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Eee PC distros

The Asus Eee PC, particularly the tiny Eee PC 701 model with a 7" display and 2, 4 or 8 GB solid-state drive (SSD), represents a watershed in portable computing. Never before have so many computing capabilities been offered in such a small, lightweight yet robust, and affordable form. Though the Linux operating system provided, a customized version of Xandros, is decent enough for most common tasks, adventurous users can realize the Eee's full operational potential by installing more sophisticated Linux distributions. Also, the Xandros distribution comprises two SSD partitions, the first of which is read-only to protect corruption of the operating system. Any changes you make are written to the second partition, which can severely compromise free space if you update a larger package such as OpenOffice.org. Linux distributions generally suit the Eee's specification much better than using Windows XP as an alternative operating system, and they are a lot easier to experiment with.

This page recommends some alternative Linux distributions for the Eee PC 701 range, though the comments and tips may also be applicable to other models. However, you should not attempt to replace the default Xandros operating system on the Eee's SSD without a sufficiently advanced knowledge of Linux and how to backup your existing data. Consider experimenting instead with booting the Eee from a different live distribution on a USB flash drive or SD card if you wish to preserve your existing Xandros distribution and data on the SSD. The UNetbootin utility, available for both Windows and Linux, is handy for creating bootable live USB drives for a variety of popular Linux distributions or you can supply your own ISO image (.iso) file.

The distributions listed below Arch Linux all have more recent versions and updated kernels which mostly now support the Eee "out of the box". However, some quirks remain - mostly concerning hardware function keys and wireless drivers - and the information given below about the older versions may still be helpful.

Arch Linux

Arch Linux is a lightweight and highly flexible distribution which can be tailored for installation on the Eee PC. Arch's power comes from a "hands on approach" to installation and configuration, for which you need a good working knowledge of Linux. Those uncomfortable working with the command line or editing configuration files are unlikely to realise Arch's full potential. Current rating: best and certainly the most flexible.

Pros:

Any desktop environment and/or window manager can be operated with Arch.
It is a true rolling distro, capable of being updated easily, whenever and if you so wish.
Performance and disk usage can be keenly optimised according to your needs. Just install the programs you actually need.
Keeps software patches to a minimum, hence truer to upstream developers' intentions.
Arch's package manager Pacman, although command line driven, is one of the fastest and most effective around.
Extensive official and community software repositories.
Advanced system (ABS) for building and packaging software from source code, if required.
Very good wiki documentation and knowledgeable support forums.

Cons:

Requires time and knowledge initially to build your system from scratch.
Few concessions to "user-friendly GUI hand-holding"; system tools are minimal but very powerful.
Temptation to constantly keep system updated can occasionally result in breakages.
Limited choice of live distribution variants with which to try out Arch before committing to an installation (though check the list of Arch-based distros for latest information).

Tips:

Ensure that USB support is added to your normal and fallback initial ramdisk images, by adding usb after other disk options in the HOOKS array in the etc/mkinitcpio.conf file. Then, if necessary, regenerate the images using the command:
# mkinitcpio -p kernel26
If you already have a working Arch installation somewhere, it can be easily cloned to the Eee's SSD, a USB flash drive or a SD card (assuming the device is partitioned, formatted (ext2 recommended), and bootable) using the rsync command from a live distribution thus:
   # rsync -av --delete /media/source/ /media/target/
Once cloned, check the UUID of the target partition, and update these files with the UUID and new hostname as necessary: /etc/hosts, /etc/rc.conf, /etc/fstab and /boot/grub/menu.lst. The fstab file should contain at least the following lines:
   UUID=uuid / ext2 defaults,noatime,nodiratime 0 1
   none /var/log tmpfs defaults,size=10M 0 0
where the former defines the root directory and the latter reduces drive wear by directing logging to a temporary filesystem; also, do not use a swap partition or file.
Use the grub command and its subcommands find, root and setup to install GRUB to your device. The GRUB menu.lst file should be configured to boot normal Arch thus:
   title Arch Linux
   root (hd0,0)
   kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/uuid ro rootwait=12
   initrd /boot/kernel26.img
The Eee PC 701 requires the packages xf86-video-intel and xf86-input-synaptics installed for X video and touchpad operation respectively; other Eee models may differ. Note: The original Eee 701 uses one-fingered vertical scrolling, the later 701SD model uses two-fingered scrolling.
Install the acpid and acpi-eeepc-generic packages for ACPI event handling (for example, special keypresses), with optional on-screen display options. Note: Does not currently work with the later Eee 701SD model.
Install the unicap and ucview packages, or the guvcview package, to utilize the Eee PC 701's webcam.
Wicd works immediately with the Eee PC 701's wired and wireless network interfaces.
The lightweight Openbox window manager is an ideal companion for Arch on the Eee, supplemented with GTK+ utilities such as those from the LXDE project.

CrunchEee

CrunchEee is a special Eee PC version of the relatively new CrunchBang 8.10.02 Ubuntu derivative. Using the lightweight Openbox window manager with a sensible selection of GTK+ applications, CrunchEee offers a good balance of speed and functionality. Current rating: next best.

Pros:

With the included eee-control package, most hardware functions well, including wired and wireless networking.
Provides range of applications and utilities to satisfy most people's core needs.
Takes up less SSD space, less RAM, and is faster, than other Ubuntu-based distributions featuring Gnome or KDE desktops.
Can be tested as a live distro on a USB flash drive before committing to a SSD install.
Huge software repositories available from Ubuntu and Debian.
Extensive support forums because of CrunchBang's increasing popularity and Ubuntu's continuing appeal.

Cons:

Effort required from Gnome and KDE users to adjust to Openbox's frugal, but powerful, ways and lighter applications.
Need to ensure that recommended steps are taken to reduce wear on the SSD (see Tips below).

Tips:

To reduce wear on the SSD (as well as having no swap partition and using an ext2 rather than ext3 filesystem):
Edit /etc/fstab:
- add the options noatime and nodiratime to the root entry
- add an entry to redirect log files to a temporary file system in virtual memory:
tmpfs /var/log tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=0755 0 0
Set Firefox's (or other browser's) disk cache (preference browser.cache.disk.parent_directory) to Ubuntu's ram drive at /dev/shm or disable disk caching completely (set preference browser.cache.disk.enable to false).
Wicd can be used as a lighter alternative to the more Gnome-dependent Network Manager.
The SSD installation can be cloned to a flash drive in a similar manner to eeebuntu, if desired (see below).

eeebuntu

eeebuntu Standard 1.0 is a variant of the widely popular Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) distribution which has been customized specially for the Eee PC. eeebuntu provides an enhanced GNOME 2.22 desktop and a very substantial set of software packages and user applications. A full installation to its own disk partition is required. Hardware is fully functional. Also comes in a Netbook Remix (NBR) version.

Pros:

Works smoothly straightaway, including wireless networking.
Provides heavy duty applications and utilities for serious productivity.
Impressive desktop ornamentation from Compiz and Avant Window Navigator.
Before committing to a SSD install, functionality can be tested as a live distro on a USB flash drive.
Huge software repositories available from Ubuntu and Debian.
General popularity of Ubuntu yields extensive support forums.

Cons:

Takes a lot of disk space on the Eee's SSD, from a bare install of 2.2 GB to a typical production system of maybe 3.2 GB. This may leave inadequate free space on the SSD for user data.
Takes longer to install (say 15-20") than a frugal distribution.
May appear bloated to casual or light users.
Need to ensure that recommended steps are taken to reduce wear on SSD.
Access to eeebuntu.org is sometimes unreliable.

Tips:

Recover significant disk space by removing unwanted packages. Run the Synaptic package manager, set the preference to show 'Installed Size' and view installed packages, sorted in decreasing order of size. For example, consider removing larger packages related to: evolution; wireshark; openoffice.org (unwanted languages); compiz, avant-window-navigator (desktop eye-candy); and ubuntu-docs.
Reduce wear on the SSD using the tips for CrunchEee (above).
To avoid shutdown problems, add the following lines to /etc/default/halt:
   rmmod snd-hda-intel
   rmmod ath_pci
   rmmod wlan_scan_sta
If the wired network interface stops working (and the BIOS fails to reset it), unplug the Eee, remove and then reinsert the battery. (This may also solve a shutdown problem with the live distro.)
You can clone the SSD installation to a flash drive if desired.
There is also an Idiots' Guide to installation.

Slax

Slax 6.0.7 is based on Slackware and you can customize it for the Eee PC. Slax's portability and small size are achieved by building the system from compressed modules which can simply be copied without needing installation or configuration. The read-only part of Slax (system data and modules) is overlaid by a writable filesystem which can be modified without restriction. Changes you make can be made persistent by writing them to disk. Slax provides a KDE 3.5.9 desktop and a reasonable starter set of applications to build on. Hardware is fully functional. Unofficially, Slax can also be installed fully in uncompressed form (search in forum).

Pros:

Takes much less disk space than an equivalent non-compressed installation. A fully productive system, with typical office, internet and multimedia applications, can be achieved in about 800 MB, around a third of the normal requirement.
Use of compressed modules reduces wear on the installation drive.
Modular approach makes it easy to customize the distro to your specification at all levels.
Modules can also be activated and deactivated on the fly.
Slax modules can be created from Slackware packages, greatly increasing the choice of software available.

Cons:

Decompressing modules and tracking filesystem changes work your CPU and RAM harder, and can slow down boot and application loading times.
More vulnerable to shutdown and power interruption problems.
Curiously few modules are officially validated; most modules are submitted by users and have to be hunted down.
Wireless networking with WEP and WPA in particular is a bit messy.
Documentation is not yet complete and forums, though helpful, are not the easiest to search.

Tips:

Use the ext2 format for your installation drive rather than a FAT format to avoid any possible case problems with the names of files, particularly those which you create in the /slax/rootcopy and /slax/changes directories. Use the default persistent changes directory /slax/changes with ext2.
Running as root (the default) seems to avoid some unexplained problems with non-root users.
Use a search engine to find modules ad hoc on the Slax website. For example, find Gimp modules using search terms on Google such as: module gimp site:slax.org
When editing files in the /etc/modprobe.d and /etc/rc.d directories (held within /slax/rootcopy or /slax/changes), remove any backup versions created by your editor or else they will be spuriously loaded during the boot process.
If you want to boot Slax from a flash drive, but Slax is already installed on the SSD, you must add the boot parameter (press the Tab key at the Slax boot menu): from=/dev/device
where device is sda1, sdb1, etc depending on which USB port the flash drive is plugged into. Otherwise Slax will continue to boot from the SSD installation instead.

Pupeee

Pupeee 3.01 is a basic install of Puppy Linux 3.01 with all the necessary drivers for the Eee PC included. Puppy is a tiny distribution with a JWM managed desktop and a remarkably complete suite of light but functional GUI software. It can be installed fully but is usually installed frugally, where the operating system is loaded from just a few compressed system files and your personal settings and data are saved to a single archive file. Most hardware works with a few quirks (see documentation).

Pros:

Boots very fast and can load completely into RAM for speed.
Frugal installation reduces wear on the installation drive.
Very small in size; typically from 132 MB for a frugal install, plus the size of the file for saving your personal settings and data.
Well-balanced range of useful applications and utilities provided.
Quick and easy to install, hence ideal for backup or data rescue purposes (see Tips below).
Good documentation and extensive forums.

Cons:

Frugal installation more vulnerable to shutdown and power interruption problems.
Runs as root which may cause security concerns.
Only modest range of additional software packages available.
Terminal always assumes US keyboard is being used.
Wired network interface often not detected initially.

Tips:

The kernel modules for the wired and wireless network interfaces are called atl2 and ath_pci respectively. Use the Internet Connection Wizard to load a networking module or set up a network interface.
Install rsync via the PupGet package manager or copy a static binary of Partimage to backup files or whole disk partitions respectively to another USB drive.
To get the webcam working, use the modprobe command to load the kernel modules videodev and uvcvideo. Then download and run the videoview program.

Eee PC distros

Arch Linux

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CrunchEee

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eeebuntu

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Slax

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Pupeee

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Links