How do I install linux on a tablet?

[MASONTX]

I just bought a used Fujitsu stylistic 4120, and love it. My problem is that it runs windows xp, and I would prefer to put linux on it, lubuntu or antiX (due to ram). This tablet does not have a cd/dvd player, and the bios doesn't provide for usb booting. How do you install an os on tablets like this? Also, if I do get lubuntu or antix installed, are they compatible with tablet operation?

[rokytnji]

I guess. For Ubuntu (it should not matter if Lubuntu)

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Fu...tylisticST4000

this is in italian so web translator needed in browser

andyblog » Ubuntu Linux sul Fujitsu Stylistic ST4121

For AntiX, since it is based on Debian Testing. I searched for any recent Debian installs. The most recent I could find was Debian 2.2. The packages and how to install and configure touchscreen drivers will depend on the tablets touchscreen chip. Just like if enabling a driver for wireless. The Ubuntu tutorials should apply to Debian also which should apply to AntiX. Any hows. That is my take on it.

I keep on of these external keyboards

Bestlink Netware

and one of these mice

Amazon.com: USB Finger Mouse Optical Laptop Notebook PC 1200DPI: Car Electronics

for troubleshooting and having control over a situation like yours.

if I do get lubuntu or antix installed, are they compatible with tablet operation

That tablet is old enough to where you should be able to get any linux distro to run the touchpad interface with the right /etc/X11/xorg.conf file setup with the right driver and firmware installed for that touchscreen chip. You do how ever. Have a learning curve and journey ahead if you with a lot of searching and reading to do. Good luck with it.

[MASONTX]

Rocky, thanks so much for the link. I had been focused on 10.04 not working, and hadn't considered that 8.04 might work. It may be beyond my present skill, but it will be an interesting ride.

[Rubberman]

I have found that Debian can deal with a lot of weird hardware such as tablets, etc. I run Etch on a PC-104 embedded ARM board for example. I think it runs the 2.6.24 kernel - a bit old, but newer than RHEL 5 which runs 2.6.18.

[MASONTX]

Thanks for the replies. From what I can find out, the newer kernals will handle tablets, but how to get one on a tablet that says it doesn't boot from usb was a mystery. Roky pointed me to a link that claims my tablet will boot from the usb if I lie and say it is a cd drive. What I'm hoping to do, since Roky's link also said it was a little hard to get everything working, is test with a live cd, and dual boot with the installed xp, until I can get all the hardware sorted. Don't want to end up with a door stop.

[MASONTX]

Purchased a usb cdrw drive, and will try that as soon as I get a minute. Meanwhile, I tried several flavors of linux on a notebook with convertible touch screen, and most worked out of the box. Slitaz and another minimalist distro didn't activate the screen, but antix, suse, mandriva, ubuntu, lubuntu, and crunchbang all worked just fine.

[robsi]

This is an interesting thread. I haven't thought that it's possible to install linux on a tablet, but it's an excellent idea. I use ubuntu for my home PC, why not using it also at the tablet? I think I will have to try it (and come back if I fail to install it *haha*)

[jonkiribati]

Yes I was wondering if it's possible to install GNU/Linux on the Asus TF101

[Rubberman]

Well, Android IS a linux distribution. You basically just need to jail-break the device in order to install your preferred software and packages. Because it is an ARM CPU and has a number of specialized devices, you might want to keep using the supported kernels w/ the device drivers you need.

[MikeTbob]

Another idea that comes to mind.
If you can partition the drive, leaving Windows on it's own partition, then you can install Unetbootin in Windows and use that to install a variety of distros onto the newly created partition. Hope this helps a bit.
UNetbootin - Homepage and Downloads