Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope Beta on the Mini 9

Installing Ubuntu on the Dell Mini 9 was never hard, but getting everything working was. Ubuntu 9.04 Beta does not require any extra fixes or patches. Audio works out of the box (you just need to turn up the speaker volume) and there is no longer a drive mounting problem after a LiveUSB install. Installing Ubuntu Netbook Remix doesn't require adding any extra repositories or adding items to your start-up programs.

I tested both the Ubuntu 9.04 Beta i386 and the Ubuntu Netbook Remix USB 9.04 Beta i386 Image for this article.

If you need need help making a LiveCD.

Installation
If you select the "Try Ubuntu without any change to your computer" option and then try to install Ubuntu on your Mini, there is a minor issue. The windows are too large for the screen and get cut off. You will not be able to completely see the buttons on the bottom of the window to make your selections.

It does not hinder your ability to install Ubuntu on the Dell Mini 9 or and you can see what the buttons say. If you want to be able to move the windows and see the complete selection.
Go to System>Preferences>Appearances. Under the Visual Effects Tab select None.
- This will allow you move the windows up (click the window while holding down the alt key) and see the bottom of the buttons.

Video
The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 driver has received some significant upgrades since Intrepid's release. Video playback is better, Compiz is running smoother and flash video is actually bearable to watch again.

Ubuntu Netbook Remix
Installing Ubuntu Netbook Remix used to require a little bit of work and extra know-how. In Jaunty, the Netbook Remix packages have been added to the official Ubuntu repositories and the included ubuntu-netbook-remix-default-settings package configures everything for you.

To install Ubuntu Netbook Remix
in a terminal type:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-netbook-remix

Note: The desktop switcher program is still slightly buggy. It has a tendency to crash when switching back from the normal desktop to Netbook Remix.

Compiz
The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 runs compiz without any special setup or configuration.

To get the most out of Compiz install the advanced configuration tool.
In a terminal:

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Note: You can find the Compiz Settings Manager under System->Preferences once you install it

Wireless
The Broadcom STA wireless driver was activated after install and connecting to both WEP and WPA poses no problem.

Wired
Worked out of the box. There was a Kernel Bug that prevented the wired Ethernet connection from working in Ubuntu 8.10 but the bug has been squashed and the Dell Mini 9's wired connection works perfectly.

Audio
Unlike Intrepid, audio works out of the box in Jaunty. You just need to turn up the speaker volume in the Volume Control on your first boot.


Webcam
Worked out of the box. To test the webcam, install Cheese.
In a terminal type:

sudo apt-get cheese

Note: The video may seem slow, you just need to adjust the webcam's resolution under Edit>Preferences

Bluetooth
Worked out of the box and includes the ability to enter the device PIN code through the GUI.


Card Reader
Worked out of the box. Secure Digital (SD) & SDHC (High Capacity), MultiMediaCard (MMC) and Memory Stick all worked.

Brightness & Volume
Brightness and volume keyboard short-cuts both work with any extra configuration.

Suspend & Hibernate
Suspend works incredibly well. I suspended my computer over and over without a problem.
Hibernate will not work if you do not have a swap partition. If you have a swap file, hibernate works well.

Video Out
Worked out of the box, you don't have to edit your xorg.conf file anymore. Just plug your external monitor/projector into your Mini 9 and send the video out.
Video has a tendency to jitter while Grub is loading and during the Ubuntu splash screen once you load into Ubuntu, the video corrects itself and all is smooth.

Have a question or problem that this article doesn't cover? Ask our Ubuntu Mini 9 Google Group for help.

Secure Digital High Capacity, SD 2.0 Works

The Dell Mini 9 is able to read and write to Secure Digital High Capacity cards in Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex.

Also tried:
Memory Stick
Standard Secure Digital
MultiMediaCard (MMC)

Looks like the reader is 100% Linux compatible.

Have a question or problem that this article doesn't cover? Ask our Ubuntu Mini 9 Google Group for help.

Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex on the Dell Mini 9

Installation
An installation guide can be found here and help creating a LiveUSB drive here.
Intrepid installs without sound working. It's a simple fix that involves adding a line to your alsa base-file. Instructions can be found at the end of the end of the installation guide. All other hardware installs without any problems.

A lot of readers have had problems installing Ubuntu on their netbooks because of incompatible USB flash drives. Please consult our USB Flash Drive Compatibility List if you are having problems installing Ubuntu. Many installation problems are due to incompatible flash drives.

Wireless
Works out of the box. I decided to enable the proprietary Broadcom STA wireless driver from Hardware Drivers manager (found under System>Administration>Hardware Drivers) and was connecting to various wireless points without any trouble.
*New users are having trouble with enabling wifi. Make sure your wifi is turned on. Turn it on in Windows or in the BIOS.

Netbook Remix
Installs without a problem. Instructions on how to install and configure it can be found here.

Compiz-Fusion
The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 supports 3D out of the box and Compiz works much better than I expected. I hate that Compiz tries to loads on startup even when using the netbook-laucher. It's an easy fix. You do not want Compiz loading when trying to use Netbook Remix.

To get the most out of Compiz install the advanced configuration tool.
In a terminal:

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Media Codecs
Ubuntu will install the proper codec when you try to open an unsupported file. Most codecs can be installed this way. I prefer to install them all at once. A guide for the all major codecs can be found here and encrypted DVD playback and w32codecs here.

Ethernet
No problems with connecting to the web or my router.

Brightness & Volume
Brightness and volume keyboard shortcuts both work with any extra configuration.

Suspend & Hibernate
Suspend works incredibly well. I suspended my computer over and over without a problem.
Hibernate will not work if you do not have a swap partition.

Video Out
Works out of the box, you won't have to edit your xorg.conf file.
Video out while loading Grub has a tendency to jitter, but once the Ubuntu splash screen comes up video corrects itself.

Bluetooth
My mouse and headset connected without a problem.

Web Camera
Works out of the box with no setup. To test it I installed Chesse, the Gnome webcam application. When you first run Cheese it might be slow or choppy, turn the resolution down (found under Edit>Preferences).

To install cheese
In a terminal type:

sudo apt-get install cheese

Card Reader
Works out of the box. Secure Digital High Capacity, SD 2.0 also works.

Sound
Ubuntu 8.10 installs without sound working. Instructions can be found at the end of the end of the installation guide to enable sound.

Battery
I'm getting around fours hours a charge. I'm surfing the net, watching videos, using Bluetooth and keeping my screen relatively bright.

Overall:
Installation could not be easier. Once the sound issue was fixed everything simply worked.

Have a question or problem that this article doesn't cover? Ask our Ubuntu Mini 9 Google Group for help.