Operating System: Debian 7.2.0 Wheezy amd-64
I'll start by saying that this was, by far, the most successful out-of-the-"box" Linux install I've ever done. It's been a while though, so I've obviously missed out on a lot in the Linux desktop world.
Hardware Specs:
ASUS Website
ASUS Zenbook UX32A
Intel® Core™ i5 3317U Processor
Intel® HM76 Express Chipset
8 GB RAM (upgraded from 2 GB)
250 GB SSD Drive (upgraded from 500 GB 5400 RPM hard drive)
24 GB mSATA SSD
Display: 13.3" 16:9 HD with EWV (1366 x 768)
Graphics:Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4000
WiFi: Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6235
Why?
I originally was not pleased with the Windows 7 build. It came with minimal bloatware, but I found it to be slow. I attributed much of this to the hardware limitations, but knew that I could run a lower overhead Linux setup that would be more responsive. I was also looking to run virtualization software, and knew a lower overhead build would be more ideal.
Preparation:
USB Drive
External CD/DVD Drive via USB
Wireless Firmware: iwlwifi-6000g2b-ucode-18.168.6.1.tgz
Debian Installation CD
FIRST:
Uncompress iwlwifi-6000g2b-ucode-18.168.6.1.tgz and place file iwlwifi-6000g2b-ucode-18.168.6.1 onto root of USB thumb drive. This is needed for network installation via WiFi
Directions:
Connect external CD/DVD drive to laptop USB port. Boot laptop with CD inside drive. You should be fine with all default options, but I did decide to place the SWAP partition onto 20 GB of space on the mSATA drive. It will eventually ask you for the iwlwifi-6000g2b-ucode-18.168.6.1 file. Place USB thumb drive into spare USB port and it should automatically find it.
Since I was installing over a very slow network, I decided to only install the Desktop, Laptop, and System Tools packages. I'll install others once I receive the full DVD set in the mail.
Reboot:
Booted fast and, as I expected, it installed Gnome as my desktop environment. I may install XFCE later in order to free up resources for my virtual machines. However, it's pretty snappy with Gnome.
Tested:
WiFi: Works great with 802.11g. Have not yet tested with N,A or B (may never test A or B).
Bluetooth: Not yet tested
Mousepad: Works
Keyboard: Works
Function Keys: Works with volume and keyboard dim. Haven't tested anything else.
Volume: Works
USB Ethernet Adapter: Not yet tested
Headphones: Works
Mic (built-in): Works
Webcam: Works
HDMI: Not yet tested
Issues:
Doesn't always automatically mount external USB devices when I plug them in after boot. You can either reboot with the device plugged in prior, or dive into the command line to mount. OR, I updated the preferences to prompt me anytime an external device is plugged in. So far, this seems to have fixed the problem.
Default movie player had extremely low volume, but Banshee player was fine. alsamixer volume was up. I read that it could be due to conflicting codex, but installed VLC player and everything returned to normal volume.
Overall Impression:
It's been a while since I've done a Linux install and I couldn't be more impressed. I didn't have to separately install codex, flash player, or java. Mostly, I was overly-impressed with how many functions worked off the initial install. I'm accustomed to at least one thing not working and having to research fixes. The low volume for videos was the worst thing I encountered and if it's the only problem I have, it would be, to date, the most successful Linux install attempt in the several dozen installs I've done.
I plan on updating this blog entry as I test more. But for the meantime, it has exceeded my expectations and am content with the end result.
Feedback:
Please let me know if there is anything that you'd like me to test. I'm willing to try anything I can undo.
I'll start by saying that this was, by far, the most successful out-of-the-"box" Linux install I've ever done. It's been a while though, so I've obviously missed out on a lot in the Linux desktop world.
Hardware Specs:
ASUS Website
ASUS Zenbook UX32A
Intel® Core™ i5 3317U Processor
Intel® HM76 Express Chipset
8 GB RAM (upgraded from 2 GB)
250 GB SSD Drive (upgraded from 500 GB 5400 RPM hard drive)
24 GB mSATA SSD
Display: 13.3" 16:9 HD with EWV (1366 x 768)
Graphics:Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4000
WiFi: Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6235
Why?
I originally was not pleased with the Windows 7 build. It came with minimal bloatware, but I found it to be slow. I attributed much of this to the hardware limitations, but knew that I could run a lower overhead Linux setup that would be more responsive. I was also looking to run virtualization software, and knew a lower overhead build would be more ideal.
Preparation:
USB Drive
External CD/DVD Drive via USB
Wireless Firmware: iwlwifi-6000g2b-ucode-18.168.6.1.tgz
Debian Installation CD
FIRST:
Uncompress iwlwifi-6000g2b-ucode-18.168.6.1.tgz and place file iwlwifi-6000g2b-ucode-18.168.6.1 onto root of USB thumb drive. This is needed for network installation via WiFi
Directions:
Connect external CD/DVD drive to laptop USB port. Boot laptop with CD inside drive. You should be fine with all default options, but I did decide to place the SWAP partition onto 20 GB of space on the mSATA drive. It will eventually ask you for the iwlwifi-6000g2b-ucode-18.168.6.1 file. Place USB thumb drive into spare USB port and it should automatically find it.
Since I was installing over a very slow network, I decided to only install the Desktop, Laptop, and System Tools packages. I'll install others once I receive the full DVD set in the mail.
Reboot:
Booted fast and, as I expected, it installed Gnome as my desktop environment. I may install XFCE later in order to free up resources for my virtual machines. However, it's pretty snappy with Gnome.
Tested:
WiFi: Works great with 802.11g. Have not yet tested with N,A or B (may never test A or B).
Bluetooth: Not yet tested
Mousepad: Works
Keyboard: Works
Function Keys: Works with volume and keyboard dim. Haven't tested anything else.
Volume: Works
USB Ethernet Adapter: Not yet tested
Headphones: Works
Mic (built-in): Works
Webcam: Works
HDMI: Not yet tested
Issues:
Doesn't always automatically mount external USB devices when I plug them in after boot. You can either reboot with the device plugged in prior, or dive into the command line to mount. OR, I updated the preferences to prompt me anytime an external device is plugged in. So far, this seems to have fixed the problem.
Default movie player had extremely low volume, but Banshee player was fine. alsamixer volume was up. I read that it could be due to conflicting codex, but installed VLC player and everything returned to normal volume.
Overall Impression:
It's been a while since I've done a Linux install and I couldn't be more impressed. I didn't have to separately install codex, flash player, or java. Mostly, I was overly-impressed with how many functions worked off the initial install. I'm accustomed to at least one thing not working and having to research fixes. The low volume for videos was the worst thing I encountered and if it's the only problem I have, it would be, to date, the most successful Linux install attempt in the several dozen installs I've done.
I plan on updating this blog entry as I test more. But for the meantime, it has exceeded my expectations and am content with the end result.
Feedback:
Please let me know if there is anything that you'd like me to test. I'm willing to try anything I can undo.
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