[step]

Ubuntu 11.10 for the Dell mini 10 with out-of-the-box GMA 500 video support

Lucasade from Ubuntu forum kindly created an Ubuntu 11.10 live CD with modified video drivers (EMGD) and configuration to support the Intel GMA 500 video card. Installing the newest Ubuntu on the mini 10 is now as easy as it can get.
thread: [all variants] Guide to Get the Best Performace from the GMA 500 - Page 461 - Ubuntu Forums

I just did a clean install, that's all, and I'm pleased with the results. Do keep in mind that I'm not an Ubuntu long-time user, so I can only compare with Windows XP and 7, and have no Ubuntu legacy/upgrade issues to deal with.

First I tried the live CD - actually, a live 4GB USB stick, which I had prepared with the downloaded ISO using Lili USB installer 2.8 (very easy, you do need to set Lili option to force Ubuntu 11.10 Gnome parameters). The live USB did work, but I found Ubuntu slow in live mode, and I noticed some issues, so I decided to install Ubuntu onto the HDD, alongside the factory-installed Windows XP. The installation went very smoothly. I XP 80GB and Ubuntu 40GB. When the installer asks permission to use proprietary firmware/drivers say yes, otherwise your broadcom wifi mini-card won't work. But do NOT enable the wifi connection - or any other internet connection - during the installation. You will upgrade packages at your leisure once the system is installed. So, let the installer do its thing. After restarting the system you will be presented with a login screen. Click the options (gears) icon and select Unity 2D since 3D doesn't work with the EMGD drivers (didn't matter to me). If you instead login with 3D enabled you won't see the Unity top and left bars. Relax, just click the upper right corner of your screen and a pull-down menu should pop up, select Log Out and restart from the login screen. This time click the gears icon and do select Unity 2D!

Time to actually test if you like the video playback. First get an internet connection. Either plug in a LAN cable or enable the wireless connection by clicking the radar (circular sector) icon in the top bar and picking your access point. Once your internet connection is working, press Ctrl+Alt+t to open a terminal window, and type
sudo -s and enter your password, then type
apt-get update and wait until Ubuntu has new package information.

Do NOT type apt-get upgrade afterwards, as most tutorials would have you do. That command would actually start updating your Ubuntu installation, without you knowing what's going on. I don't think it's a good idea, especially since your configuration is tweaked to use the EMDG drivers, and if you saw some errors while upgrading the system you'd start doubting the whole process.

So now that Ubuntu has all new package information type
apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras and wait until Ubuntu has finished installing those extras, which include mp3 and video codecs and other stuff. Plug in a USB disk with your xvid avi files (or browse the Windows volume if that's where your videos are). Double-click an avi file and enjoy. In my case full screen playback is very smooth. I didn't install VLC - the defacto media player on linux - because I wanted to test the standard player that's bundled with Ubuntu 11.10.

[reflex]

Don't have a Mini 1010, but I'll thank you for the info anyway, on behalf of the lurkers

[step]

Thanks reflex, though this post has had exactly 2 views, mine and yours, in the first two days. Or does the forum software not count lurkers' views?

[reflex]

I'm not sure how views get counted, but you're discussing with a niche OS on a long discontinued netbook, so it's possible that nobody has been lurking. But eventually, there's bound to be somebody

[Jon_J]

Install seems to be working well at this point. ISO wouldn't fit onto 700mb CD, so I tried my only SD card available.
It would only format to 235mb in windows since it contained a live chrome os and seemed corrupted.
My trusty digital camera formatted it to 1gb.
Then on windows box, I used linuxlive usb creator as mentioned above.
On my mini-10, I wiped my old debian partition and installed 11.10 there.
I'll come back and update this post when I have wifi working and updates finished.
update:
I accidentally skipped the step during installation about installing firmware drivers (the wording was not the same as above).
Once ubuntu launched, I plugged in an ethernet cable and got online with no problems.
In other linuxes, I needed to compile the ethernet driver, but it just works with this version.
I then went to system settings and clicked "Additional Drivers"
This downloaded the broadcom driver for my wifi. (It also seemed to update my software list).
Then I was able to setup my wifi.
I then installed the ubuntu-restricted-extras.
Everything seems fine so far, I'm happy with this setup, but have one question:
Where are the window manager settings, such as title bar colors/styles and fonts?
Thank you for posting this, I've also been reading the large thread over at ubuntu forums linked above.
Jon

[mabru2001]

Those that used the 11.10 EMGD Live CD, have you been able to get the backlight keys to work? I tried adding the string in grub like the PSB drivers used but my keys still dont adjust the backlight they just make the OSD of the backlight move.

[Jon_J]

Originally Posted by mabru2001

Those that used the 11.10 EMGD Live CD, have you been able to get the backlight keys to work? I tried adding the string in grub like the PSB drivers used but my keys still dont adjust the backlight they just make the OSD of the backlight move.

I didn't try changing the backlight because, I didn't stay with 11.10 ubuntu very long. I didn't like the "Unity" interface.
I went back to debian xfce 6.03 stable. I had to install the IEMGD driver myself for the GMA500. I think there is discussion over at ubuntu's board about the backlight keys not working and some people were working on it. Look in the thread in 1rst post above.

[nehmia]

Originally Posted by step

Ubuntu 11.10 for the Dell mini 10 with out-of-the-box GMA 500 video support

Lucasade from Ubuntu forum kindly created an Ubuntu 11.10 live CD with modified video drivers (EMGD) and configuration to support the Intel GMA 500 video card. Installing the newest Ubuntu on the mini 10 is now as easy as it can get.

Do you or does anyone know where I can locate this .iso else where? The link is dead and I find myself with a Dell Mini 1010 that I would love to put Ubuntu 11.10 on. Any help would be appreciated.

[KI4DKX]

Hello folks I am new to the site and have a question. First I have been reading the posts that deal with linux being installed on the Dell mini 1010. I have on of these machines and right now it runs XP, however I would like to put linux on it instead.

All of the things I have read so far show that Ubuntu can be installed however nothing (that I have found) relates to the newer versions of Ubuntu 12+. Does anyone have some insight on this?

I basically want to remove windows completely and run linux on this machine.

Thanks to all for the help.

[Jon_J]

Since this thread is a year and half old, I'll recommend a different distro.
Try MX-14 MX-14 "Symbiosis" | Mepis Community
It's based on debian, as is ubuntu.
I have it installed on my 1010 and it works out of the box for me.
It's based on antiX and is part of the Mepis Community.
It is targeted at mid sized machines, and will work on many older machines.