Aspire One netbook and Linux

Rose7 · January 2013

I got an Aspire One netbook for Christmas and after browsing around about Windows 7, I found that many people prefer Linux over Windows and this has tempted me to try Linux instead. I've always been a Windows user so I would like to try something new for a change.

What I would like to know is is Linux compatible with my netbook? The model I have is the D270-1466. Does anyone have this specific netbook who has installed Linux onto it? My netbook will mainly be used for the internet, music and as a word processor.

In case this info is needed, my netbook has the Atom N2600(1.6 GHz, 1 MB L2 cache) with 1 GB DDR3 Memory and a 320 HDD.

Thank you.

snowman2765 · January 2013

you can install linux on that system, but be forewarned, linux is more complicated to use than windows. if you would still like to try it, the version i recommend is linux mint 14. that is the newest version of linux mint, it is ubuntu based, and the most user friendly. i use it on my acer, i have it set up to dual boot that and windows 7. i dont recommend you dual boot as your computer is a little small for that. any other questions feel free to pm me.

snowman2765 · January 2013

you can install linux on that system, but be forewarned, linux is more complicated to use than windows. if you would still like to try it, the version i recommend is linux mint 14. that is the newest version of linux mint, it is ubuntu based, and the most user friendly. i use it on my acer, i have it set up to dual boot that and windows 7. i dont recommend you dual boot as your computer is a little small for that. any other questions feel free to pm me.

Rose7 · January 2013

Thank you so much! I'll look into it a little more before going through with it but it's good to know which version to use instead of just trying anything. Smiley Happy When I first looked into Linux, some people said that Linux wasn't very compatible with the processor in this netbook which is why I wanted to ask about it first before going through with anything.

So changing the OS won't affect anything like the screen resolution or anything along those lines?

When I go through with this, I might be sending you a PM or two for help. I hope that won't be a problem. Smiley Happy

snowman2765 · January 2013

your system exceeds the minimum system requirements, and the screen resolution should be perfectly fine

KenJackson · January 2013

I'm eagerly awaiting the Aspire One I just ordered (not the same model as yours), and I'm going to wipe Windows and install Linux immediately upon receipt. (In fact, I'm going to try to boot to a Linux USB drive and make a backup of the hard disk in an unbooted state.)

I've never used Linux Mint, but right now it's the most popular distro, so it probably is indeed a good choice. My favorite distro is Fedora, though I'm thinking of installing something else. Maybe Mint because it's popular. Maybe Debian because it's very stable. Maybe Vector Linux because I've wanted to try it. Maybe PCLinuxOS because I used to use it and ran it continuously for something like 9 months without ever rebooting it. (Try that with Windows!)

I think it's wrong to say Linux is more complicated to use than Windows. It's definitely harder to get started, because Windows is already installed and Linux isn't. But once you get it up and running, it's at least as easy to use. I suffer through Windows all day at work (though at least I have Cygwin to keep me sane) and several distros of Linux at home. Linux is superior.

BTW, Arch Linux has a page devoted to tips for running Linux on the Aspire One.

tracyrbabione · January 2013

We use linux on a regular basis. if you have any problems or questions get ahold of us at

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. My husband is one of the programmers for Ubuntu, Kubuntu, PuppyLinux, etc. The nice thing about Linux/Unix is that there are no Viruses to have to deal with.

Tracy

KenJackson · January 2013

Holy Cow! You're very brave to post your phone number on a public forum.

You're right about the no-virus advantage of Linux. When people refer to "computer viruses", they really mean and should say "Windows viruses".

Rose7 · January 2013

Hi everyone!

Sorry for taking so long to get back to this thread. I didn't expect any new posts! Smiley Very Happy

I still haven't installed it yet. I'm still reading up on it but it is tempting me more and more because from what I've read, it's more suited for customizing it to how you want it unlike Windows where you get things you really don't need or want. The one that appeals to me is the XCFE version.

One thing I did find is that while it wasn't on the Linuxmint forums, I did come across some people who said that Linux doesn't work on the Acer model that I have. Well, they only mentioned the D270 so whether it is the exact model I have or a different one, I can't say. They mentioned something about and xserver. Smiley Indifferent

I might go onto the forums to ask some questions about it. Two of them being about changing the desktop wallpaper and changing the mouse pointers. I like being able to customize those two things and I don't know if it's possible to do that in Linux Mint. Smiley Frustrated

Ken, did you install Linux yet? How did it turn out for you? Thanks for the link to. I'll check it out.

Thank you for the offer, Tracey. I won't call but I just may drop you a PM when the time comes that I finally go through with this. Smiley Wink

KenJackson · January 2013

Rose7 wrote:

Ken, did you install Linux yet? How did it turn out for you? Thanks for the link to. I'll check it out.

Yes, I installed Debian Linux because they aim for stability over rapid development. Their installation procedure is very smooth.

I had intended to simply wipe Windows7 off the disk, but I decided to shrink its partition and install Linux in a smaller partition, since I've never used 100GB on any machine, and this hard disk is 250GB. I booted SystemRescueCd from a thumb drive and used ntfsresize to do the resizing. SRC is a tiny version of Linux which specializes in tools to fix hard disk problems. But the resizing procedure was different than I expected, so I let it set for a while before I got back to it.

Now it's nice to have a tiny Linux PC to take with me. I rarely take my Dell laptop anywhere because it's so big. (It's rather ordinary, but that's big).

mikeslr · September 2013

The Aspire ONE D270 is a beautiful netbook. Unfortunately, most Linux distributions can not currently -- as of September 2013-- run it, as they do not have drivers to work with its Cderview graphics. Before trying to install any of the many distributions of Linux, make sure that it's kernel [kind of like the powertrain in a vehicle] was built handle the Cedarview chip, also know as PowerVR, gma500_gfx, and Intel GMA-3650. Shortly after the D270 reached the market Ubuntu --one of the most popular Linux Distributions-- developed a driver which could be installed in it under Ubuntu's "Precise Pangolin" model. Offshoots of Ubuntu such as Lubuntu, Xubuntu, and derivatives such Mint, and Pinguy and Zorin could also be take advantage of that driver. [Zorin and Pinguy frequently build-in capabilities that Ubuntu leaves up to action by the user]. Unfortunately, as far as I know, although the kernel used by Ubuntu in creating Raring Ringtail, its current model, can support the chip, Ubuntu did not develop the driver. So I'm uncertain whether any Ubuntu offshoot or derivative can properly handle graphics on the D270. If you want a "standard" Linux distribution, I would try Zorin installed to a USB-Key --the D270 can be booted that way-- using LinuxLiveUSB Creator, a program which runs under Windows. I know from experience that at least three versions of Puppy Linux function very well. They are Upup 3.8.3 built by "pemasu", precise 5.7.1 built by Barry Kauler --both of these were created using precise pangolin binaries-- and raring-3.9.9.2, also built by pemasu but using ubuntu's raring binaries, albeit in such a way as to handle the Cedarview graphics chip. Running under Puppy Linux, the D270 is not only beautiful, but fast.

mikeslr · September 2013

Hi Again,

Just wanted to clear up some errata and add some additional information. The Cedarview graphics chip used by the D270 is actually the Cedarview gma600_gfx, also known as the Intel GMA-3600, licensed by Intel from PowerVR. Since my last post I've had the opportunity to explore running other variants of Puppy Linux, and have discovered at least two more which handle the D270's capabilities very well. If you're interested in how to get any of those Pups up and running on your computer, see my posts @ Puppy Precise & Raring and Slacko Pups on the D270.

Someone commented above about not having to worry about viruses on Linux. Well you don't, but not because viruses can't be written to invect Linux systems. It's just that they're not. A virus is a program. Programs can only run on the operating system they're written for. Linux is open source, which means anyone can use it and modify it. So there are now hundreds of different Linux distributions which may, or may not, be able to run applications written for a different Linux Operating system. Additionally, a couple times a year Linux Devs build new kernels in order to take advantage of hardware advances. Once a year, sometimes more often, each of the creators of a Linux Distribution may rebuild a new version of their distribution using the new kernel. Applications which ran under the old kernel may not run under the new kernel. The result is that there are thousands of Linux Operating systems, which may, may not, or somewhere in between, be able to run programs from some other Linux Operating system. If you were a malcontent and were going to spend hours of your time trying to screw up other peoples computers, would you direct your energies to at most the couple hundred thousand computers running the most popular Linux Distriubution, or the couple hundred million users of Windows 7-8, or XP?

Part of the reason Puppy Linux runs as fast as it does is that it does not have to run anti-virus applications in the background. [It does, however, run a firewall providing a additional line of defense against intrusion to that provided by your router's firewall]. The other reason is that most Puppys require only 256 Mbs of RAM. Programs are usually smaller than their Windows equivalents and Puppy, when there's sufficient RAM, will load an entire program into RAM. The largest programs seldom exceed 100 Mbs. The D270's stock 1 Gb of RAM provides more than enough memory to multi-task three or four programs without any noticeable delay.

If you hear "Linux" and think "arcane" and "absence of Graphical User Interface" you're about 20 years behind. Google "Puppy Linux" and select "Images." Most of those images look like Windows XP, which is what most Puppy's look like the first time you boot into them. But you'll see some which look like Apple. Some Puppys come that way. In others, there are applications which can easily be installed to create that effect. And there are other applications, also easily installed, which will make Puppys look and behave nothing like Windows or Apple.

By the way, just so that this post doesn't read soley as a plug for Puppy Linux, when I asked on the Puppy Linux Discussion Forum what computers long-time users recommended, the Acer Laptops and Netbooks were among the first to be mentioned. And I purchased one only after considering its competitors.

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scourtneyuk · October 2013

I have an old Aspire One - model NAV50, which drives me crazy, because the display cannot fit a full screen of data, and I often can't click on a Submit or Install buttons, befause they're off the bottom of the screen and I can't scroll any farther. Does anyone know if I can install Linux on this machine and if that will help at all with this problem?

scourtneyuk · October 2013

Thanks for this, Mike. All this detailed information is very helpful.

Dan_NC · March 2014

For what it is worth, I am using Puppy Linux with my Aspire One. I boot it off a flash drive, it's not even installed. It found all my drivers, and I was on line minutes after booting up. I could even "mount" the old windows system files and access them.

The browser that comes with it is good enough, but I installed Firefox anyway. I was able to open word documents and excel spreadsheets with the tools provided. There are a lot of other "apps" available. However since my wife and I use this while traveling to browse the web and read mail, this is all we need.

It took me a while to figure out the navigation, but it's fairly intuitive.

If I want to, I can boot back to Windows XP, but since it will soon no longer be supported I was looking for a replacement. Windows 7 would probably crush this system. Aslo it isn't free Smiley Happy

srr · April 2014

I need to intall Linus Tails on Aspire one 532h from usb drive. It will not load...please help?

thank you. It attempts to boot from the usb but just comes up with a cursor.

srr · April 2014

typo...trying to install LInux Tails

mluisa · June 2014

I want to make a claim related to two netbooks, I bought three years ago.

Both netbooks (Acer Aspire One), have many problems during that time (problems with hard disk, motherboard, etc) I spend a lot of money paying for these items that are very expensive.

One of them have problems with the hard disk, in last january, and the same equipment now has a new problem, and the service CNS pretends i pay 150 dol to repair. They are not good in customer service and technical support, they proposed changed the broken accesorios for others used. And in two or three months the item are broken again.

In this year I spent 200 dol aprox, in one of the netbooks . and we are in the middle of the year.

I send mails to the Acer representative in Uruguay, Unicom, and I have no answer.

Acer is not working. The technical support and the representative are not involved in this problems.

Pbass · July 2014

I have the Acer Aspire One D270. Got rid of the Windows 7 Starter operating system by reformatting the hard drive from NTFS to ext4. Upgraded the RAM to 2GB (was tricky but there are videos on YouTube on how to do so, though this ugrade is only optional and is not necessary to have a good netbook).

Ubuntu 12.04 and Precise Puppy GNU/Linux 5.7.1 operating systems both ran like a charm on the Acer Aspire One D270 with full hardware support in the software. Ubuntu required the Restricted Extras package from their Software Center to play mainstream media (typical for that distribution).

A couple other GNU/Linux distributions wouldn't run that were Slackware-based (i.e. not Ubuntu-based). Sounds like Mint would work fine. Mint is Ubuntu-based and very multimedia friendly.

GNU/Linux operating systems are not difficult to use, and there are many helpful videos available on YouTube that demonstrate the various distributions (Ubuntu, Mint, Puppy, etc.) and systems (Acer Aspire One D270, etc.) that are available.

Pbass · July 2014

If you are still having issues with the hard drive and don't feel like replacing it again, you can just run Precise Puppy Linux off of a USB flash drive and skip using a hard drive altogether.

Here's a review of the operating system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkDYveZZkp8

And you can find plenty of videos on how to install Puppy onto a USB flash drive and use it as a hard drive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqj6JJjC1yw