Ubuntu 10.10 netbook install on a netbook

This install is on a Acer Aspire One netbook as reviewed in Acer Aspire One HAPPY-N55DQgrgr.

The box says the model is Acer Aspire One HAPPY-N55DQgrgr and the local shops sell it as Acer Aspire One Happy AOD255-N551G25n. Either way it needs a decent operating system to replace both the Windows 7 Starter edition and the Android supplied on the disk. This install uses the Ubuntu 10.10 netbook edition.

Hardware features

Disk

The hard disk is a Hitachi HTS545025B9A300 with a capacity of 250 GB. Windows and Android waste 30 GB on hidden installation files. Ubuntu gives you more control and returns at least 20 GB more space for your use.

Network

You want a wired network connection because wireless is slower and unreliable. You want a wireless network connection because it is more convenient. Linux tends to support wired networks and falls behind in support for the latest wireless chips. Install using a wired connection then apply all updates then configure the wireless network.

Sound

The Asus Aspire One has a built in microphone to work with the built in camera. There are sockets for external earphones and an external microphone. There are no internal speakers. Linux has problems with some of the latest audio chips. Install then apply all updates then test the audio.

Windows 7 Starter edition

Windows 7 Starter edition is supplied on some netbooks and is brain dead plus there is over 30 gigabytes of disk missing when you use Windows. There appears to be a hidden partition with the Windows distribution on the hidden partition. The switch to Linux jumped the disk space up from 215 GB to 247 GB.

Ubuntu has several editions, one for the desktop, one for servers, one called the alternative download that is the best of the desktop and server editions for power workstations, and a netbook edition, sometimes called the netbook remix. I do not know what the differences are in the netbook edition other than using the a new user interface named Unity, which is, at best, beta quality.

Download ubuntu-10.10-netbook-i386.iso. You could put it on a USB memory device or a CD. A CD is easier to file with the user manuals and guarantee documents supplied with computers.

Network connection

Connect the computer to a wired network to allow downloading of updates. Wireless is harder. When you install an open source operating system, the hardware drivers are often out of date. The wired network chips have been around forever and usually work. The wireless chips are usually new, the Acer Aspire One has a modern 802.11n chip, and open source operating systems are rarely up to date with the latest wireless network chips. During installation, Ubuntu will ask about applying updates. Apply the the updates. After the installation and updates, try connecting to your wireless network.

Some routers restrict access to known Ethernet adaptor MAC addresses. Find the MAC address for your wired network adaptor, add the address to the router with automatic DHCP IP address allocation. The installation then works without interruption. After you install Ubuntu, you can use Ubuntu to display the MAC address of the wireless connection then add that MAC address to the wireless router list and connect through the wireless connection.

Automatic or manual installation?

One of the first choices is to install automatically or manually. The first part of Ubuntu is a little keyboard icon. If you do nothing at the keyboard icon, Ubuntu load then produces a nice graphical menu with choices to test Ubuntu without installing or to install Ubuntu. If you hit any key at the little keyboard icon, you to switch direct to a menu system with many more choices for manual installation. The manual menu also provides an option to test your CD, a test I usually perform at least once on every disk then mark the disk as tested.

Updates

Ubuntu is released every 6 months. You download 670 MB as part of the release. You then apply a lot of changes to catch up. Ubuntu 10.10 was just 3 months old when I installed it on the test machine and the update download was over 190 MB, about 10 percent changed per month.

Disk usage

Ubuntu defaults to using all the disk in one partition. There are no hidden partitions. Ubuntu allocates a single 250 GB partition on the 250 GB disk. Ubuntu makes better use of your disk space than Windows. If your disk breaks, you can always download a new Ubuntu.

Installation

I am installing the Ubuntu 10.10 netbook i386 (32 bit) version from CD using a USB CD drive. You switch on the boot from the CD drive in the computer BIOS.

BIOS change

Press F2 when you see the big ACER logo and the little BIOS startup message. You then select Boot, select the USB CDROM entry using the Down arrow, move the USB CDROM entry to the top of the boot priority list using F6, then Save and Exit using F10.

The computer will reboot then display a keyboard icon. The keyboard lets you run some manual procedures including testing the CD. I am using a CD I tested on another computer and will skip the manual test/installation process shown in Ubuntu 10.10 alternate installation. Just wait a few seconds and Ubuntu will begin an automated installation.

Welcome

The Welcome page lets you choose your language for the installation and test or install. When you are completely confident in choosing Ubuntu, select Install Ubuntu-Netbook.

Preparing to install Ubuntu-Netbook

Select Download updates while installing to get the latest of everything. I had wireless network connection problems when I first tested the Acer Aspire One using the netbook edition so install all updates. Select Forward to begin the installation.

Allocate drive space

Select Erase and use the entire disk then Forward.

Ubuntu will display a proposed single partition of 250.1 GB. Select Install Now to proceed.

Where are you?

Ubuntu detected my location in Sydney and the current time. If Ubuntu makes the right choice for you, select Forward to proceed. You can also manually choose a location.

Keyboard layout

You can select a keyboard layout or choose Figure Out Keyboard Layout to manually identify the keyboard layout. I tried the test and it returned the same USA selection as the default. Select Forward to continue if you have a standard keyboard.

Who are you?

Enter your name, a name for the computer, and a password. Your name can use mixed case. Your user name will default to your name in lower case. A lower case computer name with no special characters will reduce problems with file sharing and in other areas. Use a strong password because your login gives people access to your home directory even if encrypted.

Select Require my password to log in.

Select Encrypt my home folder so no one can read your information if they steal your computer. This is the reason you need a strong password.

Select Forward to continue.

Wait

Some of the files will install in the background while you are entering your selections. The computer will then grind away installing the rest of the files and downloading updates. You have time to eat a tree ripened mango or drink a double shot latte.

Installation Complete

The installation finishes after about 15 minutes. Select Restart Now to continue. A subsequent message will ask you to remove the CD then press Enter.

BIOS change

Press F2 when you see the big ACER logo and the little BIOS startup message. You then select Boot, select the USB CDROM entry using the Down arrow, move the USB CDROM entry to the bottom of the boot priority list using F5, then Save and Exit using F10.

Ubuntu will load. You can now shut down the computer and remove the USB CDROM drive.

Login for the first time

Here is the big test. Login and see if it works. I suggest your first choice when logged in is to run Update Manager to bring everything up to date.

Updates

We selected the automatic installation of updates during the installation process but there are still more to install, 200 MB more. Select System, Administration, Update Manager to push the updates through. At the end of the update you have to select Restart Now to finish the update.

While the updates are downloading, you can start customising Ubuntu.

Encryption passphrase

The first time an application tries to write to your home directory, you will be prompted to record your encryption passphrase. Choose Run this action now to see your passphrase. A terminal screen appears. You type in your password at the Passphrase: prompt. You will see a long string of letters and numbers. Write it down somewhere safe.

Customisation

Power Management

Select System, Preferences, Power Management to stop the screen shutting down while on mains power. Change Display to never sleep then select Make Default. You will have to enter your password in the authentication screen. Select Close to leave the power management screen. You can make this change while the updates are downloading.

Wireless connection

Select System, Preferences, Network Connections to set up the Wireless connection. Select the Wireless tab then Add. Give your connection a name, usually the same as the network name or SSID.

Select Connect automatically for one or more wireless networks. You might set one for home and one for work.

The SSID is the id of the network. Some networks broadcast the SSID while others do not.

Select a mode of Infrastucture for use with a router. The alternative, Ad-hoc, lets two computers talk direct without connecting through a network.

Select the Wireless Security tab then set the security level to WPA & WPA2 Personal. You then have to enter your password (also called a passphrase).

Select Available to all users then Apply. Give the software a few seconds to connect. You can then test the connection by removing the wired network cable and browsing the Internet. Test the automatic wireless connection by restarting Ubuntu.

Tests

You can select System, Administration, then System tests to test Linux on your computer. You then see a long list of tests. Switch off those you do not need. You can also skip individual tests during the testing.

Power management

A test of suspend and resume worked. Ubuntu has nice defaults for use on battery. Ubuntu defaults to screen saving when used on mains power. You probably want to tell the Ubuntu power management software to not interrupt your work when on mains power.

Cleanup

Delete unused applications because they take up screen space. I deleted Evolution Mail and installed Thunderbird so I can move mail around from computer to computer. Empathy Internet Messaging is just wasting space, as is the Transmission BitTorrent Client, the Gwibber Social Client, and a bunch of games.

After deleting the applications, I selected Applications then Computer Janitor and the Janitor selected 90 MB of unused files to delete, files that were used for something but not any more. Collectively you can save about a gigabyte of space by deleting unused applications then cleaning up the related files.

Conclusion

Ubuntu uses less disk than Windows and gives you more functionality than Android. The Ubuntu desktop edition works well on netbooks with at least a gigabyte of memory, the faster end of the processor range, and the larger end of the disk range, all available in netbooks cheap enough to give to school kids as their first computer. Ubuntu 11.4 may bring a netbook edition with an easy to use Unity user interface.