Eeebuntu 3.0 Base: A Great Way to Get Ubuntu on Your Eee PC

Eeebuntu is a fully optimized and customized Ubuntu-based Linux distribution for your Eee PC or other netbook. Eeebuntu boasts pretty much full hardware support for all Eee PC models, a friendly support community, and three distinct versions depending on what you need or want in a netbook operating system. I personally love Eeebuntu because it's based on Ubuntu, the most user-friendly and simple full Linux distribution out there!

For this review, I chose to the download the Eeebuntu Base version, because it is--as of this writing--the only one of the three versions that is based on the latest-and-greatest Ubuntu 9.04 "The Jaunty Jackalope."

Installation. The Eeebuntu 3.0 installation was literally one of the easiest Linux installs I have ever performed. I opted to install Eeebuntu from USB media, and it was as simple as booting up into the "live" environment, confirming that my hardware worked, and clicking the "install" icon on the Eeebuntu desktop. Total install time was about 30 minutes. Unlike previous versions, the installer seemed optimized for the the small screen! I was very pleased to not have to drag the window around in order to get see all the information.

Aesthetics & First Impressions. Eeebuntu has always done a great job in the aesthetics department, and this release is no different. Everything seems even more polished, and there's a brand-new wallpaper as well that looks great. The overall look is clean, but with a funky edge that's quite fun. I love that the Eeebuntu login screen, default wallpaper, and GTK themes all tie in together to create a cohesive and unified Eeebuntu brand.

Included Applications. The whole point of the Base version of Eeebuntu is provide a minimal operating system install, with just the basic apps you need to get up and running. To that end, there's no office software installed, no media players, and graphic manipulation programs other than the F-Spot photo manager. It truly is minimal, and I like that. Eeebuntu Base is really a great option for those that was to be able to really customize their experience. All that being said, the application choices made by the Eeebuntu team are pretty smart...Firefox is there, Remote desktop software is provided, and of course, all your hardware utilities are present. Everything else you'd want or need easily obtained from the "Add/Remove Applications" program.

Hardware Support & Performance. One of the greatest things about the Eeebuntu distribution is how virtually all of the hardware works out-of-the-box. All of the special function keys worked flawlessly for me, and suspend/resume worked like a charm. I did have some issues with the microphone in the "Sound Recorder" application, but I believe the issue is easily fixed by turning up the volume on the mic in the "Alsamixer" application. I was pleased to find that the mic and webcam work as expected in Skype. I have yet to find an app that will capture video well from the webcam, but Cheese seems to do the job for snapshots.

Eeebuntu includes an application called "EeeTray" that sits in your system try and provides quick access to certain hardware features. This useful little app allows you to quickly and easily toggle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the touchpad, as well rotate the screen and change the display resolution.

All of the performance enhancements touted by the Ubuntu team regarding Jaunty are definitely visible in Eeebuntu. Boot time is noticeably faster, and every application seems to respond better. The overall feel is even snappier than the previous Eeebuntu releases.

Conclusions. Eeebuntu seems to be the easiest way to get Ubuntu on your Eee PC. Almost every hardware feature is supported out-of-box--even in the minimal "Base" version. Eeebuntu is an aesthetically pleasing, full featured, free operating system alternative for the Eee PC that comes highly recommended.