Choosing a Netbook Linux Distro

[Dorzu]

I recently purchased an Asus 1000HE and am trying to decide which Linux distro to install on it. I'll be using the netbook for _light_ C++ & Python development(think school and fun projects), the common netbook tasks, and probably some remote access work to home via ssh/scp/etc. I've done some preliminary searches, using Ubuntu(current desktop distribution) as my starting point. I've found UNR, Easy Peasy, and EEEbuntu. (I can't really decipher how any one is even slightly "better" than the other two.)

Question is: Do you have a recommendation for the distibution? Should I try a netbook-centric Ubuntu mix? Take the plunge to Debian for something stable?

[lswartz]

I'm a bit of a noob with Linux & there are others here that have a lot more experience. With that in mind;

I like the Ubuntu 8.04 on my Dell Mini 9 but for you, there is more HD space available. I would be looking at 9.04 which is about to be released this month - 27th I think.

[MysticGold04]

I had an Asus Eee 1000HA and ran Ubuntu 8.10 with the adams kernel from kernel.org to get the wireless and all that stuff working. Ran great.

I'd wait for 9.04 to hit and then use that. Many fixes and updates for wireless and netbook type pc's.

[JECHO]

I recently purchased an Asus 1000HE and am trying to decide which Linux distro to install on it. I'll be using the netbook for _light_ C++ & Python development(think school and fun projects), the common netbook tasks, and probably some remote access work to home via ssh/scp/etc. I've done some preliminary searches, using Ubuntu(current desktop distribution) as my starting point. I've found UNR, Easy Peasy, and EEEbuntu. (I can't really decipher how any one is even slightly "better" than the other two.)

Question is: Do you have a recommendation for the distibution? Should I try a netbook-centric Ubuntu mix? Take the plunge to Debian for something stable?


I've got the Asus eee pc 1000HA and WhenIi purchased it I did my fair share of research to find out what would run best on it and also support all of (or most of) standard Ubuntus features. I soon found out that EasyPeasy is horrible (in my opinion) and so is the whole Netbook Remix style desktop environment. I found it to be overly crowded and run very poorly. Easy Peasy was basically a watered down version of Ubuntu. It barely was usable for anything besides Skype, Internet Browsing, Instant Messaging, and other standard things.

After being disappointed with Easy Peasy and the Netbook Remix I looked into Eeebuntu STANDARD (http://eeebuntu.org/index.php?page=standard), not Eeebuntu NBR (http://eeebuntu.org/index.php?page=nbr) (Netbook Remix). I tried it out and loved it. It is basically a full installation of standard Ubuntu, it just has the Array kernel for all of the eee pc hardware support. I LOVED that.

Now-a-days I am using the standard Ubuntu 9.04 Beta on my eee pc and even though it is "beta" it is running better than any of the custom builds that are built for the eee pcs (i.e: Eeebuntu, Easy Peasy, etc...).

I would highly reccomend installing Ubuntu 9.04 on your eee. You will love it. I guarentee it. :)

[BazookaAce]

I agree with Jecho. I'm running 9.04 Beta on my Aspire One A150, and it's working very well!

[myusername]

9.04 beta. its running great

[RandomJoe]

I just bought a 1000HE too, and it's running 9.04 beta straight-up. I didn't have to do anything special to get things running, not even the wireless. (I've never even plugged an Ethernet cable into the thing yet.)

The only "issue" I had was with the DE bar across the top of the screen, there just isn't enough vertical space. I put it down the right side of the screen and after much fiddling around with settings and deciding I didn't really need a whole ton of notification icons I have a setup I'm happy with.

I'm really impressed with the Atom processor - even plays high bitrate mplayer-encoded movies just fine. I've loaded this one up with essentially all the same things I put on any other install and had no trouble.

[Dorzu]

Okay. Sounds like 9.04 is going to be the first one I try. I was actually waiting for this release to (possibly) upgrade my desktop(8.04 LTS). This will be a good test to test what I think of Jaunty. Thanks for the info.