Advise on very small, light, total google free puppy(Solved)

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number77 · #1 Post by **number77** » Wed 04 Jul 2018, 18:13

Hello
Every time I use my android tablet abroad, a Motorola xoom, I hate it more and more so need advise on a smallish laptop 10 or 12 inch that will run puppy preferably xenialpup and is light and portable and doesn't rely on google at all. It could be a tablet but needs to be light and at least dual core.
Has anyone any ideas please.
Thanks
number77

bigpup · #2 Post by **bigpup** » Thu 05 Jul 2018, 23:31

smallish laptop 10 or 12 inch

Any of them around that size even a Chromebook.
(A chromebook will take a little more playing with the bios to get Puppy working)

I would make sure it had a Intel processor. X86-64 architecture
NO ARM processors
Xenialpup should have good support for any new or newish hardware.

Only thing you may have problems with is the touch pad.

I did a Asus Chromebook and the touch pad is the only thing that is not working with Xenialpup64 7.5.
But I have not really tried very hard to fix it.
I like using a mouse much more than a touch pad.

Sailor Enceladus · #3 Post by **Sailor Enceladus** » Fri 06 Jul 2018, 01:20

I recently bought two 10.1" Acer Aspire Switch One SW1-011 2-in-1 tablets (one used then one new). They came with Windows 10 64-bit. Tried booting Slacko64 from usb, it booted sideways 800x1280 tablet mode and didn't recognize the keyboard dock (keyboard and touchpad) or the touch display, though I was using a zdrv with stemsee's cherrytrail kernel config. Might try the original zdrv or Xenialpup on it, but have kinda got used to Windows 10 and it's touch support after disabling updates in Services, setting Edge to always clear history, and making the fonts 125% size. The Windows 10 updates are really intrusive, causing hour long shutdown times while it's "updating" on this Atom CPU, and will eventually bork with 'update 1807' anyway because it runs out of room on a 32gb hard drive. Luckily "Reset this PC" is easier to do now in 10 (when it works) but still takes forever to start over.

8Geee · #4 Post by **8Geee** » Fri 06 Jul 2018, 01:43

Most of the Intel Atom based netbooks from 2008 - 2012 will fit your description. They are 32-bit processors, so you cannot use a 64-bit distro. Ebay seems to have quite a few either EEEpc, Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind, etc. Lenovo, Dell, and HP also made a few.

Regards
8Geee

cthisbear · #5 Post by **cthisbear** » Fri 06 Jul 2018, 05:29

Why would you do Win 10 updates?

All Windows updates 7 8 and 10 are BS.

Chris.

Sailor Enceladus · #6 Post by **Sailor Enceladus** » Fri 06 Jul 2018, 08:21

cthisbear wrote:Why would you do Win 10 updates?

All Windows updates 7 8 and 10 are BS.

Chris.

On the used 2-in-1 the trackpad didn't work, I was told by someone that updating might find the correct driver or fix it and that's what I should try first, but it didn't fix anything. When I bought the new 2-in-1, the trackpad on it's keyboard dock worked, so I tried plugging it into the old tablet and it still worked, and the old dock trackpad didn't work when I plugged it into the new tablet, so I guess (to my surprise) it seems to be a hardware problem with the dock itself and not a software/OS problem with Windows.

In Windows 10, the updates are forced/automatic and you have to make sure you're disconnected from the internet on a new PC, then go into Services, find the "Windows Update" service, and change it to Disabled then reboot to make sure it doesn't look for updates (though a lot of apps are tied to this service so they won't work any more if you do this and instead give warnings or errors when they "try" to update themselves). I thought I read somewhere that you can just block MS in the hosts file (so it can't contact their site) which might be a better approach than disabling the service, because it might also block all the "phoning home" features. Still experimenting. The Windows 10 takes over your screen with splash screens like below to explain all the forced "updates"

number77 · #7 Post by **number77** » Fri 06 Jul 2018, 19:07

It doesn't sound that easy, I had thought of a chromebook but that seems to have great problems with the touchpad, which as its going to be totally mobile would be needed.
There are small 12" light weight laptops about with intel processors but to buy one that didnt run puppy and leave me with windose 10 could shorten my life expectancy.
Thanks for help so far any positives welcome.

mikeslr · #8 Post by **mikeslr** » Sat 07 Jul 2018, 23:56

Amazon Marketplace advertises Certified Refurbished --a filter you can select-- notebooks and laptops. The requirement for obtaining the designation Certified Refurbisher seemed sufficiently reassuring that I've ordered a Thinkpad T420. It hasn't arrived yet. But while I was searching I noticed that you can select for screen size and, of course, price. Regretfully you can not screen out Windows 10; but most often the title of the computer being offered tells you what operating system is provided and, of course, the specifications will.

I've also had reasonable luck purchasing "Manufacturer's Refurbished" via ebay. "Off-Lease" in its description usually suggests it wasn't owned by a gamer trying to push it to its limits.

As far as brands go, its a toss up. If it was manufactured 6 or so years ago, my research suggests Lenovo with Dell in 2nd place and Acer and Asus not far behind. More recently, HP has moved to or near the top and Dell fallen to the bottom.

But, once you've found a 'contender', I'd look here to see what Puppy Fans have reported, http://puppylinux.org/wikka/PuppyOnLaptops, plug the terms "Brand Model Number problem" into the search box here, https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=015995643 ... #gsc.tab=0 and run a regular google search on the terms "Brand Model Number Ubuntu problem". Obviously, substitute the actual brand model and number. Because Ubuntu is so widely used, if a computer presented a problem under Linux those search terms are most likely to find it. And if it couldn't be solved running Ubuntu --while those who know Puppy may be able to-- why buy trouble?

mikesLr

WoodLark · #9 Post by **WoodLark** » Sun 08 Jul 2018, 18:46

I have several Dell 2100 and 2110 laptops. They work great for puppy. I have Tahrpup 6.0.6 installed (32 bit). Yuo can get them inexpensively from Ebay ($30 to $80).

number77 · #10 Post by **number77** » Fri 13 Jul 2018, 19:11

mikeslr wrote:Amazon Marketplace advertises Certified Refurbished --a filter you can select-- notebooks and laptops. The requirement for obtaining the designation Certified Refurbisher seemed sufficiently reassuring that I've ordered a Thinkpad T420. It hasn't arrived yet. But while I was searching I noticed that you can select for screen size and, of course, price. Regretfully you can not screen out Windows 10; but most often the title of the computer being offered tells you what operating system is provided and, of course, the specifications will.

I've also had reasonable luck purchasing "Manufacturer's Refurbished" via ebay. "Off-Lease" in its description usually suggests it wasn't owned by a gamer trying to push it to its limits.

As far as brands go, its a toss up. If it was manufactured 6 or so years ago, my research suggests Lenovo with Dell in 2nd place and Acer and Asus not far behind. More recently, HP has moved to or near the top and Dell fallen to the bottom.

But, once you've found a 'contender', I'd look here to see what Puppy Fans have reported, http://puppylinux.org/wikka/PuppyOnLaptops, plug the terms "Brand Model Number problem" into the search box here, https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=015995643 ... #gsc.tab=0 and run a regular google search on the terms "Brand Model Number Ubuntu problem". Obviously, substitute the actual brand model and number. Because Ubuntu is so widely used, if a computer presented a problem under Linux those search terms are most likely to find it. And if it couldn't be solved running Ubuntu --while those who know Puppy may be able to-- why buy trouble?

mikesLr

Thanks for that Mike, that gives me a good help.

number77 · #11 Post by **number77** » Fri 13 Jul 2018, 19:14

WoodLark wrote:I have several Dell 2100 and 2110 laptops. They work great for puppy. I have Tahrpup 6.0.6 installed (32 bit). Yuo can get them inexpensively from Ebay ($30 to $80).

Neat little things Woodlark I will look them up. May be a bit slow but interesting. Thanks

number77 · #12 Post by **number77** » Sat 28 Jul 2018, 16:45

Thank for all the help mates. I did get a Acer Travelmate b113-m. i3 intel so no problems with puppy.
All the best
number77

skyking · #13 Post by **skyking** » Fri 03 Aug 2018, 02:53

have one of these, cannot get drivers for SD Card reader, is your SD Card reader working?

UPup Bionic Beaver (upupbb) 18.05+8

number77 · #14 Post by **number77** » Fri 03 Aug 2018, 08:27

skyking wrote:have one of these, cannot get drivers for SD Card reader, is your SD Card reader working?

UPup Bionic Beaver (upupbb) 18.05+8

Yes iI have just tried it and it is working. I am using xenialpup64.
Has yours got the touchpad without any mouse buttons, I have to use the bottom of the touchpad for them. By the time I click a button the pointer has moved.

skyking · #15 Post by **skyking** » Fri 03 Aug 2018, 15:04

re: Has yours got the touchpad without any mouse buttons, - yes

I'll take a look at xenialpup64 - thanks

skyking · #16 Post by **skyking** » Fri 03 Aug 2018, 20:33

no sd card reader in xenialpup

Sailor Enceladus · #17 Post by **Sailor Enceladus** » Sat 06 Oct 2018, 21:06

8Geee wrote:Most of the Intel Atom based netbooks from 2008 - 2012 will fit your description. They are 32-bit processors, so you cannot use a 64-bit distro. Ebay seems to have quite a few either EEEpc, Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind, etc. Lenovo, Dell, and HP also made a few.

Regards
8Geee

I agree. After using two 2017 2-in-1s with Atom Cherrytrail and Windows 10 for a few months, they ended up getting sold off and I went back for 2008 and 2012 netbooks again instead. The newer ones had nice screens, and fanless, but weren't any faster than older Atoms (possibly Windows 10 spying or higher 1280x800 screens killed off the performance gains) and were too top heavy on your lap, and it's much easier to dualboot with stuff that came with pre-Windows 8, which usually have more drivers too. Never liked touchscreens either and hate getting fingerprints on the screen so that aspect of all things 10" and under these days is kind of a waste for me.

bigpup · #18 Post by **bigpup** » Sat 06 Oct 2018, 23:34

skyking,

Start your own topic about your SD card reader problem.
More people will see your problem.

Give specific info on what the computer is.
Have a SD card in the reader when you boot-up.
If you know what format the SD card is. What is it?
See if Gparted can see the SD card.

Have to ask.
You are sure the SD card is good?
Any chance you have used the SD reader by booting in a different OS from Puppy?

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Advise on very small, light, total google free puppy(Solved)

Advise on very small, light, total google free puppy(Solved)

Acer Travelmate b113-m.

Re: Acer Travelmate b113-m.