Because I like to tinker with Linux, and use different distributions, I have been multi-booting Windows 7, and three different Linux distributions using Grub 2 as my boot loader for a about a month now. As with all things Linux off the mainstream, tinkering and multi-booting is a problem waiting to happen. Yesterday it happened again – with gusto.
One of the three linux distributions on my hard drive wanted a distribution upgrade. I allowed the upgrade, but was not happy with the results. Something in the upgrade went wrong and the system was very sluggish. Because all three distributions were XFCE or XFCE/Gnome, I thought perhaps a KDE distribution would be a fun change.
The Linux using KDE distribution I was installing had no option to not install Grub Legacy during install. How bad could this be I thought to myself as I let Grub legacy be installed. Perhaps for a Grub using expert it is not big deal.
As for myself, it was a problem. After some tinkering trying to recover gracefully, I went from Grub 2 with four main boot options, to two Linux only boot options, to no boot loader at all. All boot loading options were destroyed.
Parted Magic , saw my hard drive as one big blank space.
 I use a method I developed out of similar desperation as a result of past tinkering gone bad to fix my no boot loader dilemma. It is not the best, prettiest, or quickest way to fix a boot loader manager problem, but it works and is simple.
The best method I have read about is ‘Chroot’ing into a failed system and recovering the system. Reading about Chroot from the man page and random postings does not sound simple to me. There are probably other methods of fixing a non booting hard drive too, but I am not aware of them.
I developed my fail safe, easy way to recover my non booting hard drive through trial and error recovering from my past errors. I am only a system administrator for my home computers, so speed, elegance, and efficiency are not top priorities for me, though I have improved from days of old when I would wipe the hard drive and do a complete install starting with Windows.
My recovery system method is simple, and it saves the day at the expense of thirty minutes and for me an extra linux install.
I always have a Parted Magic CD , and an Ubuntu CD around. These two cd’s are part of my all around fix serious problems emergency kit. Both of them are about a year old, so I do not think they need to be the latest and greatest.
Here are the steps I use to recover from boot failure for a simple minded Linux user like myself. Recovery from times when my tinkering creates problems of epic proportion for myself. Times like today when I once again lost all ability to boot to either Windows or one of three installed Linux distributions on my hard drive.
Using Parted magic cd either reformat any current Ubuntu partitions for an Ubuntu re-install, or create two new small partitions using empty drive space for an initial Ubuntu install. Designate the two partitions as /root and /home and of course use the /swap partition you already have from previous installs.
Ubuntu is the best distribution I know for finding, identifying, and listing all operating systems on a hard drive. When Ubuntu installs Grub, it will find and list all bootable partitions on your hard drive, at least in my experience. Install Ubuntu to the two partitions you created or have made available using a manual install as you do not want to wipe out your hard drive.
You now have recovered Windows and all Linux operating systems on your hard drive. Ubuntu itself does not take up much space and you need not change anything or delete Ubuntu unless the space it takes up is needed. If Grub was your previous boot loader, you can boot into your Linux of choice and re-install grub and make a new configuration file.
If Lilo was your previous boot loader, it is best not to try to re-install Lilo as Lilo does not do well over writing Grub boot data.
I wanted to see Linux in action in 64 bits. It seems there are only a few choices, Ubuntu and Debian were the only distributions I found using 64 bit software. I thought I would give Debian a go first planning on installing Ubuntu afterwards. Ubuntu is/was derived from Debian, and many programs could be interchanged between repositories without issue.
Debian Linux is unique in Debian only uses software that meets certain licensing requirements. In general this is software that is not proprietary, or restricted. If you are curious you go to the Debian website, as the explanation tends to get a little convoluted and I do not wish to give the wrong explanation.
Going to Debian’s home page is always an experience. Debian home page is no frills, and makes no claim to being simple to use, with hordes of people ready to help you if you have problems. Debian’s web site tells you about Debian and directs you to options you may choose concerning Debian.
Selecting ‘Getting Debian’ brought me to a page of download and installation options. I chose to download the small image file and copy it off to cd. This option downloads and installs most needed programs via internet connection. One caveat about this install, it does not support a wireless connection for the install.
The installation other than being hard wired to the net is about the same as any other installation. You need to have free space on your hard drive if you are going to dual boot. You need to create partitions. I use three partitions, Root, Home, and Swap. Debian installed painlessly, taking about twenty minutes or so, which is about average for an install.
 I now had a usable Debian install with a basic Gnome desktop. I could not see or hear an online video, listen to an mp3, or watch some other videos. I did not yet have a wireless connection according to the installation documentation I read.
This brought me to the interesting part of using Debian. Using Debian as general users use computers, you need to hunt down what you need, and sometimes it is not apparent what you need, or where to find it. While Debian’s website has excellent documentation, it assumes that the reader knows what they are looking for.
My wireless connection is a good example. To get the drivers and programs needed to set up my wireless card, I needed to know exactly what my laptop wireless card is. Knowing what connection types it supports, or who makes it is not enough, an exact model number is required.
Finding this information means going to the manufacturer website and searching for my a parts list. I was fortunate in I found my wireless card listed, some computers are not that simple because the manufacturer uses whatever works for that day, and may not be consistent week to week with parts it uses.
I had my wireless card information. Now I had to locate new repositories to download drivers and programs from to enable my wireless. The documentation I found directed me to specific Ubuntu repositories. I added the repositories (another few steps using a root terminal or Synaptic), and installed the programs. A quick reboot and I had a wireless connection.
What I know as Windows codecs is about the same process. My web cam was another trip into the documentation and guessing what kind of camera it was. My laptop manufacturer was in a cost savings mode for web cams, and only admitted to using a usb web cam. I located and installed more drivers and programs. Using a program named Cheese, it works. For other uses, I do not not know yet.
Debian 64 bit appears to boot and shutdown faster than what I have experienced with 32 bit versions. All the software I need or want is available. After a number of shutdowns and reboots, everything works as advertised.
Debian has always been a rock solid Linux. Two of Debian’s ongoing criticisms are lack of friendliness for new users, and the difficulty of finding what you need for general computer use that does not fit Debian’s licensing requirements. These two criticisms deserved or not, have not changed for the 64 bit version of Debian.
If you want a Linux Distribution where you pop in the CD and sit back, Debian is not for you. If you want a solid system having some control over what is on it, and you don’t mind doing a little searching, Debian is a good choice. Debian gives you freedom to tweak, change, add and subtract as much or as little as you choose. With thousands of packages in the repositories, your options are endless.
While I enjoy my Netbook because it is small and easy to carry around, when it comes to more serious work using multiple programs the screen size leaves a little to be desired. Hence a new laptop was in my near future. After checking what was available for a reasonable price I decided on a Sony Vaio laptop.
It is a Sony Vaio model VGN-CS320J, with the usual trimmings. There were not any reviews that I could find, but there is an older Sony laptop in the house that has performed flawlessly for almost five years now. I thought that was a good recommendation in itself.
One of the nice things about a new laptop is the search for a new Linux. Having a full size screen and a little more power under the keyboard opens the door to distributions I have not tried before. I again tried the usual distributions that I have mentioned in past Linux posts, and they performed in the same manner as before.
I had read about a distribution named Pardus that has been popular among some of the seasoned Linux crowd of the past. There was a new release a short time ago. I wanted to download and try try Pardus out, but the servers were quite busy at the time.
Pardus is a distribution from Turkey and as written in the ‘About Pardus’ section on Distrowatch:
Pardus is a GNU/Linux distribution funded and developed by the Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey. Pardus has a range of unique features, such as Mudur, a start-up framework of Pardus to speed up the boot process, and PiSi, an efficient package management system with a user-friendly graphical interface.
My download time last night was about forty minutes. I downloaded the Pardus iso last night, then burned a cd and installed Pardus this morning. Pardus is a simple to install and use distribution by design. In the about section of the Pardus home page, the creators of Pardus want a Linux system that is powerful and easy to use for government, business and individuals with ease of use and productivity in mind.
 If you enjoy KDE, you will love KDE 4.x.x for your initial desktop and Open Office with a few KDE programs added in for your office programs you need not look further for a productive Linux distribution. If you prefer Gnome as your desktop, it is a download away using the Pardus package manager named PiSi.
I changed two networking settings for my wifi to work, but that is minor and not unusual. I also changed my desktop appearance. I then added KDE games, but there is nothing more that needs to be changed to be a solid useful Linux desktop or laptop system. I guess that means I have a productive office, net, game machine now.
The repository is not as massive as some of the heavyweight distributions, but it looks like most popular packages are available for download and install. In Games for example there are one-hundred eighteen more games to choose from after I installed KDE 4 games. In multimedia there are one-hundred eighty-two more choices. There are plenty of choices in each category for most users it seems.
One unique idea that Pardus uses is in updating. Instead of downloading the whole program for a small rewrite, only the changed portion is downloaded and installed. I thought this is an interesting idea, and seeing Pardus is in use at all levels in Turkey and beyond, it works well and saves time and bandwidth.
If you can wait an hour for the download to complete and burn an iso cd you are on your way to a nice Linux system on your PC. Pardus is for you if you know the answers to a few simple install questions. Pardus installs programs most people will want and not many programs they won’t want. With a healthy lean selection of programs in the repository there are a lot of program choices for all tastes.
If you want to try Pardus out, the universal iso is recommended by Pardus. Before starting the install create a root and user passwords along with a user name. Press F2 for your language preference when you start. One interesting note, clicking on buttons or option on the Pardus home page wrote to the right of the main screen I was looking at. If you click a button and do not see anything see if it is to the side on your browser window.
I am typing this on my Eeepc using a great Ubuntu Linux child distribution. This Linux distribution is the latest release from Eeebuntu.org, and is a derivative of Ubuntu’s 9.04 release. I wrote in a post on July 28, 09 about playing around with different Linux distributions late at night and losing the Windows loader in my Grub configuration.
If you are interested in the inner workings of your Linux distribution, it is possible, maybe even easy to edit your Grub configuration file. I am not that driven. So as I mentioned, while installing Ubuntu when it set up Grub, it placed the Windows loader back in the file. It was a lot simpler than getting out the Windows CD and going through the steps of rewriting Windows boot loader to the hard drive master boot record sector of my hard drive.
Eeebuntu is a distribution optimized for Netbooks. My particular Netbook is an Asus 1000HD. It is almost the same as a normal laptop but has a smaller physical size. Ubuntu and Eeebutnu sound pretty similar too. As they are parent and child there is not a lot of general differences between the two *buntu’s.
 From Eeebuntu's wiki What is different in Eeebuntu is the Linux Kernel is optimized for Netbooks. There is also correct screen size options, and a few other modifications. otherwise both *buntu’s are identical. Eeebuntu shares those thousands of programs that are contained in Ubuntu’s repositories. If none of those programs work, like any other Linux there are ways to add almost any program made for Linux, and perhaps a few that are not.
I switched to Eeebuntu because I had the option of downloading and installing a base system. A base install has most extra programs I do not use removed. I went to the Eeebuntu forum and found if I wanted to, someone posted a how to on removing even more programs and files that are not really needed. Saving space is not that important to me so I will let them stay.
One of the great things about Linux rather than Windows is with Linux you have complete control over what is on your computer, and what your computer does. Windows arrives, or is installed on your computer as a complete package. If you do not want a program that is part of the base package, you have no choice but to leave it on your hard drive and not use it. With Linux, if you do not want a certain program installed on your computer, you have the option of removing a program entirely or substituting another program in its place. That is the beauty of Linux.
Eeebuntu having a base edition install option does exactly that without me having to remove programs I do not want. I did select and install programs that I want to use. What this does in addition to having choices, and a smaller portion of my hard disk being used by my operating system is having less programs I do not use on my computer.
With Eeebuntu Base, any Netbook can become a light use business machine, social site based computer, web page design tool, game machine, or any of the uses people use their computer for.
Eeebuntu also has a standard version containing Open Office, and other commonly used programs. If neither of those choices fit your needs, there is also a Netbook remix edition which changes the look of your desktop, and how you interact with your computer.
Eeebuntu like Ubuntu itself is one of the most user friendly Linux distributions around. I would suggest you are comfortable partitioning your hard drive and doing manual hard drive partitioning for your install. If you let the install do the work, it may make changes to your hard drive you do not want.
If you have a Netbook and bounce around with Linux distributions trying to find one that works best, give Eeebuntu a go. It is as modern as the newest Ubuntu, as simple as can be to install, backed by the Ubuntu repositories and forums, plus the Eeebuntu forum , and Wiki.
The Eeebuntu Wiki has an install video and written step by step install instructions. The video is a good start and is more beginner support than some other operating systems may boast of having. Give Eeebuntu Linux a go on your Netbook and find out how much fun computing can really be when you use an OS dsigned for Netbooks!
 Dreamlinux is installed on my Asus eeepc netbook this week. Dream Linux is a distribution coming out of Brazil. Dreamlinux is based on Debian Linux which is one of the largest distributions in the world, so compatibility and software repositories is never an issue.
I started out with a Debian net install which went well and everything installed as it was supposed to. Using Debian it was time to start the tinkering. A few years back, no matter what Linux distribution installed, it took some tinkering. The amount of tinkering Debian needed just to get it to the point of being similar to Dreamlinux, made it a no brainer to download Dreamlinux and install it.
I have mentioned before, there are a number of Linux distributions anyone can request, or if you know how to burn an iso, download and burn to cd. These distributions are what is called a ‘live cd’ which means you can boot from the cd. When you boot from the cd, the version of Linux you are trying out loads and runs, and makes no changes to your computer or Windows.
The advantage of live cd’s in my opinion is they are a free try before you buy plan. If you like the cd you are trying out, it is a simple matter to install it to your hard drive. If you do not like the Linux distro you are trying out, you are out a few dollars from the cd request, or the cost of a cd that you burned yourself.
The biggest advantage to using Linux is the amount of software available once you have a distribution installed on your computer. No matter what your interest, or desire, you can bet a programmer somewhere has made a program that meets your needs. I use cd cataloging software, photo cataloging and photo manipulation software. There is even a Photoshop clone, and an Office clone. Most Linux programs are free or donation ware. So if you find you are using a program and a Linux distribution, you are encouraged to send them a few dollars so they can eat dinner the next day.
As for hardware requirements, if it runs windows, it will run at least ten versions of Linux without having to make any changes. Even if you have an old box sitting in the closet, there is a Linux distribution that will bring it back to life, possibly running faster that it did when you retired it.
I went to the Asus eeepc website and see Asus has released a newer lighter laptop. The specs say it has a 10.2 inch display and weighs about 2.5 pounds. Looks like a hit to me, well if I was looking to upgrade my Asus 1000 hd.
Netbooks and Linux were made for each other. If you run windows and are tired of viruses, defragging and general maintenance tinkering, check out a Linux live cd. You may find Linux and you were made for each other. If you are looking for a laptop, check out netbooks. They are not desktop replacements of course, but how often do you need the cd rom, or the horsepower your desktop has?
I had some free time this week, and the Sidux Linux I am using has drifted from leading edge to leading as the Sidux Team introduced a new revision. I was very happy with Sidux and recommend Sidux if you want a stable fast Linux on your computer.
With that being said it was off to Distrowatch for another round of trying out new flavors of Linux. The current roundup is very impressive, and my final decision still is not made. I started downloading PCLinuxOS from their server using my Mac. The download rate was pretty slow, so I killed it waiting for a different time of day to try again.
As I looked over the current offerings, Crunchbang Linux caught my attention. It is purported to be a smaller faster Ubuntu Linux. I downloaded the most current version and installed it on my little Asus 1000. It is a snappy little distribution. It is complete as it comes for most users. I would have been happy with it, with the exception of the color scheme. It is shades of black upon shades of black. I do not know if there was a statement in the color scheme, but with so many choices I decided to let Crunchbang go for something a little more colorful. If black is your favorite color, and you desire a fast lighter distribution, check out Crunchbang Linux.
My next choice was Vector Linux. Vector has a new version out, and I know from past experience that Vector Linux is one very fast distribution. It has been some years, and many revisions since I ran Vector, but knowing how quick it was, I was curious to try Vector Linux again. I was not disappointed! Vector is everything it always has been, and more.
One of the options during the install was to load the works, that was not the option name, but the idea is the same, so I chose it. The whole meal deal was exactly that. Vector Linux was stuffed with more software than I imagined one cd could hold. So much in fact, I felt it was more than I wanted. It was replaced, but I plan to go back and install the regular flavor next week.
Puppy Linux is making a bigger name for itself every week. At around one-hundred megs one is challenged to find a competing distribution that packs so much software and is so fast. As luck would have it, Puppy Linux released two new versions yesterday for revision 4.2.
 Puppy Linux from Puppy's site Being greedy, I downloaded them both, and ran the version that is not the retro edition. What a pretty desktop I had! Loaded with all the software I could want and then some, with the exception of a few games, Puppy is a very pleasant Linux. I had a problem making my memory stick bootable, but once I figure that out, I will have a portable Puppy on a flash drive, and Puppy Linux may make it to my hard drive.
I always wanted to give Zenwalk Linux a spin, but I was never too sure about my wireless support. Since I have decided that wireless on my Asus is not all that, I downloaded Zen Linux and completed an install.. Zen Linux is everything it claims to be. Zen Linux is a nice mix of software. Each program is a leader in its separate category. Zen is very fast, and responsive, with a nice collection of software in the repositories. Zen Linux claims a place on my hard drive this go around.
I am ever curious about Mepis Linux, so I downloaded Mepis. For whatever reason the server timed out in the last thirty seconds of downloading, and I never managed a complete ISO. Mepis is a good distribution, though probably a little heavy for my little netbook.
Along the same lines, I managed a complete download of PCLinuxOS, and burned a cd. It is a little too much for my netbook without undergoing some major changes. It is very pretty as always and performed well for me on my desktops. I am sure that remains the same
I am torn between Zen and Puppy Linux. They are the best for my needs right now, and it is a tough decision. Maybe I will use them both as my mood changes?
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I use a method I developed out of similar desperation as a result of past tinkering gone bad to fix my no boot loader dilemma. It is not the best, prettiest, or quickest way to fix a boot loader manager problem, but it works and is simple.