Windows 7 on MSI Wind U100

After the problems I had with Ubuntu 9.10 I decided to try to install Windows 7 on my Advent netbook(a MSI Wind U100 clone).

I was very impressed to notice that installing Windows 7 was as easy as installing the latest version of Ubuntu. I used a tool available from their site to create a bootable USB. It's called Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool and this is the link to get it: http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool

Installation took about 30 minutes and everything worked out of the box except wireless and the scroll. Oh how I HATE that RTL8187SE! No OS likes it. I found some posts saying that it should work after a Windows Update, but it wasn't my case.

Ubuntu 9.10 on MSI Wind U100

I just finished installing Ubuntu 9.10 karmic on my netbook few moments ago. Of course nothing works ... I feel like I'm back in the days of Windows 95. For the moment the list of things that are NOT working:

• Wireless drivers (rtl8187se chip set I believe)
• Webcam (never used it anyway)
• Flash is missing

I'm a bit disappointed about all those things not working out of the box, but I'll have to find a way around.

Things that are working:

• Sound
• Bluetooth

Ubuntu Jaunty on MSI Wind 100

Yesterday I've decided to give a try to the latest Ubuntu release (9.04) codename Jaunty Jackalope on my netbook (a wonderful MSI Wind 100).

It was extremely easy to install it following these simple steps provided on www.pendrivelinux.com. For your convenience I will write the steps I've took(you can read the instructions here or on pendrivelinux):
- download the ubuntu iso from closest mirror you can find
- meanwhile download u9.04p.exe
- after you are done downloading both, run the u9.04p.exe and copy the iso you've just downloaded in U904p folder
- run the U904.bat and follow the instructions
- boot the msi wind from the usb stick you've created and choose install
- follow the instructions like you do with windows installations(Next Next Yes)

That's all for installing it. Amazingly simple.

The beauty: wireless works with no other settings!!! screen resolution/refresh rate is correct!!!111oneone The fonts are readable (I type this article from msi). Amazing job.

Then I said: it cannot be perfect. It won't see my 3G modem from Orange. I will have again to find the drivers, compile them and load them. Oh well ... I inserted the modem and i couldn't believe my eyes! It sees it! OMG! Setup the connection click connect ... GSM network disconnected. Hmm. Few hours later a friend of mine gave me the solution: I just needed to edit a few settings for it to make it work.

Go to Edit connections from Network Manager, Mobile Broadband, select Orange and press Edit. You need to set the following things:
- username: internet
- password: orange
- APN: internet
- PIN: 0000
- IPv4 settings, DNS Servers: 62.217.193.1, 62.217.193.65

Save and connect. It worked like a charm :)

As you can tell from this post I'm extremely pleased with this latest release.

Updating to Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex

Last weekend I've decided to update my netbook, an MSI Wind U100 clone labeled Advent, to the latest Ubuntu version (Intrepid Ibex). While on theory everything should have been simple, the reality is I had a ton of problems.

So lets start with updating from Ubuntu 8.04 to Ibex. First you should backup your home directory to an USB stick. Also copy xorg.conf to a safe place in case things go wrong.

Start a terminal in graphic mode (press alt+f2 and type xterm). Become root:

sudo su

Type your password and when you get the root prompt (#) type:

update-manager -d

You should get a new window like this one

Press "Upgrade" and answer the questions. This was the easy part, after update-manager would have finished running I should have been a happy user running Ubuntu Intrepid, right? Wrong!

I went out to town to drink some beer since it was weekend and left the update-manager to do its job. When I got back home, surprise: I didn't plug the netbook to a power source and battery was empty, netbook offline. Nice ... Pressed the power on button and crossed fingers.

After 3-4 minutes the reality unveiled, upgrade didn't finished OK so netbook wasn't entering graphic mode and I've got a ton of failed services and errors. A quick look showed that the file system was mounted read-only. Time to repair all that mess as I didn't want to reinstall the whole system because I'm a lazy person.

Recovering after disaster

Ctr+Alt+F1 to get to first text console. Login with your username and password. Become root:

sudo su

As root remount the file system so it can be used:

mount / -o remount

If you have more partitions do so for each of them (replace / with their mount point).
Switch to run level 3:

telinit 3

When you are running in run level 3 type:

dpkg --configure -a

This should restart/fix the upgrade process from where it stopped. It will ask you if you want to replace your custom config files with new ones. I answered No. When it's done restart the netbook (use telinit 6). Make it shutdown even if you have to switch it off from power button.

When it's online again you should have a working graphic mode. If not, try to replace your xorg.conf with your backup and restart gdm with:

/etc/init.d/gdm restart

Probably you won't be having the wireless working so plug a network cable and manually reconfigure your NIC:

sudo ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.113/24
sudo route add default gw 192.168.1.1

In the above example 192.168.1.113 is netbook IP address, /24 is the netmask (equivalent to 255.255.255.0) and 192.168.1.1 is the gateway (the IP of router)

Run the following commands as root to fix all the missing dependencies:

apt-get update
apt-get -f install
apt-get upgrade

Restart the system and everything should be ok now.