paper graffiti

On Saturday night I upgraded my trusty eeePC to the newest version of Ubuntu, Hardy Heron. I had managed to mess up my installation of Gutsy Gibbon due to a software update gone awry (long story), so I decided to take the plunge and do a clean install of the new OS. I can’t have the eeePC not performing its best due to my manufactured software problems if I’m going to use it to write!

I have to say, the people behind Ubuntu Linux really know what they’re doing. They make installing the operating system as easy as possible. One thing I really appreciate is the redesign of the dialog windows during installation of Hardy Heron, because they are now able to fit perfectly on the tiny eeePC screen. When I installed Gutsy Gibbon, they were too large and I could not easily view some settings, which made installation a bit of a pain. It may seem like a little thing, but the fact that the windows were resized made me really happy.

Once I got it installed, I had to follow some tweaks on the eeeuser wiki to get the wireless and a few other features on the eeePC to work properly under Ubuntu. I had to do this for my install of Gutsy Gibbon as well, and the instructions laid out on the wiki are very easy to follow. I was nervous the first time around, but making the tweaks for this second install was a piece of cake.

Finally, I got to what I think is the exciting part–once everything was reinstalled and configured, I started my uninstall/install/tweaking process. For some reason I find it fun to start with a clean slate and get everything tweaked just the way I liked it. I uninstalled some stock things like Evolution (mail/calendar), a CD ripper, and a CD/DVD burner–I’m not going to use the CD/DVD programs, and I prefer Thunderbird for my email. Then I installed my personal essentials for writing and beyond that aren’t included with Ubuntu–Mail Notification, Writer’s Tools, Thunderbird, VLC, Gnome-Do, BasKet Note Pads, Java, the Flash plugin, and a bunch of Firefox extensions like Tiny Menu, del.icio.us, Adblock Plus, and Colorzilla.

I find that Hardy Heron is very snappy and responsive on the eeePC. Even though my eeePC only has a 900Mhz Celeron processor (clocked down to 630Mhz for battery longevity) and a modestly beefy 2GB of RAM installed, Ubuntu does not lock up on me or cause problems when I am using it for the basics–writing, research, web surfing, email. I am sure I could tax it out and freeze it up doing things like tons of graphic work, programming, etc., but that’s not really what it’s meant for.

I love having Ubuntu practically in my pocket with this ultra-portable sub-notebook. I sound like an eee(PC)vangelist, but I can’t help it! This is the best machine for me to carry around and use for writing. I know many writers live and die by their Alphasmarts, but give me the eeePC any day! Thanks for another great release, Ubuntu, I’m hooked!

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