Running Ubuntu Linux on Acer Tablet PCs Part II

Ambivalence

I was very curious to know what Ubuntu was all about, so I decided to order the three disc pack (http://www.ubuntu.com) and I received them within a few weeks. I wanted to try out Ubuntu before installing it and the Live CD is the best way to do it. The Live CD allows you to experience the operating system without changing anything on your hard drive.  The OS is loaded from CD into memory so nothing is “installed” on your computer. I inserted the x386 disc (for all Pentium processors) into the drive and booted into the Live CD. On the Acer c310 series, the default way to boot is into the hard drive. You must press F12 at the BIOS post splash screen in order to boot to the CD. 

Wow, I was impressed! The Live CD booted in a minute and a half, and all the drivers, except for the Wacom Tablet and Bluetooth, were up and running without a hitch. I was surfing the Internet instantly. I was not troubled by the Tablet mode not working initially since I knew there were online forums detailing how to get the Tablet drivers to function. I had given up on Bluetooth since the c314 seems to only respond to Acer's ePM when turning the Bluetooth radio on.

Linux Filesystem

The Linux Filesystem is quite different and possibly daunting for users who have spent their whole lives on the Windows platform (like me). Here are some simple notes to help make the distinction between Windows’ files and Ubuntu’s.

In case you missed the introduction in Part I you can click here to read. Part III, the installation process and conclusion, is posted now as well.