Shortcomings of ASUS eee PC and why XP is better

[Jona]

Is it not possible to set a root password??

Also I believe you can strip the default OS off and put ubuntu on which might address some of these issues.

[CyberNerd]

Is it not possible to set a root password??

Also I believe you can strip the default OS off and put ubuntu on which might address some of these issues.

the blank root password is needed for it to boot.
I have eeexubuntu running, it's ok but a it slow to boot.

[Theblacksheep]

Is it not possible to set a root password??

Yes, but then what about sudo

then sudo su

then passwd (sudo passwd)

then the programme that starts when you boot it for the first time that resets passwords.

Its not so simple.

[Geoff]

You can edit /etc/sudoers to stop that.

[CyberNerd]

it needs root to boot, the sudoers was the first thing I tried - just get a blank screen

[Theblacksheep]

You can edit /etc/sudoers to stop that.

You can but the sheer level of changes nessessary to that and the boot loader, bios, preventing it from running certain programmes, removing programmes, password shadowing, setting up both visual vnc and console, update control, modifying permissions, modifying them for specific students and its not simple or easy anymore...

Not to mention useless RM solutions.

You can do alot of things, if you know what you are doing and have the time.




Cybernerd - modifying the sudoers does work (must be done in linux on a ext2 or 3 drive), it just takes quite a bit of working out and you have to put in nopasswd/passwd lines for certain programmes to let it boot. Keep at it!

[nickholme]

How about if someone manages to come up with their own version which addresses the shortcomings, it could be made availabe through edugeek for any other school that wants to try it. I certainly don't have the in depth knowledge to build my own distribution, but I think the eee's are great in principle.

[SimpleSi]

How about if someone manages to come up with their own version which addresses the shortcomings, it could be made availabe through edugeek for any other school

What a brilliant idea

I wish I'd thought of that

http://edugeek.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14823

Anyway - this is the thread for people to say how rubbish it is and just poo-poo it.

The machine as it stands is just a standalone laptop - if you have a policy not to allow such a device if it was XP laptop then you should'nt let this one in either.

If security is not a big issue (as in most primaries - still looking for an ubergeek to help me out in mine ) then its OK.

Except for that fact that its tricky to print or open/save files

But me and Cybernerd are hopefully working on that.

More volunteers would be welcome - especially trying to get an automount samba share to work but keep getting bitten by the fact that creative geek scripts that they post aren't the actual scripts that they use but just what they think they wrote into them

regards

Simon
PS People
Please pop over to other threads with ideas (and code!)

[CyberNerd]

I'm really going off the default xandros now, A friend showed me his eeepc last night running eeexubuntu - he's tweaked it to run compiz which it does very well (he added 512MB for £12). He reckons the default install is just too old (in terms of libraries etc) to get anything new like this on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzzhEs9XGuE