Should there be a netbook remix?

[Yownanymous]

Well, I'd like to see one. I was impressed by ubuntu netbook remix. Maybe Linux Mint should beat them into providing a CD with netbook remix preinstalled.

[Katzedecimal]

I and my Acer Aspire One would certainly be down with this. I ran Mint XFCE livestick on my AA1 but it did not like the AA1's screen resolution (hard to install when you can't reach the buttons )

I tried Linux4One, an Ubuntu-based remix for the AA1, but the boot time was painfully slow and for some odd reason it did not offer me any wireless at all, couldn't even find it on the network manager. But I did find the Ubuntu-remix interface preferable to the AA1's default "Fisher-Price" interface and I liked that it came with VLC as its media player Easy Peasy is uuuuuuuuuuuuuuug-ly!! (Same Ubuntu-remix interface with "EASY PEASY" scrawled in huge letters across the backdrop, just in case you forgot which distro you were using... ) There was a lot that I didn't like about EP, including choice of software. Then too, it's mixed for the EeePC, so there was much it didn't like about the AA1 as well *lol* So I am back to the default Linpus Light, which is alright on its own but as support for Fedora 8 falls away, more and more users are running into Dependency Hell any time they try to install a program (such as the much-loved VLC)

I have no expectations for a Mint netbook remix (a MintEEE or a Mintspiration? ) but if anyone did develop one, I'd be quite happy to help test it out.

[Yownanymous]

Well I have had the misfortune to use easy peasy. I run a Dell Inspiron Mini 9 and I do feel that the Inspirons and Aspires are being left out while everyone focuses on the Eee PC. I myself do not like the Eee because it is blocky and the hardware is very bad.

So, if I were to get the NBR packages from Ubuntu and design an artwork theme, would anyone like to test it?

[Katzedecimal]

I'll test it happily. I have an AA1 A110L, the basic Linux model with 8GB SSD and 512MB RAM (GST, PST, ABC and 123 ) I have a couple of 1GB liveUSB sticks and a copy of UNetbootin and I'm not afraid to use 'em Do you need any info to get started? Lspci?

Agree about the intense focus on the EEEPC line-up. They're trendeee (sorry...) But I can actually type on the AA1.

[Yownanymous]

But I can actually type on the AA1.

Hehe. Yeah I probably will need some help. Think I'll start by thinking up some plans and designs.

[Katzedecimal]

Well I'm not sure how much help I can be, beyond giving things a test run. I know nothing about coding or compiling. Always willing to learn though, if someone's willing to hold my hand and walk me through it

[ossified65]

Yes, that would be great. We (my fiance and I) are running Main edition on her Aspire One (8GB harddrive, upgraded to 1.5G of RAM) and it works great. I installed maximus and the window picker applet from Netbook remix, and installed a very compact Firefox theme. Oh and its also important to make it let you move windows up past the top of the screen (they normally stop there) since some windows are still taller than the screen. We used MINT XFCE last edition and that worked well too, but now with 1.5 GB of RAM, gnome is no problem. A few really compact window manager themes would be nice, seems like lots of screen real estate gets wasted around the title to each window..
If I were starting from scratch, I would probably take the fluxbox edition for its list of lightweight apps, then put XFCE on top for its user friendlier desktop, and then pull in choice pieces of Netbook remix.

_ossified65

[Gunmetal_Ghoul]

Heck, no! The netbook remix is just too cluttered for the already cramped screen real estate. It ruins the classy and elegant look Linux Mint is getting known for. This is all subjective, but the thought of a cluttery desktop just gets on my nerves.

[AK Dave]

I don't have a problem with the Main edition on a netbook screen, but I can see some advantage to a "Mint Netbook Remix". Mint's slab menu pretty much takes over the screen when you open it.

Another alternative to the Netbook Remix is HP's Harbour Netbook theme and launcher. The theme is "Glassy Bleu", and looks really sharp. The Harbour Launcher itself is based on using Elisa Media Center. Its nice, but I fall back to standard Gnome regardless.

My netbook:
Black Mini-9, 2gb ram, 32gb STEC SSD + 16gb Transcend, US-INTL keyboard, sgpstore carbon skin
Primary OS: Ubuntu 8.04.2-lpia (Dell Ubuntu) w/ Virtualbox-2.1.4 for TinyXP & Office 2007
Secondary OS: Mint Felicia (Main)

My laptop runs Mint Felicia, but for the netbooks I have chosen to stick with the stock Ubuntu because, well, it works fine already. No need to fix something that ain't broke.

[oroku_saki]

I have an Acer Aspire One (that originally had XP on it). I wanted to dual boot, so I tried running Ubuntu. After running all the updates, it screwed up my wired LAN connection and I couldn't get wireless going no matter how many times I tried following the guides postes on the Ubuntu website. After hearing about the Windows driver compatibility with Mint, I decided to give it a shot.. After loading my driver for the Wifi, everything is now pretty much running the way I want it so far with the exception of Skype.

After seriously using Linux for about a month now, I must say Mint is one of my favorites so far. I have no problem with tinkering, but only when I at least have a slight idea as to that the heck I'm doing. Mint seems to create a good balance between user friendliness and power-user goodness.

[mychance]

Definitely. I am a current user of EEEbuntu (NBR bassed) on my triple boot Aspire One and I like the design. Although I can switch off the interface for the regular desktop, I find myself sticking with the nice and orderly icons most of the time

[infamous]

You can make it a netbook remix yourself. Just install netbook-launcher and add it to session to have it start automatically.
sudo apt-get install netbook-launcher
netbook-launcher

now you have netbook remix

[AK Dave]

Or follow any of the numerous online guides to install harbour-launcher from HP's "MIE OS" (psst, its really Ubuntu).

[inigomontoya]

Here's what I came up with for my own netbook remix for my HP Mini 1000. I tried Ubuntu Netbook Remix but I had a few problems with it and didn't like the launcher too much. So I installed Mint 6 and used parts of UNR, namely maximus and the window picker. I removed mintMenu from the panel as it just takes up too much space when open. It has been replaced by the regular gnome menu. I use gnome-do with the docky theme as a launcher. After a bit of font, theme and icon tweaking here's what I've got.

[alexgdl]

I would be happy to test a netobook remix.

I tried ubuntu, fedora 9 &11, and linux4one before and I am currently running linux mint 7 main on an aa1 d150 with XP pre installed and seems to work pretty fine so far (as far as my linux newbie skills allow me to) it has been the only distro I decided to install on my HD.

[Gunmetal_Ghoul]

I don' t really think there should be a dedicated netbook distro because the newer kernels support most netbook hardware quite well (or @ least I suppose so). The problem I am facing is that some apps I use for my EEE don't support the 800X480 screen resolution and it either gets cut off or the screen moves as I click. That is the hassle I face for netbook use, not hardware support. Then again, my EEE is old enough for decent support....

[PcPixel]

Most definitely yes. I'm currently running LinuxMint 7 on my Asus Eee 1000 HEB. It runs very well, but my webcam isn't working and sometimes it is very hard to see some windows due to the 1024x600 screenn size. I'd gladly help with testing if it meant a full featured Mint client on a netbook.

[Borsook]

It's a pity there is still no netbook remix of Mint, esp. an official one... Netbooks are a still growing part of the market and a one that has a decent Linux share... it'd be great to offer a Mint alternative to Ubuntu's Netbook and Moblin remixes.

[PcPixel]

I found a guide online for making a "netbook remix" of Linux Mint. To try it out, this is what you need to do:
1. Get Linux Mint 8 installed on your netbook.
2. Install all patches.
3. In the Package Manager, install "maximus" and "window-picker-applet".
4. Move the main panel to the top of the screen.
5. Remove the default task manager, and add the Windows Picker applet to the main bar.
6. Under "Start Up Programs", make sure that Maximus will run on start up.
7. Reboot your netbook.

The performance is not bad at all, and this maximizes the screen real estate for Mint. I've been very happy with it, and just recently converted a friends netbook the same way. I realize this isn't a full blown netbook remix, but it's definitely a better way to use Mint on the small screen.

[Aljado]

^ I don't suppose you have a link to the guide you make reference to, do you?

TIA