[Tech RDX] Want to Install Another OS? It's Not (THAT) Easy as They Say (Part 1)

Several months ago an older brother of mine handed his ASUS Eee PC 4G (701) as he upgraded to a bigger, beefier laptop for home/sideline use. This Eee PC was one of the earliest generation of netbooks, and as such the tech specs of this machine is 'meek and modest'' in terms of cpu power and other capabilities compared to today's models:

• 900 MHz Celeron processor


• 4 GB of SSD (soldered onto the motherboard)


• 1 GB RAM (DDR-400, expandable to 2 GB via 1 RAM slot)


• VGA out port


• 3 USB 2.0 ports


• 1 SD/MMC card reader (internal)


• 0.3 MP front-facing camera


• 802.11 b/g wireless card


• 10/100 mbps ethernet port


• no bluetooth built-in


• no internal optical drive (mine came with an slim, external USB tray-loading DVD-ROM)


• 7" (diagonal) lcd monitor


• 4-5 hours of battery life (but due to wear and tear, mine was reduced to just an hour of battery life)

It comes with Windows XP as default OS, and it can dual-boot to Linux or any other open source operating system using the SD card slot.

Since his handing of the netbook over to me, I've had this idea of booting/using it full time as a Linux laptop. Personally, XP works, but it's rather clunky and such compared to MS's newer OS release (ie Windows 7; I've never used Vista, as I've heard/read dreaded stories about it). Since my older brother left me with just a functional OS and no other important files in it, I set out to find the perfect Linux flavor for my little machine.

....And it turns out it's not that a walk in the park.

My first choice of Linux was Ubuntu Linux, a very popular variant that I've heard from my peers. The interface is clean, smooth, and very user-friendly.  At first glance at the screenshots, I knew that it'll be the perfect Linux for my Eee PC.

Then again maybe not.

Turns out that Ubuntu is much of a resource hog, not to mention that the minimum installation of the OS requires AT LEAST 4 GB. And the built-in disk space on the Eee PC was like, 4.1 GB. That only leaves about 100 MB for system updates and some other features.

As said before, I can an SD card as an alternative OS disk space for the Eee PC, but it would mean sacrificing expandability. And the 4 GB of SSD would be such a waste if unused.

First, I tried to install my copy of Ubuntu for dual-booting with the original XP that came with the netbook (XP was installed on the SSD, and I disabled the update manager to save space) in a 16 GB SD card that was always inserted in the card reader. I used the live cd method, as I haven't read up about the live usb method, which the Eee PC can do as well. First impression was the live cd method was slow; it's a given, really, with the optical drive connected via USB. But as said, the interface was smooth and clean, and those two are my two main points for Ubuntu.

After an hour of installation, I was ready to boot Ubuntu for the first time on the Eee PC. I was excited at using Linux (I only had few instances of using Linux, and that was when I was back in college), and when the Ubuntu desktop greeted me, I realized a few things:

• Booting up was slow. Past the BIOS POST, GRUB greets me as to which OS I want to use: Ubuntu or XP (of course I want Ubuntu!); however, after logging in, loading time was much of a waiting game.


• Not-so-much responsive interfaces. Either because of my netbook's specs, or what.


• The borders of the windows opened are cut, and at times I can't adjust the window size even if the cursor changes from simple pointer to 'adjust window' pointer. I suppose Ubuntu isn't really for 7-inched monitors.


• There are a LOT of software updates to download after installation. Some of them total up to 1 GB in capacity, and my disk space is getting smaller and smaller for personal files and whatnot.

Really, I had high hopes for Ubuntu. I know it's also my fault as I could've upgraded my RAM and bought a larger capacity SD card, but my budget is tight and I have to make do of what I have right now. But if Ubuntu wants me to download more important updates for some components (which I ask myself: do I really need to know all of them like lib-prc-gnuil-whatever?), it may or may not bog down my system in the long run.

So for now, I've taken the liberty of turning the SSD of my Linux into a clean slate: no more Windows XP, and the SD card is next to be formatted.

Next, I'll post about my journey of finding another suitable Linux.

“It is the pleasure of searching and the pleasure of the adventure." --- The Pilgrimage

Welcome to the Agchemist's blog! This site is very much dedicated to several of my hobbies: computers/technology-related stuff, gaming, literature, cooking and DIY.

I'm a researcher by day (on an 8am-5pm weekday schedule, and sometimes during the weekends when overtime at work is necessary), part-time geek-slash-nerd, and still craving for more. Though I want to learn more computer-related stuff like programming, webpage publishing and all that, it's hard working on one hobby to another in such a short time.

Not to mention I'm running out of ideas of what else to write on my first post.

In any case, my next few posts would be on some things that I've been fooling/fiddling about.

A Lot Has Passed, A Lot Has Happened

Whew. It's been awhile since I've posted something here. Last entry was....March? Wooo, 6 months. That's quite some time.

Quite some time for me to think over of what I want to do and what I want in the days to come.

In any case, my dream of pursuing a career in freelancing has come to a full stop. In the months of March leading to May I spent most of my sanity and welfare in front of the computer, slaving myself for that elusive dream that I can work at home and be very productive.

Turns out you need a lot of willpower to do such a feat. And I don't have a lot of willpower.

Lahat ng tao may hangganan.


Well, as the hand of fate nudged me around I finally was able to land a job in IRRI around mid-June. And from then on, my days are once more packed with work work work.

No complaining there.

But I still take in some freelancing work, though I have to schedule them on the weekends now. Extra cash nowadays goes a long way. Not to mention learning some new things along the way.

"Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time."

In order to make this blog of mine more entertaining, I've decided to put some categories in it, namely:

[Review: Anime] - this will deal with anime shows that I'm currently hooked onto.
[Kitchen Alchemy] - this one will talk about not just about cooking food, but also a bit of chemistry behind food and cooking and some other kitchen chemistry that's helpful at home.
[Technocrat] - under this will be tech-related stuff, from the latest gadgets to some opinions about the web and stuff.
[Food Trip] - this one's a bit self-explanatory; I'll talk about food and the places I've been to just to try out the other cuisine.
[Musings] - my personal opinions, rants, raves.

That's about it for now.

Everyone believes that the main aim in life is to follow a plan. They never ask if that plan is theirs or if it was created by another person.

These past few days, I've been trying/looking at some ways of making money online. Yeah, monetizing my weblog would be the most obvious choice, but as I've found out how to monetize isn't a real walk in the park. For one I somehow have to advertise my blog somewhere so establish 'net traffic here, and I have to update with things I want to discuss/rant/talk about. The last part I can do.

A friend of mine has made her own weblog and is currently making money out of it, and she gave tips on how to monetize blogs. I've tried doing what my friend did: getting a free webhost and domain name, and trying to customize my domain. Turns out the second part is a weeee bit more difficult, at least for me who hasn't really got any experience with tweaking web pages and stuff.

For some reason the ftp server (I'm using Filezilla and just following instructions to the letter) of the webhost I registered in keeps kicking me out when I've only got around 25% to go. I'm trying to use WordPress (I've heard a lot of positive things about it, so might as well try it), but since I'm being kicked by the ftp server by the rear for reasons that I can't comprehend, I'm starting to realize that maybe getting a webpage and tweaking it may be well over my head.

Or maybe I'm just being too complicated to myself.

Don't get me wrong; that option is still open to me, but I think this Blogger would suffice for now. I can still post interesting stuff with not much frills, but hey, there's something about its simplicity. Sometimes I even forget that that was my reason I made this blog.

Less is more.

People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.

Back in the day I was just on the verge of taking the UPCAT, I found myself thinking of what I want to be someday. Of course, most of us had choices ranging from the mundane (like driving a heavy piece of equipment like a bulldozer. Yes, that was one of them.) to the extraordinary (like being a ninja. Well, this one's too far even for me). Of course, there were the high-enough-to-achieve like being a doctor, astronaut, scientist, engineer, teacher, businessperson, and others.

In high school we had this sort of "evaluation" test, to see which skill in our brain works best. My classmates never really took serious note about it; hell, they even cheated on it. But I just answered the questions as much as I can. And when the exam was evaluated by the teachers we were interviewed one by one for the results.

What I got? They said my brain works best on "abstract" ideas and some "logic" problems. Which meant that taking up Engineering or math-intensive courses in college would best suit me.

Now, Engineering (whether be it Civil, Chemical, Electrical or Agricultural, but not Industrial) was one of the courses I really wanted then, but the thing is is that in UP it's a quota course (meaning limited number of slots), it takes five years, and very much math-intensive. Me? I'm not really good at math; I had to crawl my way up just to pass every math subject in high school. So I was at a crossroads of sort.

Then my father suggested I take up Agricultural Chemistry; it's a five-year course, not-so-much math-intensive and if I did well on my first year I could shift to Engineering without much of a hitch. The idea was sound, and I was sold by it.

So Agricultural Chemistry it is.

Then high school graduation came, and come June I was already enthusiastic of meeting my blocmates and all. After the first semester my father and older siblings asked me if I'm still planning to shift courses; truth be told, I was enjoying Chemistry and I've forgotten the whole shift-to-Engineering plan for my life. I said I'm sticking to the course I've entered.

And I'm not regretting one bit.

Oh sure, it took me around seven years to finish it, but still, it was fun and all. I may not have a Chemist license yet (I've been avoiding it for around 3 years now), but hopefully I get one this year. And though I may have a job that's not really Chemistry-related, the skills I've learned during college helps me in doing my tasks.

And no, blogging wasn't a rad during my early college days.

Now I find myself at a crossroads again. Not of what course to take, but what I can do to be more productive. Sure, making review materials rakes in the money, but there's that opportunity in front of me that I still can see clearly. My brother (who is based in Singapore) said to me I'm the type that's productive when I work at home. My sister then told me I should monetize a blog and such to generate income as well. And they got to read the fanfiction I wrote six years ago, and they said it was a good material.

It makes me wonder if they're just being nice or they could see what I can't.

But given that I am working at home, monetizing a blog wouldn't hurt. I just have to be writing on it most of the time to get hits on the 'net. And as for writing a fanfiction of sort, I still have to re-work on it. My sister said I should just continue on what I started because I have followers already, but I guess she didn't think that those followers would grow up and I've neglected that storyline altogether, not to mention I'm not really playing the game that my fanfiction is based upon.

Decisions, decisions. I'd better make one before I lose the opportunity.

It's Not You, It's Me.

It's been quite awhile since my first post, and I promised myself that I'd update this blog of mine regularly. But then 'regularly' is an arbitrary word; some people update their weblogs daily, weekly, monthly, twice a month, every other month, and so on.

So yeah.

Anyhow, it's been quite a busy life for me, even though I work at home. Ever since the project I was employed on ended around last year, I've been doing some freelance work to earn enough for my basic necessities. But recently a friend from high school got me into working for a group (which, he was a 30% shareholder) that makes and gives college entrance exam reviews.

My job? Make Powerpoint modules on selected subjects.

My parents then were both professors from the University of the Philippines, so I know quite a bit on what and how a lecture discussion is made of. Truth be told, I am enthusiastic of this job; not only that I get to work at home, but being able to make a lecture discussion is like a small step on being able to teach. I've always wanted to teach; I guess you could say it may run in the family.

So far the pay is good, and the output I'm making satisfies the editors. It'll only be a matter of time before I can see the real output of what I've made so far.

I guess that's it for now, as I've got to finish another module that's due on Friday. If I can finish it earlier, the better. I really want to fill this blog up with ideas inside my head.