso file to an SD card (and make it bootable) using the same UNetbootin-Ubuntu Eee tool. This method might be the most “painful” – but ars technica has you covered with the instructions.
  3. This tutorial uses the “transfer to USB thumb drive” method (I happen to have one), and it’s probably the fastest way.
  4. Download the Windows version of UNetbootin-Ubuntu Eee if your Eee PC is currently running Windows, or the Linux version if it’s running Linux.
  5. This tutorial assumes you have XP installed – if you have Linux, follow this tutorial to transfer the iso to your USB thumb drive, and then skip down to step #11 below.
  6. You may need to format your USB thumb drive in order for the installation to work. Though you may not need to format, it’s easier to just do it and carry on rather than find out later that a format was required.
  7. Launch UNetbootin-Ubuntu Eee by double-clicking it.

  8. Make sure that Ubuntu Eee and 8.04 are selected from the Distribution drop-down menus. Select the Diskimage radio button, and then click the … button. Navigate to your ubuntu-eee-804.iso file and select it.

    Finally, select the drive that represents your USB thumb drive. For my Eee PC, the USB thumb drive is E:\ Click OK to begin.


    9. click to enlarge

  9. UNetbootin-Ubuntu Eee will start to convert and transfer the iso file to your thumb drive. Note: if it seems to ’stall’ at file #8, don’t worry – it’s at that step that the largest file is being converted.


    10. click to enlarge

  10. Once UNetbootin-Ubuntu Eee has finished, you’ll be prompted to reboot your device. Click the Reboot Now button.


    11. click to enlarge

  11. As soon as your Eee PC starts up again, hit the Esc (escape) key a few times until a Please select boot device: window appears. Use the down arrow key to select your USB thumb drive, and once it’s highlighted, hit the Enter key on your keyboard.

  12. Your Eee PC will now boot into Ubuntu. Remember, this is the “live” version of Ubuntu – it’s running from your USB thumb drive, not your Eee PC’s hard drive. Play around for a bit if this is your first time using Ubuntu. You can still back out of the installation and return to whatever Operating System your Eee PC came with (just reboot again).


    13. click to enlarge

  13. To continue and install Ubuntu to your Eee PC, click the Install icon on the desktop.

  14. Select your language and click the Forward button to continue.


    15. click to enlarge

  15. Now select your city (or the closest one to it in the same time zone) and click Forward.


    16. click to enlarge

  16. Choose the keyboard layout you want to use, and yep you guessed it – click Forward.


    17. click to enlarge

  17. If you are in fact using the Eee PC 900 (or higher), select Guided – use entire disk. If you have an earlier model, with a smaller SSD drive, you may want to review the details here and decide if you want to have Ubuntu create a swap partition. Alternately, if you have a model with multiple “drives” (xGB SSD and xGB Flash), you may want to install Ubuntu on the SSD drive, and then mount the /home folder on the Flash drive). When you’re ready, click Forward.


    18. click to enlarge

  18. Enter the appropriate info in each of the provided fields. When you’re done, click Forward.


    19. click to enlarge

  19. Review the summary window, and click Install to begin the installation.


    20. click to enlarge

  20. Grab a cup of coffee – the installation will take a while. Don’t go too far away though…

  21. Once the installation has completed, click Restart now. Let your Eee PC boot normally (don’t hit the Esc key as it starts) – and you’ll boot into Ubuntu. That’s it – you’re done!

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