Expectant user

Hi all,

First post.

I've ordered an Acer One from Newegg. Anxiously awaiting... Meanwhile cruising the web/forums for info til it arrives...

I've been a devout Linux user for years. I'm no expert. Far from it. I'm getting this device for its portability and supposed Linux friendliness. Mainly for wifi web browsing and a little multimedia. My Toshiba is too big for the workplace where I'm constantly leaving it unsecured.

I favor Ubuntu, but am leaning towards Linpus providing it gives rock stable reliable performance. I've also followed Puppy from inception and it looks promising.

Of course I want complete control- but I want worry free usage. Period. Like my cell phone. Bells and whistles are negotiable.

Best Linux OS?

 

I had a problem with Linpus where I calibrated my battery by letting the laptop battery die, and when I rebooted the wifi network was gone :/ I didn't know how to get it back (I suspect it had to do with the disk corruption resulted from the write cache), so I installed Ubuntu Intrepid (alpha 5), which worked fine for a day, then my wifi was gone again (for a mysterious reason). Now I am trying Mandriva 2009 rc1 (Gnome), and so far so good when it comes to hardware support; no trouble at all.

 

I know this may sound a little basic, but have you tried to toggle the wifi switch? I noticed it doesn't always stay on.

 

My impression is that it's easier to make a useful, stable, and expandable machine by tweaking the Linpus distribution than to install a different one. I don't think that installing a different distribution is necessarily a bad idea, I just think it is unnecessary. Having said that, I've mostly used RedHat (now Fedora) Linux systems, so my impressions might be coloured by the fact that I find Linpus rather familiar.

The great think about the built-in Linpus is that everything just works. The wifi adapter works, the audio works, 3D acceleration works in the graphics card, it boots very quickly, suspends and wakes up reliably, and generally behaves predictably. I've installed enough versions of Linux on enough laptops to know that to get to that stage from a new install is likely to take a few late evenings and a good deal of cursing.

What I have done is removed all the Acer communications software and replaced it with Thunderbird+Lightning+sync utils. I've removed about 300Mb of languages and font. I've reverted to the standard XFCE desktop from the Linpus/Acer one. And I've installed a raft of software. Oh, and got bluetooth working. I didn't have to install an new Linux to do that, and everything seems to work pretty well.

I can see how if you're intimately familiar with some particular Linux distribution you might want to use it. But otherwise replacing it seems to be tweaking for tweaking's sake.

A lot of complaints I hear about Linpus really come down to complaints about XFCE and, in particular, the way that Acer has customized it. But I reckon it's easier to install a new window manager than a whole new Linux. And XFCE does have some advantages on a machine like this, particularly its rapid start-up time.

Just my $0.02, of course.

 

I too favor ubuntu or fedora (or even puppy), but the linpus lite boots in about 16 seconds, finds it's way onto a network and is ready to use in about 20 seconds. I can't get ubuntu to beat that. Also, it runs in RAM rather than chewing up the SSD. Gnome beats XFCE badly, nautilus is much better than thunar, and a million other little things make a "real" linux distribution better, but the damn things boots in 16 seconds. I put the original back on it after trying all the others and I use my desktop or "luggable" notebook to run the real stuff.

 

I'm not convinced that Gnome would really beat XFCE in a machine with 512Mb RAM, as mine has. In terms of feature set, maybe; but general useability? I'm not sure about that.

Incidentally, some of the things that Linpus does to give this fast start-up could be emulated in other distributions, with a bit of care. For example, almost the _first_ thing that Linpus does is load the X server. This then initializes concurrently with the normal startup scripts (well, normal-ish). Now, in traditional linux/unix, the X server is almost the _last_ thing to initialize, and that's because in the `real' multi-user systems that Linux evolved from, you needed a fully-initialized and settled system before it made any sense to run a display manager. But Linpus is unashamedly a single-user system -- it doesn't need a network connection up before the login prompt, because there's no prospect of a network login anyway. In fact, it doesn't even need a login prompt.

You could make the same kind of optimizations in any Linux distribution -- but it hardly seems worth the effort.

 

I haven't explored the system fully but as it is I like Linpus. I plan on trimming it down a little and adding a better media player or getting the existing player to play streaming content.

I've always thought the boot sequence a little odd in regular distros. Especially for laptops. since they tend to be single user systems. They would really benefit from this novel style of boot. Give the choice during installation- if it isn't going to be a real network machine then the fast boot option is an option.

 

If you want a fast system and don't need any software other than what comes with Linpus then the best would be to stick with Linpus. However! I you may want other stuff added then you will loose the quick boot. I recommend Oneliux from onelinux.org which is Ubuntu with a special kernel change specifically for the Acer Aspire One. From the Live CD the sound, suspend/hibernate, wireless and every other thing I have tried work fine for me, but after install the sound and suspend/hibernate do not completely work right but the rest seems to.

 

Does the sound and internal mic both work after returning from suspend mode?

 

Yes.

 

I don't think that's true. I've added a raft of software to my Linpus machine. It wasn't even difficult, particularly.

What software do you think you'll get access to by installing a different Linux distribution that you won't be able to run under Linpus?

I'm not disputing that there _is_ such software -- but it must be pretty esoteric if you can't find a version that will run on what is essentially a Fedora 8 system. Of course, some software requires, eg., a Gnome desktop. But I'm not sure that installing a different Linux distro is the best way to get that on a Linpus machine.

 

I've loaded and used three different distributions so far: Linpus (with xfce desktop), straight Ubuntu, and OneLinux/Ubuntu.

Acer Linpus Lite works very well, it's fast and supports the hardware. Xfce is a decent enough window manager. Once you get past the Acer tweaks and just use 'standard' xfce it acts and feels like a standard Linux distribution. I'm not a fan of aufs but it does work.

Straight Ubuntu has issues and for me it was too much a hassle to get everything working properly.

OneLinux/Ubuntu is still under development but works very well. It's what I settled on. It is a little slower during boot that Acer Linpus but once up it is just as quick, and I like being in the familiar Ubuntu / Gnome environment.

I've been on Linux since version 0.99 back in the mid 90s, so t gives me some perspective. I think that OneLinux is going to be the killer distribution for the Acer once it's out of beta.

Perry
www.kidpub.com

 

I was hoping to avoid this... but everything works fine... I think I messed up the updater when I installed VLC but NP anyway except I can't update. It has something to do with the incursion and the keys being changed with the repos. I had resolved vlc's dependencies errors manually. A mistake? Worst come to worst I'll re-install :roll: like I've never spent a day (or sleepless night) getting back to the start line.

I like Linpus. Innovative approach to the desktop. Doesn't try to be windows yet offers quick usage by anyone unfamiliar with linux. Condenses things and reflects the device's intent: netbook w/multimedia possibilites. If I didn't have access to the terminal or advanced settings... well I can see how a total newb migrating from his environment might go- "I need my xp!"

Not everyone will hit a forum so I wonder how many thousands are hating this device because they just don't knowhow to really use it? I give it 2xthumbs...

 

Maybe. But I think one needs a bit of perspective here...

Acer sells essentially two different versions of the One -- a cheap Linux one and a more expensive Windows one. If you're a non-technical user, and you opt for the cheaper model, then you should expect to get a set of features that is commensurate with the price. If you want to do a bit of web surfing, and read/write word processor docs and spreadsheets, then the Linux version of the One will do that admirably, at a low-ish price.

If you want more than that, you essentially have a choice of two approaches: buy the pricier Windows version, or learn enough about Linux to get the features you want on Linux.

I suspect that quite a few people are buying the Linux version, knowing that there's a heap of free software out there for Linux. What they don't realize, perhaps, is that there is a reason why the Windows version is comparatively expensive -- because Microsoft put a load of effort into making Windows into something that non-technical people can use, and that costs money. For the most part, Linux hasn't gone this way.

I don't think it's fair for people to complain that the Linux version of the One won't do what the Windows version will do, when they haven't actually paid for Windows. If there wasn't terminal access to the underlying OS on the Linux One then I, for one, would not have bought it. But I don't see that Acer is obliged to provide this feature, or can be blamed when inexperienced users break their systems by using it.

The fact that you can exploit the greater power of Linux -- if you know how -- is great for those of us that know Linux already. But it's really not fair to criticise Acer for not making this added functionality available in the stock Linux unit.

In short, you get what you pay for.

 

Kevin, I agree. Basically I said the same thing in another thread, and kinda got blasted for it. I was a little more blunt and obscure so that is my fault. I'm hampered by my own lack of knowledge of linux generally, but I really think an average XP web surfer would have no problem with this OS. Everything you expect to work- works. As a linux user I expect to have to go to the command line, look at vague man pages and cruise the forums to change certain things. That scares M$ folks but I remember such a beast as C prompt. The XP model with the hard-drive is another machine IMO. A smart marketing move. At least Acer recognizes there is differing needs and seems willing to act on it. I'll stick with the Linpus and my paltry 8Gb.

This machine, if one treated it like a device such as a cell phone... well most of us are stuck with what they give us and we operate within that system. Who hasn't opened everything on their phone's GUI to see whats in there. Linpus could very well be treated in this fashion, except we can easily enable advanced features and really affect things by opening a terminal. Much more configurable. It works. It works well IMO. Your mom or Grandma could use it. I remember Suselinux in 2004... so nice but I was confounded! I took the plunge though. We've come along way baby.

BTW, I have an opensource phone- OpenMoko Neo Freerunner. Pretty decent device. Still in development stage. I would give just about anything to have the same stability and usability as the A1 running Linpus on that phone. As a consumer I know the difference- right now I'm using my $15 Motorola... from Walmart.

 

I bought the AO150-1570 because for $20 more I got 120GB of storage vs. 8GB, room for several Linux distros (currently Fedora Rawhide, the Fedora Cambridge alpha updated to Rawhide, the latest Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex alpha, and the Linpus Lite one finds on the 8BG SDD AA1) and space for a bunch of digital photos. I really didn't care about WinXP.

I don't know of any distro other than the Linpus version that comes with the AA1 that includes kernel modules for the JMicron 5-in-1 card reader. Other than that limitation (which I circumvent by using my USB card reader), I've had no real problems using other distros on the AA1. FWIW, the latest Puppy Linux uses kernel 2.6.25 (there's also a version that uses kernel 2.6.21); but needs the latest madwifi drivers in order to get wireless working.

 

I wasn't as smart as RockDoctor. My idea was to buy the least expensive version, figuring it would quickly become obsolete. I hadn't realized how slow the SSD drive was going to be.
It works well with Linpus Lite, but as a Linux distribution, it's pretty errm, limited. Probably very good for a Windows user who wants to use the netbook as designed, traveling, quick email, web access as well.
Their one MAJOR mistake here is the horrible version of NetworkManager. It makes it (as sold) completely useless to anyone connecting to a network using WPA2 Corporate. That will probably turn a lot of people off to it.

At present, after trying a few other distributions on it, I'm sticking to the Linpus one--I boot into fluxbox and have various scripts to setup what I want. Fluxbox runs much more quickly on this than it did on the beta onelinux. It also leaves that easy to use Linpus Lite if someone else in the house needs to use the machine.

Had I bought the 120 gig I would have probably put Fedora one and just left it at that. However, when trying to upgrade Fedora (and/or Ubuntu) I found that the combination of slow write speed and (perhaps) the low RAM made upgrading painfully slow.

I really don't understand the logic behind it and all the other netbooks. The people buying the Linux editions--especially when the price differential, at least with Acer, is so small, don't want a crippled, easy to use Linux. The same with the EEE and their simplified Xandros. Dell waited and seems to have made the best choice. Put on standard Ubuntu (which does a very decent job of being newcomer friendly) which allows those who know Linux to customize.

If the onelinux fellow (or people) make another version, I'll definitely try it again.

Regardless, I do hope that they fix NetworkManager soon. The other problem of course, is that they have the system so locked into their Linpus that as we've all found, making modifications to one thing tend to break something else.