CrunchBang Linux

GuruX

#! Die Hard

Registered: 2009-01-18

Posts: 527

How I install/configure my Eee 900 KoalaCrunch, and why

Ok, so I jumped on the Koala train today. You have got to have the latest, don't you =o)
I first tried to install Karmic mini and then install crunchbang with the crunchbang script. That didn't work very good on my system. So I decided to install Jaunty mini, install crunchbang and then upgrade to Karmic.

So, lets start off with a minimal install of Ubuntu Jaunty, also known as a net installation.
Download the minimal install cd image http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/ … t/mini.iso
Use Unetbootin on some other computer to get it onto a USB stick. It's avalible for both windows and linux. I use Ubuntu normal on my other compter, so I just install Unetbootin with sudo apt-get install unetbootin
if you are on windows, you'll have to download from http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

Now install and do the installation as minimal as possible.
Make sure that you have a wired internet connection to you computer, the minimal install cd won't let you use your WiFi, at least, I didn't find a way to.
I install a swedish translation of the system. So I translate everything back to english in this guide. Some of the options may not be translated exactly into what they are in the english installer, but I think you'll figure out what I mean.

What: My Eee 900 has a 16 gb SSD. I choose to use the whole SSD mounted as /.
Why: The disk is quite small, that's why I don't bother with doing a /home partition. This way I can use the full size of the disk without running into a partition "wall".

What I do not use a swap space.
Why: The disk not very durable. The computer has 1 gb of ram, which I think is enough, I won't allocate more than that. If the system starts to use the SSD as swap space, I might wear out the disk a little faster.

What: I use EXT4 as file system
Why: This is the latest EXT file system, it's supposed to be the fastest.

What: Choose noattime as mount flag
Why: This also reduces writes to the SSD a little.

What: I choose linux-generic as startup kernel
Why: The linux-generic-pae was highlighted when I came to this screen. But, the PAE kernel only does good for those who are running on more than 4 gb of ram on a 32-bit system. PAE is physical address extention, it requires that you CPU supports it.

What: Custom initrd
Why: It makes the system lighter. It only puts the drivers you need into the kernel.

What: Encrypt home folder
Why: Even tough it will slow my computer down a bit. A netbook is obviously carried around a lot. It might get stolen. I'm also a little absenminded, I might forget it somewhere. This way I prevent anyone from getting into my e-mail, msn, facebook and so on, by reading the cached passwords on my SSD.

What: Use restricted sources.
Why: It's required for some codecs.

What: Use universe, multiverse, backports, parner repos.
Why: It might contain programs I want to use.

What: Skip the step choose and install programs
Why: This step installs a lot of stuff that you might not want, if I need something, I can install it later with Synaptic or apt-get.

Okay, we are done with the Ubuntu minimal install, now let's go to CrunchBang installation
I didn't put the crunchbang install script on the USB stick. That way I don't have to hassle with mounting the USB stick in the CLI. Instead I use apt-get to install wget and then download the install script and run it. I'm doing this with the testing script.

What: I install the lite edition.
Why: Cause we're makin it light!

Okay, so we ran through the installer. The Usplash theme doesn't work. Ok, we will have to stick with that ugly GDM for a while. But what is this? My mouse doesn't work. Not at all!
My guess here is that my computer tries to use the old Jaunty kernel, that obviously won't make my mouse work in Karmic. I belive that it is because there is no /etc/X11/xorg.conf anylonger in Karmic.
So, what to do? Install grub2!
After installing grub2 I reboot and now I have the mouse.

What:I run sudo upgrade-from-grub-legacy
Why: Because old grub (grub 1.5) chanloads grub2 which then starts Crunchbang. This commande eliminates grub 1.5.
So now to edit the grub menu a little. The editing is now done in /etc/default/grub.cfg

I comment out GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT and GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET and then put the numer 5 in GRUB_TIMEOUT="5". This way I will see the grub menu for five seconds when I boot. I can choose to boot what kernel I want to.

What: Run sudo update-grub
Why: This is a set of scripts for grub2 that generates /boot/grub/grub.cfg, the file "replacing" /boot/grub/menu.lst

Ok, reboot so we'll see it in action. But? What is this? The Grub screen says GRUB v1.97 beta 4. Huh? Though I installed Grub 2?? Yes you did. Grub 1.97 is Grub 2. Don't ask me why.

Ok, this whole thing was a little bit more complicated than I thought. By this time, I thought I would be configuring KoalaCrunch to be fast as lightning. But, I just got it up and running. It's not every day you install Crunchbang like five times in a row. I'll post this and then come back with another post when I have done some configuring.

This was not intended to be a guide. More of sharing my way, and then lay a ground for a conversation about how to optimize those small netbooks.

I'd like to thank Zoegas for providing me with good coffee. Swedish Match for providing me with Göteborgs Rapé and Ben & Jerry for providing me with cookie dough ice cream.

axel668

#! Member

Registered: 2009-07-17

Posts: 99

Re: How I install/configure my Eee 900 KoalaCrunch, and why

... You have got to have the latest, don't you =o) ...

Would you say it was worth it ? More thinking in the direction of skipping 9.10 completely at the moment, so I'd be very interested in your 1st impression of the new release ...

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A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history - with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila (Mitch Ratcliffe)