Replacing Linpus Linux on an Acer Aspire One.
Why replace Linpus?
I bought an Aspire One netbook with Linpus installed - I wasn't interested in paying extra for Windows, and it seemed pretty easy to use. It was, but there was only one problem - Linpus kept crashing and then wouldn't boot up again. After reinstalling it a few times, I knew I'd need to replace it so I decided to do some research. Here's how I got on:
You will need:
- Your netbook (this will work for any model with a USB port)
- A USB pen drive - this should work with a 1GB drive, mine was 2GB as that was what I had lying around!
- A computer with an internet connection.
There were a lot of options - I knew I needed something free and easy so I started looking at Linux. Having narrowed it down I decided to go with Ubuntu's Netbook Remix because:
It was free, and regularly updated.
It's designed to work "out of the box."
I could install it from a USB pen drive
Links:
- Download Ubuntu Netbook Remix
You can get Ubuntu Netbook Remix from here - although this method should work with any Linux or similar .iso image. - UNetbootin - Homepage
UNetbootin allows for installation of Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, and various other Linux distributions from Windows or Linux without a CD - Join HubPages here
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What I used:
Using the computer with internet access - which may or may not be your netbbok:
1. Download the .iso image of the OS you want to install - in my case I got it straight from the Ubuntu website, but you can use whatever you like. There are some options automatically included in the next piece of software you need anyway, if you want to try out some options.
2. Download a handy tool from sourceforge called unetbootin. This lets us make a bootable USB straight from the .iso rather than messing about burning CDs first.
Making the bootable USB:
This was much easier than I imagined! Run unetbootin from wherever it was downloaded to and click "Disk image" "ISO" and browse for the .iso file you downloaded earlier. Insert your USB pen drive - you may need to format it first - and select "USB Drive" and the drive letter at the bottom of the screen.
Then click OK! (See the image below)
Installing your new OS:
Plug the USB pen drive in the netbook and switch it on. Press whatever key goes to the Bios settings (in my case, F2) and find the "Boot Sequence" or "Boot Order" option. Move the USB drive to the top and then save the changes.
The drive will boot automatically - UNR boots to a desktop, and you need to run the installation from there - this may vary, as I know (from experience!) that the Linpus USB installer goes straight to the install. Follow the on-screen instructions and voila! Job done.
In my experience,everything just worked straight out of the box - wireless just needed my passkey, webcam worked, Firefox and OpenOffice come as standard.
Good luck!
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