Installing Ubuntu on HP pavilion ze4900 laptop.

A new laptop

My wifes laptop was getting slow and sluggish as of late.  I blame it partly to a years worth of using Windows on it.  As applications are added and/or upgraded, more and more is added to the registry and everywhere else.  Just booting up was a lesson in patience.  She had this laptop for several years and I agree it was getting old, but it used to operate much smoother when we first brought it home.

So, I bought a new laptop for my wife and she’s happy . . . for now.  And what to do with that old laptop?  Well using Windows on that did not sound like fun at all.  I couldn’t even in good faith pass it on to my 9 year old, that would be just mean.  So I loaded Ubuntu.  And I tell you, it runs smoother and looks a heck of alot nicer, IMHO.  I did not do a comparison, but I am convinced that the battery lasts much longer as well.

Installation

If you haven’t installed Ubuntu before, you need not be nervous at doing so.  If you have ever installed Windows, then installing Ubuntu will be like childs play.  Afterwards there may be a some tweaking to do, or perhaps locating things such as drivers and installing them.  However, with Ubuntu, it’s usually quite easy.   I however could not find the proper driver for my WiFi card.  Using the forums, however, was a blessing, for I was able to find the answer to this problem.  I had to install b43-fwcutter to get the correct drivers for my broadcomm WiFi card.

Specs

If you have a HP pavilion ze4900 series, your biggest hurdle will be the wireless drivers, but since you’re reading this, there should be no problem.  Make sure you install it via the Syanaptic Manager.  I tried with the command line once and did not have a working WiFi.  Enjoy.

**edit:  The WiFi failed one day after I tried running and .exe file (what was I thinking).  Since then I have re-installed Ubuntu and took quite a bit of doing to get the WiFi back.  In fact, the Synaptic Manager did not allow it to work, I had to install via Aptitude at the command line.  It worked for about a week and then died again.  Grrrrr!!

Linux? Isn’t that for programmers and computer geeks?

Well, sure it is.  But so is Pepsi, Television, and water-balloon fights.

Simple fact of the matter is that everyone has a computer now-a-days.  We all use our computers for different things.  And we all want our computer to WORK!  Specifically, we all want our computers to be FAST!  It amazes me to this day the amount of frustration that people are willing to put up with in a computer.  Slow boots, lag, viruses, crashes, the infamous “blue-screen-of-death”, etc.  Think about it.  How many times have you heard something to the effect of…  “I just bought this $1500.00 laptop, and it takes over 5 minutes to boot up and allow me to use it!”

If your car functioned this way, you’d drive it off a cliff.  Fortunately there is a solution for “Average Joe Computer User”.

I’m not as “techno-savvy” as some, and not as “computer-illiterate” (to coin a phrase) as others.  But I do know when something isn’t working right.  Windows XP, or Vista always seem to just run …slow…  So I started complaining about it, one night, to my friend Tyler.  Well, Tyler is something of a Techno-Buff, and he told me to try Linux.  And to be perfectly honest, it took about three months to muster up the courage to try it.

After I bought that MSI-Wind (Netbook), and it came with a copy of XP on it, this itching feeling in the back of my head (It’s a different itch… I’ll explain that itch to my doctor thank you very much.) just kept saying that this computer “SHOULD” be able to run faster.

Enter Linux…  There are many different “flavors” or “Distributions” of Linux.  So, my friend Tyler told me to try “Saybayon” Linux (the one that comes with its very own rubber mallet shaped just like the dent in my skull) “It’s the best distribution for performance!” …he says.  Well, he may be right, but it’s about as easy to get running as your bowels after a pizza party.  Then I enter the arena of openSuSE.  It works… but it takes up about 25GB of my 80GB HD.

Finally I was looking into distributions and I found Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex.  Ubuntu advertises itself as “Linux for Humans”  After a lot of deliberation, I came to the conclusion that I was, in fact, human.  So, I fired it up, had it installed in about 40 minutes, I had some Wi-Fi driver problems, but got those worked out fairly quick with the help of the incredibly friendly people at ubuntuforms.org.

Then… About a two weeks ago, I downloaded the latest distro of Ubuntu.  9.04 Jaunty Jackalope (Net-Book Remix).  Loaded it onto my MSI-Wind in about 20 minutes, and EVERYTHING worked perfectly on first boot.  The Net-Book Remix of 9.04 has a kernel made for the Intel Atom Processor that is in my MSI-Wind.  Now, this computer not only functions, but like driving a Ferrari, you can FEEL the performance.

Now… here’s the best part.  When I first used Linux in college, it looked like this:

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And that was confusing to me, and the other 99% of the world.  Now, it looks like this…

Graphical user interface, file browser, web-browser, backgrounds, etc.  Everything you want from an operating system.  Along with functionality.

Besides performance, what else would you want to run Ubuntu for?  Well, Ubuntu has a constantly updated repository of maintained applications from Canonical (people who maintain and update Ubuntu), and third party or open source (community) based applications.  All available right in Ubuntu.

Well, doesn’t Windows have all of this?  Certainly.  And Viruses.  Did I mention that Ubuntu doesn’t have viruses?  Don’t believe me?  Google it yourself, or check out this link…

http://lovehateubuntu.blogspot.com/2008/04/why-windows-has-viruses-and-ubuntu-or.html

One thing that Windows can do, that Ubuntu doesn’t, is charge…

Windows XP – $99.95
Windows Vista – $249.95
Microsoft Office Home and Student – $149.95
Adobe Photoshop – $599.95 (No wonder only professionals buy it.)
For a grand total of… $849.85 XP, $999.85 Vista.

Ubuntu 9.04 – Free
Open Office 3.0 (100% MS Office compatible) – Free, Included in Ubuntu
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) – Free, Included in Ubuntu
For a grand total of – Jack Jiminy Squat! Without being a software pirate!

Yes, the prices on the Windows software is full retail, and you can probably get a better price than that, but still, if you have to pay $5.00 for any of it, you’re still not getting it for free.

So I shall summarize…

Windows XP or Vista comes with a web browser, media player, notepad, and solitaire.

Ubuntu comes with a full set of productivity software (Open Office 3.0), Graphic Editing (GIMP), Internet Software (Mozilla Firefox, Evolution Mail, Pidgin Instant Messenger), and Games.

So… Isn’t that for programmers and computer geeks?
The answer is a resounding No.

Ubuntu 9.04 is made for the average computer user.  You and me.  Linux for Humans.   It makes your computer run faster, be virus free, added functionality, and has access to FREE software to download at any time.

Why am I so “Pro-Ubuntu” ?
I don’t work for Canonical, or even write code for Linux.  I’m just your average white suburbanite-slob. (Thanks Dennis Leary) I think people  just like to get what they paid for.  Think about it…  We all have HDTV’s, but no HD content.  We all have nice cars, and have to drive 55mph.  We all listen to music, but can’t crank it up because we’ll wake up Mrs. Nesbitt.  We all have computers, and have to suffer with Windows…  Not anymore.

Give it a whirl…  Go to www.ubuntu.com, and dowload Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope LiveCD.  It even allows you to try it without any change to your windows system.