Linpus to Ubuntu

Hi,I'm new to linux and I need some information. I Purchased this little netbook for my daughter and she wants it to look more like XP windows. So I'm planning to install ubuntu on her machine, because it looks similar to windows, I think. The systems info. Aspire One, OS-Linpus Linux Lite V1.0.7.E, model # ZG5. Her machine does not have a cd drive, so i have to install it from USB device. OR, is there a way just to download software, or program to make it look like Ubuntu, or windows without reinstalling another Operating System?

 

No easy way to make Linpus look like a typical GNOME desktop (the desktop you see in Ubuntu, Fedora, and a number of other Linux distributions). If you want a Windows-like desktop, you'll need to replace Linpus. To replace Linpus with Ubuntu:

On a computer running Windows (or a reasonably mainstream version of Linux):
1. Download an Ubuntu Live CD image http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download to get started.
2. Download and install unetbootin http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
3. Run unetbootin and use it to create a live Ubuntu USB flash drive
4. Boot the Aspire One from the flash drive and install Ubuntu

 

I don't have a computer running Windows, just a Mac.

Can't I do this on my Aspire One itself?

 

Possibly - I don't know if unetbootin can be easily made to work on Ubuntu.
Now, some with distros, including Fedora and Mandriva (the only two I'm familiar with; there are others) but not Ubuntu, the iso file is also a bootable filesystem image and can be copied to the USB flash drive with a simple dd command:

su -c dd if=iso-file-name of=/dev/flash-drive-device bs=4M

You'll need to replace the elements in green above with the proper names for your system. Good luck!

 

I bought an Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.10 usb stick from a reputable Ebay seller for a small amount of money. The installation was easy and I was up and running again in 30 minutes. Its much better than the default Linpus and I wish I had upgraded earlier. I was initially nervous about the move but there was no need. I'd advise all Linpus users to take the plunge.