Sadly we are not yet ready to push out the improved drivers for the graphics card to all the webbooks, however for those willing to tinker with the command line you will be having wobbly windows and a spinning cube of desktops very soon. There is a chance that the next kernel upgrade will leave you booting to a black screen, but I will show you how to fix that from the command line. That is why we can’t push the drivers out through the repositories yet. I will write up a couple of articles over the next few days on this and give you some downloads to install. To wet your appetite a little here is a screenshot of me switching between desktops on my webbook:
It is probably best if you have another computer so that if you break the webbook you can still get to the internet to find out how to fix it. Consider this a beta test of the graphics drivers, unsupported, except by me. If that scares you then just wait until we put it in an automatic update and you won’t have to do anything. I would love to get this on by default right now and push it out through the repositories, but I just can’t wait any longer to share it with some of you at least!
Count me in for one.
Very impressive, but I’m going wait for a while (discretion being the better part of valour, as they say). Yesterday I downloaded and installed the Linux software for my all-in-one printer. It was my first command-line install, absolutely straightforward and no scary suprises, but I still felt it was a little step forward for me. I’m sure that in time I’ll become more comfortable in terminal-land, but for now I’ll just watch with interest. Maybe the automatic update will not be too far away?
Hi,
You mention you’ll be letting people knowhow to resolve the boot to blank screen problem, my webbook has just done this now? any ideas. Boots up as normal and when it gets to the bit were the login box appears it just goes blank. when i do a control+alt+f1 it lets me go to the command line.
Speak to me chocolate lips!
I really want to know how to get this working – I would love to move some of the graphics work off to its own processor. I just got my webbook last week and while I love it to death – it goes everywhere with me, since you never know when inspiration for solving that awkward java problem will strike – I have set two goals for it. Firstly, it needs to have some more RAM, which you have already supplied me with instructions (thanks!) and secondly, the graphics capabilities need a little more oomph.
So yes, please, let me know what I need to do!
Alan
Im sure ill try an have a go at breaking my webbook all in the name of science, lol.
I have broken and fixed my little webbook that many times now I can’t count! Just give me the instructions and I’m well up for sticking compiz on!
P.s If you have the latest Compiz on (like I do on my other laptop) how bloody cool is that Sphere?
@Adam,
I’ve got that on my desktop with Intrepid Ibex… Deforming the cube is pretty cool – I was amazed when I saw it…
Al
@Al
If you go on gnome-look.org and into the compiz section, you can download a wallpaper file with the caps that when loaded looks like earth! Stick on a skydome of the stars and 3d windows and it’s a geeks wet dream!
I have not seen the sphere yet, but it sounds cool. Is it easy to add to Hardy? I must try the latest Ibex, 8.10 is getting pretty close.
Alan,
This link tells you how to upgrade it and it’s extremely easy to do http://linuxowns.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/update-compiz-fusion/
@Adam, cool thanks. Downloading it now.
yep, the sphere works! a bit slow but it does work
I recently got a web book and just wondered what the benefit is of being able to switch between 2 desktops? i’m a bit confused as to why it has 2 desktops?
@Steve, it can have any number of desktops, bit of a puzzle why Windows doesn’t really. MacOS X has multiple desktops too I think. You can be doing different things with different sets of windows on different desktops. It just gives you lots more room to spread things out.
[...] as I predicted, a kernel update has been pushed out and if you installed the VIA drivers to get Compiz working [...]
Please could you explain what Compiz is and what it can do for me and my Webbook? I am new to Linux and I have not come across it before.
Sue
it is a different way of putting stuff on the screen, instead of using the normal 2d graphics card it uses the 3d bit, which is way bigger and much more optimised because it has been designed for playing games, all the effort of the hardware manufacturers over the last decade or so has gone into 3d support for gaming. Normally when not gaming all that silicon sits about twiddling it’s virtual thumbs, Compiz gets it to do some work and as a result you get lots of fancy effects happening, like the 4 desktops on a cube for example.
i have got the new ubuntu on my web book but i cant get the resolution to fit the screen, as soon as i put it on 1024×600 i goes far too big and a cant see the full screen, could this be to do with the graphics card? please help?