Acer Aspire One - Linux Java???

[pritsey]

Hello all, and a Merry Crimbo to you all !

I git my 11 year old son an Acer Aspire One (Linux 8gig version) for xmas and he likes to play PuzzlePirates online. Basically it uses Java and you can either play it via a browser or by downloading the binary. Got the binary downloaded and installed but it hangs when trying to log in - no idea why!

Also the browser version doesn't work either - when you click start, it opens another window which nothing actually appears in - and yes, I've turned off blocking pop ups - any Linux guru's able to help an 11 year old at Xmas!

Ta!

[directhex]

Which Java is installed on it by default? You might have trouble unless you use Sun Java (it might use GCJ by default). Packages for Fedora Core 7 ought to be installable on the AA1's Linpus distro

[pritsey]

The default Java is IcedTea - I actually followed a guide online and got iy working via the browser - all the faffing on makes me realise how Linux still isn't ready for the mainstream yet though - unfortunately....

[directhex]

The default Java is IcedTea - I actually followed a guide online and got iy working via the browser - all the faffing on makes me realise how Linux still isn't ready for the mainstream yet though - unfortunately....

The OS on the AA1 isn't designed for tinkering, it's designed to be used as taken by people with no computing experience - hence above average levels of faff required to do some things.

[pritsey]

The OS on the AA1 isn't designed for tinkering, it's designed to be used as taken by people with no computing experience - hence above average levels of faff required to do some things.

TBH, it doesn't feel that way. My 11 year old son wanted to play PuzzlePirates and some miniclip browser games and it couldn't do it out of the box. Also tried to play some MP4 movies, can't play those either.

[sakib3]

Hi..,

Has any one tried programming j2ee applications on acer aspire one on windows ???

If yes how was the experience??

[aidanjt]

The default Java is IcedTea - I actually followed a guide online and got iy working via the browser - all the faffing on makes me realise how Linux still isn't ready for the mainstream yet though - unfortunately....

None of these are Linux faults. These are purely the result of people considering pseudo-standards as a fact of life, pseudo-standards which require propitiatory software, and manufacturers of such imposing unreasonable licensing conditions that make it impossible to redistribute their stuff. That includes many MP4 codecs. If you want to moan at anyone, moan at Sun, or the MPEG committee.

[pritsey]

None of these are Linux faults. These are purely the result of people considering pseudo-standards as a fact of life, pseudo-standards which require propitiatory software, and manufacturers of such imposing unreasonable licensing conditions that make it impossible to redistribute their stuff. That includes many MP4 codecs. If you want to moan at anyone, moan at Sun, or the MPEG committee.

Whilst I've managed to get Java working and install VLC, it's not a process which I feel that the average person on the street would be capable of - shame!

[aidanjt]

Whilst I've managed to get Java working and install VLC, it's not a process which I feel that the average person on the street would be capable of - shame!

I agree, it could be made easier. But that's Acer's fault for not thinking about that. There's plenty of distros that make it easy to install Sun's JRE, and video codecs. And it would be easier still if all this stuff wasn't loaded with patent and license restrictions, complicating matters.

[pritsey]

Totally. I'm going to persist with it for the time being certainly, if nothing else providing tech support to my son is helping me brush up my skills again, not used *nix in anger since University back in 92-94 when running on Sun workstations!