Ubuntu for a Dell Latitude XT: netbook or desktop install?

[gohanssjn]

Thanks a lot, I may just try starting with the netbook edition.

[Agent 9]

So far I installed 10.10 (desktop edition) and then installed the things I liked, then I installed the "netbook" desktop environment.

After doing a little reading I discovered the netbook UI is the re-worked UI... it is pretty decent (though not complete) if you install a few things from the accessibility section, you can enable certian things (like using your finger to scroll, or launch things) it has a os x feel to it with the file, edit, view and other options docked at the top, and are only there for the window that is active.

It is a little weird to get used to, but it seems quite a bit better than before (I can't seem to right click though???) I am using the "grab and drag" extension for Firefox, it works pretty well.


It looks like the multitouch and support for that kind of input was in fact built into this release, but it seems that (from what I read) that none (maybe a few) programs are taking advantage of this new capability, they are planning on "having touch enabled applications for the release of 11.04" (something like that), so this release is just the ground work for a much larger touch screen support in the future...

10.10 was developed on the Dell XT line, the HP Tx2 line, and some others I can't remember yet, so your experience should be pretty good.

[gohanssjn]

Well, the Netbook edition only gave me corrupt icons all over the screen, bot installing from the netbook disc and by installing the desktop version and then the netbook package.

Awesome :/

[DaDude]

When booting the 10.10 LIVE version from USB on my Dell Latitude XT I'm only getting the purple wallpaper, all icons on the left are gone and will only show up blurry when I hover over them with the mouse... I don't have the bar on the top with in the right corner the shutdown button, but knows it should be there, so that's the only thing I can do with this release... Any ideas what can be wrong? Is it the Graphic driver (because I see the purple wallpaper), if it is, how do I update it (because I don't have a menu)?
Any help is appreciated!

[gohanssjn]

I see the same DaDude, same system.

[Agent 9]

First try to reinstall the netbook desktop environment (follow the instructions in the second paragraph) if that doesen't work, then try the "Ubuntu 10.10 32-bit desktop" install disc (download it using the .torrent option, as it for sure works ubuntu-10.10-desktop-i386.iso.torrent [you have to open this with a program like "bittorent", BTW this is perfectly legal]), sometimes one disc will let you install correctly, while others will have something screwed up. same is true for windows install discs.

then open "synaptic package manager" from System / Administration and search "netbook" and choose the netbook desktop environment (I think you can achieve the same thing by searching "unity").

If you only have the netbook desktop environment you may have to install the standard desktop "gnome" environment first, then follow that. I'm not sure how to do the USB thing, I used a external CD/ DVD drive with a standard CD containing Ubuntu, this may be the source of your problem

[gohanssjn]

Turns out, the XT2 has something my XT doesn't: supported a 3D chipset. The Netbook version requires the 3D driver set, which does not exist anymore for the ATI x1250.

Welp, so much for that idea!

[sama98b]

adding my 1c to the topic

Install 10.10+ desktop version.
Add the extra repositories from xorg and install/build the extra drivers for wifi.
After a few more extra repository and loads of apt-get update/dist-upgrade it becomes fully usefull/working ^^
Gnome+compiz beter for visuals then kde .. and uity will suk as. :P

Unity from the 10.10 nebook edition will become default ui in 11 ...
There is 3d and 2d version so will work on every chip.
But with drivers 3d works fine on xt if some1 wants it.

Unity is all about easy 1 touch interface so 99% of linux users already hate it.
It's cheap interface copy.

Only thing unity adds atm if full multitouch support .. but will come to gnome too.
And the touch pad scroll fix on kernel level :P

[gohanssjn]

How do you chose between the 2D and 3D unity installs?