Installing Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition

I tried to install Ubuntu Netbook Edition on our Samsung N150 laptop which came with Windows 7 Starter Edition. My aim was to have a faster system. Result: After I spent a total of 6 hours, I was not able to install 10.10 but I installed 10.04 successfully. Here is how it went:

* Download Ubuntu 10.10...PASS
* Create USB installer using Universal USB Installer...PASS
* Modify Bios of netbook (press F2)...PASS
* Insert USB and restart. Freezes on screen with a line "Syslinux..."...FAIL
* Search the internet, find solution, create new USB installer. The bloody Universal Installer does not work for 10.10! Endorsing on the main page a program that does not work is a big turn off and speaks volumes for sloppiness!
* This time it works...PASS
* Try to connect to internet with firefox... FAIL
* Notice wireless symbol at the top, select wireless, connect to internet...PASS
* Check if netbook camera is working...PASS
* Try to change brightness using Fn... FAIL
* Open terminal (Applications > Terminal) and do what was adviced here by postadelmaga. Fn key working for volume but not brightness. Try advice by Fred Ora, no luck either... FAIL
* Download mp3 plugin, try to play mp3 in USB: Rhytmbox >> Music >> import file, then go to left panel called library, click on Music then select the file you want to play (phew!)...PASS
* Attempt to install Ubuntu, chicken out at "specify partition" screen... FAIL
* to be continued...
* Oct 17: Try connecting to Youtube, "Ankara 1. Sulh Ceza Mahkemesi'nin, 05.05.2008 tarih ve 2008/402 nolu KORUMA TEDBİRİ kapsamında..." FAIL
* How to change DNS? Tried this with this, still no Youtube connection... FAIL
* What is the equivalent of Windows host file?
* Oct 18: Try this with this to connect to youtube... PASS
* Oct 23: Still running Ubuntu from pen drive. Try to see contents of pen drive. Cannot find the equivalent of windows explorer. The "Files and Folders" only shows favorite folders, no drives. Try not to curse and swear... FAIL
* I accidentally discovered how to see the drives: First open "Files and Folders", then click on any folder there. Then click the folder icon on top right. This brings up a file browser like the windows explorer. It is called nautilus. What a dumb ass way to design an Ubuntu version that is supposed to win over windows users. Why not just open the damn Nautilus when I click on Files and Folders? Marvellous usability! By the way, you cannot access nautilus from the Application window either! ARGGHHHH!!!
* Can see contents of C and D drives but not pen drive... FAIL
* Try playing an avi (XVID) file that resides on the windows partition. I double clicked on the avi, ubuntu launched Totem player but did not play video saying that a plugin is missing. I told it to find the plugin, it could not find it. Tried this... FAIL
* Tried to open an RTF file in windows partition. Opened it with OpenOffice... PASS

* Started Ubuntu install
** Start time: 14:32.
** Connected wireless
** Language: English
** Checked "Download updates while installing" and "Install this third party software"
** On "Allocate Drive Space" I choose "Specify partitions manually" (The other option was "erase and use the entire disc"). I did not change anything and pressed "install now". It said "no root file system is defined". Tried all options in boot loader combo box to no avail... FAIL
** Read this. Downloaded Easeus Partition Master and merged the D partition with C.
** Restarted ubuntu installation. This time there is an extra option saying "install alongside other operating systems". I selected that.
** Clicked "install now"
** Choose time zone and keyboard.
** While installer was doing its work, I watched the slideshow explaning Ubuntu feateres...Until it crashed with the message "Installer crashed. We are sorry...". I was not able to close the crash window. Had to shut down computer. Nice, very nice... FAIL
** Restarted win7 and merged the two extra partitions created during installation back
** Restarted ubuntu install
** This time, I clicked "update installer" in "Welcome" window. Nothing happened. Clicked forward.
** Did not touch the slideshow forward buttons this time.
** After copying files, it showed this error message: "apt configuration problem". But when I closed it, it said that installation was successful. Clicked restart.
** Removed pen drive and pressed enter.
** Win7 started! Grrr.
** Win7 performed a disk check and restarted.
** Win7 works OK
** To change the boot sequence so that Ubuntu is loaded when netbook starts, in Win7 I installed EasyBCD.
** I run EasyBCD, Added Linux >> Grub 2 to boot menu, moved Linux above Win7 and made Linux the default.
** Restarted computer. It showed a black screen with "grub>>". Tried "boot", "quit", didn't work.
** Restarted computer, this time pressed F8 repeatedly at startup. Saw Ubuntu in the list, selected it, again damn grub screen
** Restart, F8, Win7, EasyBCD >> Linux >> Wubi
** Restart, ubuntu, again bloody grub.
* Watched this video, it had none of the problems I had.
** I guess my Ubuntu installation was not successful because if it were, the boot menu should be modified.
** May be I should install 10.04? Time: 17:38 (bloody 3 hours wasted!)

* Oct 24, Start from scratch (remove partition, download Ubuntu Netbook Remix...)
** This time I used the original USB installer. It looked like it had some changes. May be it was updated since last week.
** Installation start time: 19:02
** @19:09 When the installer said "scanning CD for apt..." I first got an "apt configuration error". When I closed it I got the "Installer crashed" error.
** Tried Ubuntu Desktop 10.10. Same problems.
** Read comment #15 here saying "I for one am sticking to 10.04 till this gets fixed. Shocking that an Ubuntu release could possibly be so buggy". Decided to install 10.04.1 LTS (Desktop).
** Created 10.04 USB. Got "vesamenu.c32: not a COM32R image".
** Read this. Downloaded Linux Live USB Creator and created 10.04 USB installation with it.
** Restart, Ubuntu 10.04 screen comes up, wait couple of minutes, finally see some activity.
** Desktop loads. Enable Wireless. Mouse not responding. Press arrow keys, mouse working again. Click "install Ubuntu 10.04". Follow installation steps the nth time. Start time: 21:53.
** @22:00, after "Scanning the CD-ROM", I again got the error "apt configuration problem". But this time the installer did not crash. Hallelujah! End time: 22:14 (total = 21 minutes)
** Shut down. Remove pen drive. Restart. Choose ubuntu from boot menu. Ubuntu boots up.
** Quick internet connection trial... PASS
** Download latest updates (181MB)... PASS
** Download and run Chrome. Does not download, connection time out. Is this related to google ip problem in Turkey?... FAIL
** Change setting for Youtube connection... PASS
** Open a word document in windows partition... PASS
** Try to solve brightness key problem using this... PASS

* Oct 25:
** Tried connecting to a projector, was surprisingly easy, everything was automatic, projector displayed the screen... PASS
** Download google chrome for linux (unstable version - currently 8.0.552.11) and start using it. Note that that's the direct link of chrome (Linux version). I was not able to download chrome from the normal google site. I guess that's because of the ip thing affecting Turkey... PASS
** I noticed that the normal download page works (direct link to stable 7.0.517.41) when I use the download ip's here:

209.85.227.106 dl.google.com
209.85.227.106 dl-ssl.google.com
209.85.227.106 chrome.google.com

** Play avi (divx, xvid etc.) movie. Totem movie player downloaded necessary plugins and played the movie... PASS
** Move panel to the right... PASS
** Update boot so that Ubuntu is loaded without waiting as explained here.

Oct 28:
* Disable screensaver password: System >> Preferences >> Screensavers >> uncheck "lock screen when screensaver is active"
* Auto connect to wireless at starts up / boot: System >> Preferences >> Network Connections >> Wireless >> Select wireless connection, press edit >> check "connect automatically" and check "Available to all users"
* Disable login sound: System >> Preferences >> Startup Applications >> uncheck "GNOME Login Sound"
* Disable password after awaking from suspend: First disable screen locking in screensaver as explained above. Then, start Applications >> Accessories >> Terminal. Type "gconf-editor" and hit enter. Check "/apps/gnome-power-manager/lock/use_screensaver_settings" option.

Jan 1 2011:
* Computer hangs up after bios, does not load anything. My guess is disc/boot corruption.
* Tried netbook's recovery option (by pressing F4) of netbook, nothing happened, black screen.
* Followed the steps in How To: Install Windows 7/Vista From USB Drive to install Windows 7 on netbook. Wireless did not work at first.
* Downloaded and installed VGA and wireless (Atheros) drivers.
* Installed Chrome and Picasa

mp3:
* Kurt Nielsen et al (World Idol) - Hallelujah
* (Acoustic cover of) Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah