Windows 7 on the Libretto U100
Today I managed to install the build 7000 van Windows 7 Beta on my Libretto U100!
From some forums I’d already learned that Windows 7 Beta is pretty stable and much hardware is already supported. Also for my U100, almost everything worked out of the box:
- Screen resolution: 1280×768 working, although the VGA chip is not recognized
- WiFi is working
- Sound, working
- Bluetooth working with default Toshiba bluetoothstack driver for Windows XP
- Fingerprint reader, not working yet
- One unknown device. have to fihure out what that is
The overall performance is very good. Much better that Vista! All themes are working.
I have to check the Performance index, but upfront I do not expect much on this.
I’ll keep you informed about my findings!
Xubunto 8.10 on my Libretto u100
Yesterday I upgraded my Xubuntu to the latest 8.10 release.
Everything seemed to went well, but after a reboot the display manager won’t start anymore. After login and a simple sudo gdm, I’m back on a Ubuntu (!) login screen to enter my XFCE desktop.
Think I’m going to reinstall the thing, because I’m planning to make it dualboot with Win dows XP again.
Linux on U100 – Fedora 9
Today I foound a very interesting link in my mailbox. That link, to Jethro Carr’s Toshiba Libretto u100 pages, offers you some general information about the U100.
Even more interesting is his very useful guide on how to install Fedora Linux 9 on your U100. Apparently there are some serious issues with WIFI, Bluetooth and CPU frequency scaling. Jethro does a great job with his well documented guide on compile a new kernel for your system.
Reading through his other pages, you will understand why he chose Fedora to be installed on his Libretto.
Toshiba Libretto Returns!
Because of Toshiba’s 20th notebook anniversary, Toshiba releases a new Libretto model: the U100 Wibro edition.
The Libretto U100 Wibro edition supports WiBro (duh) mobile broadband connectivity. IT has a 7.2-inch LED-backlit display. From the pictures I do not see any other difference with the classis U100.
Will this be the answer of Toshiba, on the neetbook hype, or is this just to tease us all for some really great news later this year?
Feel free to post more info about this Libretto Wibra.
Links: Pocketables
Opensuse 11 on the U100
The last few days I tried to install Opensuse 11 on my U100, but wasn’t very succesful.
First, I tried the Live CD and that seemed to go very well. After a relatively slow boot I saw the wondeful new KDE4 desktop. Unfortunately I was not able to connect my wireless with my home network. Also, the instaal from the Live CD wasn’t working. No errors, no messages, it just did not work.
Then, I started the installer from the Install DVD and had a bit more success installing the software. The Gnome dekstop did not work al all. The gdm would not start, although the installation was in the native 1280×786 screen resolution.
So, I tried to install the KDE desktop and later the XFCE desktop and that did work. Unfortunately, again, I wasn’t able to connect my onoard wireless device. MAybe I missed a few steps during the confuguration, but I’m not that die hard Lunix guy to have it fixed from the command line.
So, as I made a image of my Xubuntu 8 installation, I’ll go back to Xubunutu very soon (i hope).
Libretto u100 disassembly and hard drive extraction
To disassebmle libretto u100, use manual posted by some other user here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?1kgshjbsczz
First of all, the thing I loved most about that manual – is that all connectors have names and numbers!!! So, just read the manual carefully and you will find the connector you need by inspecting the computer. Note: because of that I will not talk about how to remove every single connector – that will just be repeating the manual. I will only mention those that were problematic or somehow special.
Another very important thing – this laptop is very small and has lots of small screws, which are not all the same. You must keep track of them so that it reassembles correctly. I did not, because I was too excited to gut my little friend, whom I love now down to his kidneys. But, again the manual comes to the rescue: they label every kind of screw, and the label embeds the length and color and flatness of the head. So, if you did not keep track of screws, but still have all of them – just read page 4-7 of the manual, and follow instructions for every step of disassembly.
The U100 Bios key
Just a short note on ‘How to get into the Libret; to U100 bios’. This day it took me about half an hour before I remembered how to enter the bios of the U100: press [esc]!
How-to replace the U100 harddisk?
From the moment I got myself the Libretto U100 I wondered how to replace the slow harddisk. Within the first week I opened the Libretto as far as possible and I had a short look inside the little machine. The harddisk was nowhere to be found, although I knew it had to be somewhere at the bottom.
After a day or to on Google, I found myself the original replacement manual! In that manual there are step-by-step instructions how to disassemble my Libretto u100 completely and finally (that chapter is located almost at the end of the instructions) locate the harddisk and remove it!
As soon as I have the time and guts, I’ll start to replace my standard 60GB HDD for a (faster and) bigger 120 GB 7200 rpm harddisk. I certainly hope the U100 motherbord will support the bigger drive!
Linux on the U100 (2)
Well, as I wrote in my earlier post, the first attempt to install Linux my U100 wasn’t a big succes. But, after some Googling, I learned that Xubuntu should run witj the Lilo bootloader instead of GRUPP.
So, after a quick download of the Xubuntu 8.04 Beta Alternate CD, I put the CD into the DVD slot of my U100 and started installing it the alternative way.
Linux on the U100 (1)
Last weekend I decided to remove my Windows Vista Home Premium installation and try to install linux on my Libretto U100. Reason for this drastic move is the poor performance of Vista, despite the 1 GB memory. Maybe in the future I’ll try Vista again and tune it a biot, but now I want Linux!
So Linux it will be, but what distro will meet my demands? All those different distributions of Linux does not make life a lot easier. But from my little linux experience in the past I choose Xubuntu 7.10 on my Libretto.
Why? Because XFCE is very light compared to Gnome or KDE, and Ubuntu is easy to install and has good support on multimedia, wireless networking and more.
