Download & Install

The ubermix image will work on almost any device (laptops and desktops) although there are issues with some models. Be sure to read this entire page before you install for important notes and details. If you are looking at netbooks but have not yet selected a model, we are presently recommending the Dell Mini 1018, HP Mini 100e or 1103, Asus EeePC 10xx, and Acer AspireOne models. Other models are known to work as well - these we have found to be the best performing/most compatible.

Try ubermix:

Download the VirtualBox virtual appliance image for use on Windows, Mac, or Linux

If you would like to try out the ubermix without actually installing, you can use Virtualbox 4.x (free), which you can download from here. Please note: these VMs require at least version 4.0.8 of VirtualBox. Once installed, download one of the following virtual appliance files:

Ubermix-0.902.ova (leading edge release)

Ubermix.ova (stable release 0.7x)

If you have Virtualbox properly installed on your machine, you should be able to double-click the Ubermix.ova file when the download is complete to install. You can also open VirtualBox and choose "Import appliance" from the "File" menu. See the Virtualbox instructions for further details.

Install ubermix:

Download the install image for Netbooks/Laptops/Desktops w/ 512M+ RAM

The ubermix is a custom install that requires a USB key of at least 2Gb in size. There are currently multiple versions of the ubermix available for download:

All image files are located on the Download Files page.

Important Note: For model specific issues and configuration instructions, see the section at the bottom of this page.

Follow @ubermix on twitter for the latest news, updates, and related content.

Creating the USB Key

Linux

  1. Determine where the image file was saved when you downoaded it from the web site. It should be in the root of your Home folder. If not, move it there.
  2. Insert your 2Gb+ USB key in any available USB port on your machine. Most Linux systems will automatically mount the key.
  3. We need to find out what disk the system assigned to the key. To do so, open up a terminal (usually under "Accessories") and type "mount" followed by the enter key. In the list of disks that appear, you should see your USB key at the bottom, listed as "/dev/sd*1" where * is probably a,b,c,or d.
  4. Next, unmount the USB key by typing "umount /dev/sdX1" (replacing "X" with the letter you saw in the list on step 3)
  5. Finally, type in "sudo dd if=ubermix-key0.914GA.img of=/dev/sdX" followed by the enter key, where "X" is the letter you determined in step 3. If you will be installing a different release, replace "ubermix-key0.914GA.img" with the name of the image file you downloaded. When the command completes, you will have a USB key that is ready to boot and install ubermix on your device.

Mac

  1. These instructions assume you are using Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. If you are using another version of OS X, details may differ slightly.
  2. Determine where the image file was saved when you downoaded it from the web site. Macs usually store downloaded files in the "Downloads" folder, which is in your home folder. Firefox often saves downloads in the Desktop. Move the downloaded image to your home folder.
  3. Insert your 2Gb+ USB key in one of the USB ports on your Mac.
  4. Switch to the Finder and open the "Utilities" folder (Go -> Utilities)
  5. Open "Disk Utility"
  6. When Disk Utility opens, locate your USB key in the panel on the left of the window. You will see two items in the list: the key itself ("Lexar" in the example below - yours will probably be different), and the volume that exists on the key ("usb_disk" in the example below - yours will probably be different). Ctrl-click on the volume ("usb_disk on the example - yours will be different) and select "Unmount"
  7. Close the Disk Utility, and Open "Terminal" in the "Utilities" window
  8. Type "diskutil list" in the terminal window, and look for your USB key in the list. The detail we are looking for is which device it is ("/dev/disk2" in the example below)
  9. Once you have determined which device it is, type in the following: "sudo dd if=ubermix-key0.914GA.img of=/dev/diskX" replacing the "X" with the disk number from step 8. If you will be installing a different release, replace "ubermix-key0.914GA.img" with the name of the image file you downloaded. When the command completes, you will have a USB key that is ready to boot and install the custom build of UNR on your device. Note that my experience has been that Macs do this rather slowly, for some reason. If you plan to make multiple keys, create one on the Mac, install on a device, and then use the device to make additional keys.

Windows

  1. Download win32disk imager from https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer/+download
  2. Locate the zip file you just downloaded, right-click on it, and choose "Extract" to extract the application from the zip file.
  3. Locate the W32DiskImager.exe file you extracted, and double-click to run the application
  4. Select the ubermix-key0.914GA.img. If you will be installing a different release, replace "ubermix-key0.914GA.img" with the name of the image file you downloaded.
  5. Insert your 2Gb+ USB key in a USB port on your PC
  6. Click on the refresh button on the right under "Device", and then select the drive letter of your USB key
  7. Click on the "Write" button and wait until the operation completes.

Installing on your System

Instructions for booting a system from a USB key will vary from system to system, so you will want to consult the manual that came with your system if the following instructions do not work for some reason.

Please note: If you are installing on an older machine that will not boot from a USB key, see CD Install on the ubermix wiki

Warning: If your device has never had the ubermix installed on it, this process will erase everything on your device. If there is anything on it that you want to keep, you will want to back it up prior to performing the following steps. As of version .65, devices that already have ubermix .65 or later on them can simply be upgraded, with no loss of user files.

  1. If your device is turned on, shut it down first.
  2. Insert the USB key you created in the prior steps, and press the power button on your device.
  3. When you see a splash screen press whatever key is appropriate for your machine to show the boot menu. For Asus EeePCs and HP Mini it is usually escape, for Dell it's usually F12.
  4. Select the USB key from the menu and press the Enter key on your keyboard

In a few seconds, you will see a menu containing installation options, as follows:

  1. Install Ubuntu Netbook Edition
  2. Apply simple updates
  3. Do both 1 & 2
  4. Fast image (both 1 & 2, format user home, no prompts)
  5. Expert Options

Note: If the system hangs on a flashing cursor while booting from the key, please see Model Specific Issues section below for instructions.

Understanding the options:

When designing this setup, the concept behind the installation process has been to create a general base installation, represented by option 1, and then add on a mechanism for customizing the base installation easily, which is represented by option 2. Option 1 is therefore required, as it is the entire operating system. The modifications in option 2 represent only changes to the base install, and therefore require that the base install be completed first. Options 3 and 4 were added to speed the installation process, and option 5 is there for experts wishing to customize the image to match their environment.

By default, option 1 contains everything described on the About page. Option 2 applies simple updates as described on the Customization page, and should only be run on a system that has already been installed per option 1. On a default key, the pre-built simple updates are those that we use for student devices here at Saugus. They remove a number of preferences and settings icons from the interface (but not the underlying programs, so they still can be run), add on iTalc client for workstation management, and set up an automatic update mechanism that makes it possible to make mass changes to all systems at once. For details, see the Customization page.

Troubleshooting - Model Specific Issues and Instructions

For help with general problems or model specific issues, be sure to check the ubermix wiki. More importantly, if you find a solution to a problem with your particular device, be sure to share it there as well!

USB Keys, Ports and Installation Issues

We have occasionally heard reports of USB related issues with installing ubermix on some devices. If you experience a problem, like and error during the install, the first thing to try is installing from a different USB port. A good rule of thumb is if you have USB ports on both sides of the machine, insert the USB key in the port on the opposite side of the the one that failed and try again. If the install continues to fail, try recreating the USB key using the instructions above. If the install still fails (or is incredibly slow - like 20 minutes), try a different brand of USB key.

Input/Output (gzip) error on the screen on install, followed by other errors

In very rare circumstances on some devices, the USB hardware will spontaneously turn off during the install process, which causes the install to fail with an input/output error (first witnessed on an Asus EeePC 1011px). To fix this problem, when you first boot from the install key you will be prompted for a few seconds to "Press ESC to enter the menu...". When you see this, press the ESC key on the keyboard, then follow these steps:

  1. When you see "Ubermix" on the screen (the only menu option), press the 'e' key to edit.
  2. Arrow down to select the line that begins with "kernel" and press the 'e' key again to edit.
  3. Arrow left until the cursor is in the spce to the right of the word "irqpoll" and press the backspace key to delete "irqpoll" from the line.
  4. Press the "Enter" key to save your changes, then the 'b' key to boot.

The install process should then succeed without issue. If you wish to change this option on the key itself (for future installs), you can edit the "menu.lst" file in the boot->grub folder on the key itself.

Lots of errors on the screen on install, fails to boot

In certain rare circumstances, it is possible that a pre-existing hard disk partition table will be in a state that is incompatible with the ubermix install. To reset the partition table, boot from the ubermix key, choose option "5 Expert Options", then option "4 Reset partition table"

Toshiba Netbooks

Toshiba netbooks exhibit a variety of problems, with the most prevalent being identifying the state of the headphone jack, which causes the internal speakers to turn themselves off. It is possible to get a customized kernel that works around the problem (see this bug report for details), however such a model specific customization might hamper functionality on other netbooks, and will therefore not be included in this build. Users have reported other problems with newer models, which leads us to the conclusion that these are simply not worth the trouble.

Samsung Netbooks

Samsung netbooks have generally goofy hardware configurations. An independent developer has a number of packages that make them mostly work at http://is.gd/aJgsl . To install these, follow the instructions on the Customization page to boot with aufs=off first, then follow the instructions at http://is.gd/aJgsl to install the repository and get the packages. Your mileage may vary, depending on the model. I have tested on the N130 and N140, and the wireless does work after install, but some of the hotkeys don't. My recommendation - avoid Samsung netbooks.

Netbooks with Z520/530 processors

Very few netbooks come in this configuration - I've only seen these chips in the original circa 2008 Dell Mini 10, some older Dell Latitude 2100s and the Asus EeePC T91. Do not install on these models, or any other as the GMA500 graphics card is not supported.