Running Ubuntu Linux on Acer Tablet PCs Part I

Gautam · 12-20-2006, 07:00 PM

I want to share the experience I gained from the switch over to Ubuntu Linux a few months ago. It might be of some help to other people looking for a superb alternative to Windows. Even though the new Windows Vista OS is being released, some people might not want to use this upgrade. There are numerous unbiased reasons not to upgrade, including the fact that Vista is extremely demanding on resources and will cost an arm and leg to upgrade. On the other hand, Ubuntu is completely free and so are most other Linux programs.

I did a lot of research on comparable programs available in Linux because at first I was not convinced that Linux had everything that Windows had to offer. My reasoning was simple because if this were true, then millions of users would stop paying for the Microsoft programs. I had used Red Hat Linux years ago and was unimpressed by the GUI. My pursuit of Linux came after the fact that I had beta tested Vista for five months and realized that Vista didn't offer anything I needed. It looks as if millions of people are paying for operating systems when they don't have to. Do keep in mind that this guide is written especially for the Acer Travelmate c300 and c200 series notebooks, but may work for other Tablets.

Why Choose Ubuntu over Other Distributions?

All Linux distributions are built solidly. Open source means that functionality and debugging does not have to wait until a company deems it appropriate to deliver a new OS or patch. Ubuntu is built on Debian, which is a very strong and popular distribution. Furthermore, Ubuntu is extremely user friendly and because of this moving to Ubuntu is not like moving to a foreign country. There are new things to get used to in Linux, but overall most people can be pleased with Ubuntu or Kubuntu, its KDE sibling. Ubuntu is GNOME and Kubuntu is KDE. That's about all the difference in the two and the color scheme is probably different. They are both based on Debian, so core functions are the same. If you are interested in knowing more about the difference between GNOME and KDE, a Google search will remedy your concerns. I have heard a lot of opinions about the two, but nothing really conclusive.

If you are a heavy computer gamer, then Linux is not for your daily use. If you are still interested in understanding or using Ubuntu, you can dual boot into Windows and Ubuntu. The following are just a few reasons why Linux is relatively superior to Windows.

Why Linux is Better:

Better Price: The cost is $0. You can download the Ubuntu install CD or you can order free (no shipping) LTS CDs. The second option takes a few weeks.
More Stability & Better Memory Usage: From boot-up to shut down, multiple programs and workspaces, ETA of file transfers, Linux is made better from the ground up. Ubuntu can run on very old computers and notebooks.
Command Line: I have always enjoyed command line work in DOS and was saddened by Microsoft's move away from it. Linux effectively embraces the beauty of command line with a strong and growing GUI.
Highly Extensible: 99 percent of all programs you use and need are available free of charge. The Windows programs that you do need that are not Linux compatible can usually be run through Wine, a Windows Emulation program.
Open Source: Supporting open source means supporting good causes, anti-monopoly interests, knowledge and functionality for all.

If you are interested in reading more about this topic check out Part II and Part III of this article's series.

caeci11ius · 12-20-2006, 11:24 PM

Hey there Gautam, I was quite curious about running Linux on my own Tablet, as I'm mortified by the extreme cost and activation issues with Windows Vista; I hate the idea that on a whim or by accident Microsoft could turn off a legitimate copy of Vista. I don't suppose you could make some comments on issues such as Tablet Input Panel equivalents etc. as well as handwriting recognition and the like? These are the primary items tying me to Windows as my Tablet isn't great for gaming and I don't play a lot these days either. I already love mPlayer (the Linux Media Player) and use it on my computers instead of WMP a lot of the time and there are good productivity tools and browser/mail/calendar programs already available. Oh, and if you discovered anything about using the new compositing desktop systems (e.g. Xgl) that are being developed I'd be interested in that as well. OneNote alternatives would be useful too.

Basically there are a few tablet specific pieces of software that I'm not aware of good Linux/UNIX equivalents for yet; if I could find those, I'd be on Linux within a week.

ahamilton55 · 12-20-2006, 11:56 PM

Did you get XGL running? I used it on one of my desktops one time and it kicks the crap out of Aero Glass. I was wondering if the internal card on your Acer can handle it because it's supposed to be a lot easier on the cards than Aero Glass is as long as you have a driver for you card which Acer is usually pretty good at.

Gautam · 12-21-2006, 01:17 AM

This is just the introduction of a seven page guide that I have written. Evidently Tiffany is doing this in segments.

If you have any questions about program equivalences in Linux, just PM me.

I have not played around with XGL type eye-candy yet. I am still in the process of mastering all the bash commands, and will then move on to working on potentially buggy tweaks to the X server.