Thread: Want to know suitable linux distro for Netbook

Hi friends,

Recently I bought a HP Mini with Atom N450 1GB 160 GB and Windows 7 starter OS. I was looking for the linux version but not available. I want to install linux. Anybody having experience with any netbook having linux can suggest a good distro. I have searched and found many articles but all are old ones with Atom N270 / 280 processor.

Your suggestions are most welcome.

Thanks in advance.

I would install Ubuntu. Safe bet!

Originally Posted by itsmemad

I would install Ubuntu. Safe bet!

Hi thanks for the suggestion. Of course it is a safe bet. There is Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR) there are other options like moblin, eeubuntu, HP's own MIE Linux, etc.

I was expecting comments from those who really experence in using such a combination.

Thanks again.

Hello Matrix,

You can try, And share your experience with. So that we can use the same in future.

Install jolicloud. It is a new OS for netbook and is awesome!!

You can try Ubuntu 10.04 netbook edition which is really cool and light... Some of my colleagues using it on their eezz pc with out any issues..

Originally Posted by m2h_katie

Hello Matrix,

You can try, And share your experience with. So that we can use the same in future.

Thanks for the suggestion. I installed the same but not able to connect to the net, though it asks for the password of the wireless connection, it fails to connect. I am re[plying from the same netbook in Windows 7 starter.

Wil install my favourite mandriva and post the results soon.

Originally Posted by milindmk

You can try Ubuntu 10.04 netbook edition which is really cool and light... Some of my colleagues using it on their eezz pc with out any issues..

Jolicloud is ubuntu based distro, but it didn't makes much sense to me to use a cloud based OS on a netbook. Having 160 GB HDD there is no issue to have a full OS. Will be trying some more OS this week-end and post my experience.

Thanks for the suggestions. As a KDE user prefer rpm based other OS than ubuntu based.

If you are new to Linux i recommend Linux Mint 9, it rocks, easy to configure, and boot times and performance speeds that would put Windows 7 to shame.

Originally Posted by mzsade

If you are new to Linux i recommend Linux Mint 9, it rocks, easy to configure, and boot times and performance speeds that would put Windows 7 to shame.

I agree.....Linux Mint 9 Isadora is very good and has a variety of features...is easy to configure and faster than Ubuntu itself (though it is a derivative of Ubuntu) leave alone Windows 7.

Originally Posted by mzsade

If you are new to Linux i recommend Linux Mint 9, it rocks, easy to configure, and boot times and performance speeds that would put Windows 7 to shame.

Already I have downloaded linux mint kde will have to try. thanks for the suggestion. In fact I am trying other distros also. Already I have downloaded mobilin 2.1 final will be trying all these when time is available.

Mint kde is a great distro too, but if you are new to Linux you might find it a little overwhelming, too many features...

Originally Posted by mzsade

If you are new to Linux i recommend Linux Mint 9, it rocks, easy to configure, and boot times and performance speeds that would put Windows 7 to shame.

I am a long time linux user, since 2 years i am a full time linux user both in my office and home. I try each distro I get to see the features using live CDs or thru virtualbox.

Thanks for your suggestion, for new users of linux PCLinuxOS, Mandriva are also very good choices.

Originally Posted by matrix

Already I have downloaded linux mint kde will have to try. thanks for the suggestion. In fact I am trying other distros also. Already I have downloaded mobilin 2.1 final will be trying all these when time is available.

Most netbooks don't have CD/DVD drives na. How are you installing it? Do you have an USB CD/DVD drive ?

Crunchbang Statler is worth a look-see too, very light on resources, also Statler xfce is a pretty good choice for newbies, very easy to configure, everything works out of the box, and none the heavier for it. Although it's supposed to be an alpha, i have found it to be rock solid stable--i have been experimenting with it willy-nilly, adding stuff, incompatible deb sources, etc.,and it has yet to crash on me.

As a fail-safe i suggest a dual boot with, a full featured distro like Mint or PC Linux OS, and a lighter distro like Statler or Puppy linux on another partition. If you have a separate Data partition along with these two partitions Data loss prevention is guaranteed for ever.
This partition scheme makes for (IMHO) the best security and performance.

Originally Posted by meetdilip

Most netbooks don't have CD/DVD drives na. How are you installing it? Do you have an USB CD/DVD drive ?

No, I have no external CD/DVD drive. I used to download the ISO and make a USB key using unetbootlin.

I am using jolicloud as the OS now. I tried moblin 2.1 final, though it got a very simple GUI and very fast boot (from a USB key, note jolicloud is taking long time from USB key) I am disappointed as there is no wireless support on my HP mini (moblin.org web site says tested the HP Mini without wireless).

As jolicloud is optimized for netbooks I think I have to stick with this OS till some other good OS is available. Will be trying other distros later and see the performance.

Originally Posted by matrix

No, I have no external CD/DVD drive. I used to download the ISO and make a USB key using unetbootlin. .

Thanks. Me too have a netbook. Reps.

Originally Posted by mzsade

As a fail-safe i suggest a dual boot with, a full featured distro like Mint or PC Linux OS, and a lighter distro like Statler or Puppy linux on another partition. If you have a separate Data partition along with these two partitions Data loss prevention is guaranteed for ever.
This partition scheme makes for (IMHO) the best security and performance.

The partitioning thing will go for a long debate as far as linux is concerned. e.g. I have the partition of /home (maximum space as all the data except the programmes will be saved here), note that this is a separate partition so that I will not loose anything if I upgrade or install anew version / distro then I have swap, /tmp, / and /guestos (used for virtualbox images). Can anybody explain how much is ideal for /boot (as per my configuration no need for separate partition), swap, /tmp, /. Once upon a time there was limitation in disk storage (10 MB HDD) there were specification as to how to partition a had disk. Today a normal desktop come with 320 GB (ooooops.......) where is the question of the partitioning concept/scheme?

My idea is to have only the installed software in a system partition and all the user data in separate partition so that even there is a need to format the system the user data will be intact. I used to do that during my windows days still following the same. During my windows days I used to ask my sysadmin to format the system (C: drive) in case of any problem as there is no data except the third party software which can be installed again after formatting the system.

Now a days the storage space is so huge and people don't know where the required data is? I don't feel there is so much space requirement for a personal desktop system. People very often mis use the available space and couldn't find the required data when needed.

There is no partitioning scheme today it depends upon the person's knowledge concerned.

To quote an argument against a seperate home partition, "I know a separate /home partition is valuable for backing up data, but the annoying thing about it is that it also backs up various settings. Whether you are using gnome or KDE, you will find many hidden files in your home folder. AFAIK, these files contains settings to certain apps and to how your system interacts with you.
My point is, copying the data to a flash drive or creating another partition unrelated to the system e.g, "/documents" would be a better idea for the user who aims to keep his files but also wants to upgrade to the latest OS on a clean slate." unquote
.
In my case, as seen in the attachment of that post, /dev/sda/2, which i manually mount--only when i need it on media/ "Data"--is that separate, unrelated partition.

Originally Posted by mzsade

In my case, as seen in the attachment of that post, /dev/sda/2, which i manually mount--only when i need it on media/ "Data"--is that separate, unrelated partition.

Sorry for my misunderstanding, NO offence. My intention is to educate the others who are wasting storage space without proper knowledge. I am sure, those who know about the storage of a computer system can better manage the same. As far as partitioning goes it is still debatable and I hope nobody can come with an ideal scheme!!!!

As far as the hidden files are concerned as specified in your post, which will be in the actual users' home not the /home folder. I used to have a shared folder for all the users within the /home partition which will remain even after upgrade / new install (note the other actual users' folder within the /home partition can be deleted before upgrading).

I will appreciate any good suggestion from you are any other forum members. I use to upgrade my OS twice in a year (the disro release is in that cycle). I don't wait to upgrade once a release is out. Other distros I usually try in virtualbox.

Sorry for my misunderstanding, NO offence.

None taken, bro, and i quite agree, the scheme is debatable, has been debated by much more knowledgeable people than myself--all i can say is Linux gives each of us the freedom
to configure our systems as per our tastes and preferences, so to each his own, my friend, to each his own. Both our combined recommendations however, suggest either a separate /home partition or a separate unrelated Data partition, and a relatively small 10-20 GB partition for the system install. Nobody disputes that.

Originally Posted by mzsade

Whether you are using gnome or KDE, you will find many hidden files in your home folder. AFAIK, these files contains settings to certain apps and to how your system interacts with you.

I have a shared folder within the /home partition (all the user can access). All the important data is stored in this folder. Before upgrading all the users home can be deleted so that the old setting of users will not be retained. This is my way of storing data. It depends on one's individual preference. Others may have different way of managing their storage. It is appriciable if others shares their way of sharing data.

I prefer to go for a fresh install each time than an upgrade, just a notion of mine, entirely unfounded--i imagine that way one avoids the bugs and kinks of the previous release, there have also been instances of system crashes while upgrading. After a fresh install one does have to take the trouble to configure one's system and install all of one's stuff, all over again. But it is worth it considering the performance benefits (which again could be entirely imaginary)

Originally Posted by meetdilip

Thanks. Me too have a netbook. Reps.

Under linux you can simply create a USB key with the dd command like the following:

dd if=iso_image_file of=/dev/???

Note that you have to unmount the device first before the above command. You can find last mounted usb device just issuing the mount command.

Originally Posted by mzsade

If you are new to Linux i recommend Linux Mint 9, it rocks, easy to configure, and boot times and performance speeds that would put Windows 7 to shame.

I made a usb key of linux mint lxde but it is not booting from that. Currently I am using Mandriva mud lxde on the HP mini. the interface is very similar to kde.

Edit: I booted from linux mint 9 lxde usb key and found some additional software areavilable but both mint and mud are similar. Unfotunately under mint my broadcom wireless is not activated as the driver has to be downloaded where as under mud it is readily installed. Also mint is not showing the battery status which is very important feature for a netbook but in mud apart from the battery status there is a resource meter in the status panel itself). Advantage of lxde is it uses very less resource. So sticking with Mandriva mud lxde 2010.1. Though I miss the dolphin file manager having split and tab option (we can have so many remote and local folder open and transfer of files can be done) which not there (multiple tab is present) in pcmanfm file manger shipped with lxde desktop.

Earlier used jolocloud but it is cloud based, mobilin/meego wireless is not working for my HP mini 210-1100tu.

I am not able to find a screen capture program for lxde windows manager, almost all distros come with a screen capture program under graphics where as this mandriva mud is not having one and I am not able to find one after many search on the net. Anybodies suggestion is most welcome.

Edit again: There is a software called xwpick which didn't work for me for taking screen shots but there is another alternative called shutter but not as flexible as knapshot.