[RESOLVED] Perhaps I am asking too much?

acer3500

Sat Mar 07, 2015 6:04:37 pm

Hi,
Thought I would rejuvinate my old Acer 3500 laptop by using zorin.
The installation appeared to go OK, replacement of Win XP install.
Zorin OS boots but no Wireless connection unless Ethernet is plugged in and impossibly slow operation while CPU is at 100%.
I thought this old Acer may be able to run zorin instead of XP but am I asking too much?
Regards

Wolfman

Sat Mar 07, 2015 7:20:46 pm

Hi,

try Zorin OS Lite:

http://distrowatch.com/?newsid=08566

acer3500

Sun Mar 08, 2015 8:47:28 am

OK, I will give that a go.
I did not even see the LITE version was available when I downloaded.
Regards

Wolfman

Sun Mar 08, 2015 10:16:20 am

Hi,

make sure you follow this advice:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4771

See the Zorin Lite guide too:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4835

acer3500

Sun Mar 08, 2015 11:47:01 am

Hi Wolfman
The LITE version does not seem sluggish but I cannot confirm because there appears to be no way to view hardware or system resources in LITE.
Spent the last few hours trying to get the wireless working before worrying about anything else with no success.
Found a few tips about ubuntu on Google, (Search on this forum does not work), but did not acheive any success.
I think I will raise the white flag on Zorin and resort to a cracked Windows 7 that I found in the DVD slot!!!
Thanks for your help.
Regards

Wolfman

Sun Mar 08, 2015 1:32:57 pm

Hi,

according to what I can read from the specs page, (see here: http://www.premiumgeeks.com/laptop/acer ... 500-specs/ ) your graphics card has 64MB of shared memory, the minimum for Zorin Lite is 128MB and the laptop has 256MB minus the 64MB shared memory pushing it (most likely) to its limit:

What are the minimum system requirements that I need to install Zorin OS?: (Taken from the Zorin help page!)

For the Zorin Desktop based versions (not Lite):
1 GHz x86 processor
5 GB of Hard Drive space
512 MB of system memory (RAM)
Graphics card capable of 640x480 resolution

For the LXDE based versions (Lite):
266 MHz x86 processor
2GB of Hard Drive space
128 MB of system memory (RAM)
Graphics card capable of 640x480 resolution

acer3500

Sun Mar 08, 2015 2:03:36 pm

Hi Wolfman
For an old laptop it has a good GPU setup actually.
It's got 1024 RAM and runs Win7 OK and I was under the impression if a computer could run XP then it was likely to perform better with Linux.
I am sure it would run Zorin, (and I would prefer that becuase the cracked Win 7 has a lot of disadvantages), however a newbie does need some technical data to follow and there is very little out there for the novice.
Maybe, if this forum search worked, I could have access to some installation "How To's" that could be studied but I had to resort to going through the posts manually.
The only installation LITE page I found did not even address wireless setup, so with Zorin you really are adrift if you do not know what you are doing.
I don't have time to become a Linux expert so I will have to retreat.
However I really did appreciate your time and effort to help.
Thanks again
Regards

Wolfman

Sun Mar 08, 2015 2:30:37 pm

Hi,

with that amount of RAM; it should run no problem, so I must ask you once again, did you follow this advice?:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4771

acer3500

Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:45:41 am

Hi Wolfman,
I must admit I did not follow the instuctions you refer me to when I burnt the ISO. I did however run the MD5 checksum on the .iso and verified the DVD after burning so I am confident the install was OK.
The install was OK and I was impressed that so much actually worked, graphics, audio, NIC etc all OK. It was the Wireless and Bluetooth that did not load up and that is where the absence of good install manual notes really scuppered me.
I was also surprised that the CPU was running at 100% with the Core version as I thought Linux was less system demanding than Windows in general.
Considering this laptop runs Win 7 and XP I expected no sweat to run Linux.
As I said I am expecting too much I suppose.
Regards
Greg

Wolfman

Mon Mar 09, 2015 2:15:12 pm

Hi Greg,

take your time now you have it installed and run the full system updates and see how it runs thereafter!, take a look at the update guide for the recommended software settings:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2247

acer3500

Mon Mar 09, 2015 4:02:24 pm

Hi Wolfman,
I have got Win 7 on it now but I will try Zorin again over the weekend.
Thanks for your attention, I will get back and let you know how I got on.
Cheers

Wolfman

Mon Mar 09, 2015 5:57:51 pm

Hi Greg,

keep us posted please!.

You can always dual boot?.

Swarfendor437

Tue Mar 10, 2015 7:49:30 pm

If you want to dual boot without screwing your mbr, check out my tutorial video here:

https://vimeo.com/110085401

acer3500

Wed Mar 11, 2015 10:05:47 am

Thanks Swarfendor437, I do not mind single boot because I am only playing around with this old laptop to try Zorin as an alternative to Windows 7.
Thank you for your information.
Regards

acer3500

Wed Mar 11, 2015 10:11:16 am

I re-installed Zorin 9 Core last night and played around whilst studying the guide by Wolfman.
The problem with the 100% CPU usage and unuseable slow response I am thinking may be down to the fact that this Acer has SIS chipset graphics.
I saw a Wolfman post on the forum discussing the poor results with SIS chipset.
I ran top in terminal and I see that Compiz and Xorg are the resource useage when running System Monitor.
The slow graphics, (10 - 15 seconds to open the Start Menu), I think must be down to the graphics drivers not working.
What do you think?

Swarfendor437

Wed Mar 11, 2015 12:47:57 pm

Compiz is resource heavy - true there is a SIS issue with GNU/Linux in general, not just Zorin or other distros!

However, if you are able to - uncheck all parts of compiz in Menu | System Tools | Preferences | CompizConfig settings manager. See if it improves things - you cannot remove Compiz without crippling the system but you can disable effects etc - but DON'T uncheck 'Window Decorations' or you will lose min, max, close buttons!

Xorg is the Display manager so don't lose any of that.

Zeitgeist need not be run either - Wolfman wrote a thread on how to remove this too!

Wolfman

Wed Mar 11, 2015 2:05:27 pm

Hi Greg,

runt he following 2 terminal commands (together as one) and see if things improve:

Code:: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -f

acer3500

Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:09:46 am

Hi Folks
Wll, it appears Zorin Core does not like the SIS chipset.
Using top I see that the resource usage of compiz and xorg only grab all resources when System Monitor is used, other times they are idling at around 5% max up to 20%.
Despite this the graphics are painfully slow opening and closing windows, applications etc.
Zorin LITE works fine except I do not know how to get the wireless working.
The wireless loads automatically on the Zorin Core install and I am wondering what drivers it uses.
How can I discover and install the linux drivers from Zorin Core into LITE?
Regards
Greg

acer3500

Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:14:46 am

I forgot to mention that I loaded Ubuntu and it has the same unuseably slow jerky graphics and CPU thrashing.
I wonder whats missing in Zorin LITE that makes the difference?
Unless it's just the Wireless drivers that are not being used which seems unlikely.
Regards

Wolfman

Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:23:42 am

Hi Greg,

boot the Zorin Lite disk and see if the WiFi works, if it does, when you install; it should load the drivers for you but make sure you are connected to the internet using a network cable or it won't download the additional drivers automatically!.

Do you still have the Windows drivers disk?, if you do, you can use Windows Wireless Tool which is pre-installed in Zorin OS:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7359

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wchimaoe9KE

You can also try using the Additional drivers tool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VVosf9p5GM

acer3500

Thu Mar 12, 2015 9:21:24 am

Hi Wolfman,
Just double checked the Zorin LITE install and can confirm that the system cannot find any additional drivers.
Unlike Zorin Core there is no "System Settings" in LITE but I have used "Updater" and "Additional Drivers" dialogues to try and get more without success.
As I said it was easy with Core but LITE does not appear to have wireless drivers although it runs OK.
I notice that Zorin seems to take a long time to boot up compared with Windows 7?
Is that usual.
Regards
Greg

acer3500

Thu Mar 12, 2015 9:31:40 am

Well,
Continually clicking the software updater appears to have done the trick because by chance I took a quick look on the Eternet connection icon in the system tray and discovered that wireless had installed.
Checked resources and everything OK.
So not the wireless drivers that are the problem in Zorin Core.
I have another Acer laptop and if it has not got the SIS chipset I will try Zorin Core on that.
Thanks for your help, much appreciated.
Regards

Swarfendor437

Thu Mar 12, 2015 12:57:33 pm

Hi, have marked as [RESOLVED]!

Wolfman

Thu Mar 12, 2015 3:25:37 pm

I should have mentioned that the Additional Drivers Tool in Zorin Lite is in: Zorin Lite Menu > Preferences > Additional Drivers:

acer3500

Thu Mar 12, 2015 5:47:50 pm

Hi Wolfman,
Yes I found that.
Spent some time to dig around and became fairly well aquainted with the layout.
I loaded Zorin Core on a similar Acer with an Intel chipset and the problem went away, although it took a while for the wireless to set up.
So it looks like the SIS chipset is the problem.
After a while Zorin Core was running very well.
Thank you for your help.
Regards
Greg

This is a static archive of the old Zorin Forum.

[RESOLVED] Perhaps I am asking too much?