Ubuntu 9.04 - Netbook Remix

Ubuntu Netbook Remix DesktopLately I have been having issues with the back lighting on my laptops LCD display, so I have been using my son's HP Mini 1033cl. It originally came with the down-sized version of Windows XP Home, and it ran pretty well out of the box. Installing the necessary, firewall, anti-virus and anti-malware applications brought the poor Intel Atom processor to it's knees. This was unacceptable and something had to be done.

I am a huge supporter of the open source philosophy, and especially of Linux. So when my son asked if it was possible to install Ubuntu Linux, on his Mini I was more than excited to give it a try. HP does not include any optical drives with the Mini and we opted not to spend the cash for the optional external unit, so installing Ubuntu on his machine was going to be a new experience for me. Doing some research I found that Ubuntu had released a special version named Ubuntu Netbook Remix, or UNR for short. From the Remix page of the Ubuntu site I found a link to the information needed to place a installation image for UNR on a flash drive of at least a gig. I downloaded the image, checked its integrity and followed the directions to put it on the flash drive. Just like if you were using one of Ubuntu's installation CD's I was able to test drive UNR "live" without installing it.

On the UNR page, the HP Mini 1033cl, was listed as one of the many netbooks that were to run "out of the box" with no problems. Running Ubuntu live from the flash drive revealed no problems with any of the Mini's functions. I chose to completely remove Windows by formatting the entire drive into one large partition using Ubuntu's built in partitioner during installation. Installation was completely painless, and suprisingly fast when compared with optical drives, my usual modis operandi for installing Ubuntu. After installation the live sessions shuts down, prompting you to remove the installation media, so it can reboot into your new operating system. After restarting it was immediately apparent that there was a problem. Once the login screen was reached I noted that the drum sound that normally greets you did not sound. Ignoring the sound issue for now, I continued to log in and give the new O/S a spin. Wireless networking, webcam, special function keys and suspend all worked normally, on to the sound issue.

Installing Linux on any computer can have hiccups, but with laptops this is especially true. The nice thing about Linux though is the rich community support. Information is just a forum post or web search away. In this case there seems to be a problem with the sound driver ALSA, working with the Intel sound chip set used in these Minis. Within minutes of Googling, I had a workaround that I found here. Following the directions I soon had the sound working, and letting the time vampire YouTube, suck me dry. Unfortunately this is not a permanent fix to the sound problem. Every time Ubuntu restarts you must open the volume control applet, and unmute the headphone and internal speaker. This is not such a big deal given that it is very rare that you would need to restart Linux, I have gone months without restarting Ubuntu in my other laptop, a testament to the stability of Linux. Another issue is that the entire process detailed in the workaround must be redone every time the Linux kernel is updated, fortunately this does not happen very often. Hopefully this problem will be addressed in future kernels, or in Ubuntu 9.10 when it is released in October, 2009.

Now let's move onto the functionality of UNR. To take full advantage of netbooks typically small screen real estate, the Ubuntu team designed the unique Remix Desktop. I gave it a fair shake by allowing myself to throw out my love of a normal desktop interface. The truth is that the navigation panel lacks final polish, and I could not find a way to customize its appearance. Luckily the original Ubuntu Gnome desktop is just a few clicks away. Simply clicking on Preferences>Switch Desktop Mode and selecting the Classic Desktop radio button will make it the default. The UNR team will need to continue development of the Netbook Remix interface.

Although I have pointed out some problems with Ubuntu Netbook Remix, I would still highly recommend this netbook operating system to anyone. Speed, stability, and Linux's inherent immunity to malware and viruses far out weigh the minor problems I have encountered to this point. I have been using UNR on the Mini almost exclusively now for two weeks, albeit with the classic desktop, and I very impressed with the HP Mini running Ubuntu. I see that the alpha 3 for UNR 9.10 is now available for testing. I am downloading it as I write this and will be installing it shortly. There may be another review in the future...