SETTING UP NEW DEVICE -- INTEL ATOM N2600 - 1Gb RAM, Looking for Graphics Driver
 

Hi, just bought new Windows machine, and am trying to set up an old HP Mini 110 netbook with 1 Gb RAM - Intel Atom N2600. Have installed Linux Mint 13, as this seems suitable for such an old, underpowered device (from what I could see discussed on web). Any recommendations - the graphics seem "funny" compared to what I'm used to on old setup, which was Windows 7 Home Premium. Haven't installed any s/w on Linux before, other than the automatic updates. Be grateful for any guidance on graphics drivers, setup procedures etc. Apologies if I'm asking in the wrong place -- this is my first question. Just want "standard features" -- play YouTube (works OK) etc videos, office / internet etc -- it's more the appearance of the text that's offputting.

That sounds like a font issue - start by looking at this page maybe (google "ubuntu fonts" for more).
Might be worth ensuring you have the correct video driver module loaded - run this in a termianl and post the output.

awesome response "you guys" -- while I'm still at the unit no less -- output:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Atom Processor D2xxx/N2xxx Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 338d
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 7
Region 0: Memory at 44000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1M]
Region 1: I/O ports at 40d0 [size=8]
Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled]
Capabilities: <access denied>

all of which leaves me TOTALLY in the dark ;-)

Bloody Ubuntu - try it as You'll need to enter your password. That's just to see that the video driver software matches your hardware.

there are certainly some problems with the display -- crosses in checkboxes blanking out e.g.

BTW, Mint is probably a bit heavy for an Atom. I have run it ok, but Mint13 is out of support (means no security updates), so you should be looking at Mint 17. Personally I found Bodhi ran really well on an Atom netbook (Gateway piece of junk).

The Atom N2600 contains a renamed PowerVR SGX545 graphics core. Linux support for this device is abysmal, you will not get 3D or video acceleration and only basic 2D acceleration.
Honestly, this machine is best run with Windows, running Linux on it will not make much fun.

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Atom Processor D2xxx/N2xxx Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 338d
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 7
Region 0: Memory at 44000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1M]
Region 1: I/O ports at 40d0 [size=8]
Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled]
Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Capabilities: [b0] Vendor Specific Information: Len=07 <?>
Capabilities: [90] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
Address: 00000000 Data: 0000

thanks very much to those kind and generous enough to respond quickly before

re people's suggestions -- on this machine --

Have now tried Bodhi, but I understand it has a few "quirks", and I've run into one that's fairly common apparently -- being stuck on a white screen after booting

Mint 17 looks good, but it's a bit slower than 13? when booting, and may be slow in other ways

currently, graphics instability is a "major" issue with, amongst other things, things being unable to be in the same place at the same time --- there should be a "refresh icon" beside the Inbox on Yahoo mail -- not on mine if I mouse over it

someone suggested keeping Windows 7, and I certainly kept a recovery USB, so maybe ...

still undecided -- got a couple of "viruses" from bad APKs I downloaded, which lead to a lot of problems on my netbook, so ...

at this stage, appears a significant number of disadvantages to any Linux OS for this netbook, but maybe Win 7, especially with Zotero as an extension, is asking too much of it ...

thanks to all

I have HP mini with an N270 processor (dual core, poss daul threads) that runs Ubuntu 12.04 and Debian 7 just fine. I would favour the Debian 7.

Fred.

The N270 does not have an integrated graphics core, but uses Intel's chipset graphics (or Nvidia's, in case of ION mainboards), which is a real Intel videochip and not a relabeled PowerVR chip with basically no real Linux support.

So your experiences sadly don't apply here.

Have you checked this out? http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...xp-4175502495/