Install gOS on the ASUS Eee

We're not sure that you'd want to do it, but it's nice to know that you can do it. If you're really sick of the native OS that came with your Eee -- or you're trying to feel out what a Cloudbook would be like if you could buy one -- you can now install Everex's Google-centric gOS onto your system with little-to-no effort, simply by following this ten point breakdown. You'll need an external optical drive, a wired internet connection, and probably an hour or so, but once all is said and done, you can break free of Xandros and roll deep with the Ubuntu-based gOS. How the software performs on the miniscule laptop we couldn't say, but at least now you can show your friends how truly unique you are.

[Thanks, Tom]

[Mile @ Feb 3rd 2008 6:11PM]

Yes, thanks Tom.

[shoeshine @ Feb 3rd 2008 6:13PM]

Thanks, I've been planning on doing this on a thumb drive to test it out.

[Chebwa @ Feb 3rd 2008 6:15PM]

Wasn't Everex blasted in the majority of their desktop reviews for this OS being kind of crappy?

[JAmerican @ Feb 3rd 2008 6:16PM]

When I get my Cloudbook, XP is going on there ASAP. Nothing against gOS. It just doesn't suit me and my application needs.

[Mike @ Feb 3rd 2008 6:28PM]

is it just me or doesnt that screen shot look like the bastard child of os x and vista?

[Ayle @ Feb 3rd 2008 6:39PM]

no it doesnt: apple is not the inventor of rounded and cartoony looking icons.

[Reader @ Feb 3rd 2008 6:50PM]

Maybe if Ubuntu cheated with one of them.

[Khoa Khuong @ Feb 3rd 2008 7:21PM]

You mean Linux Mint.

[Sauerkraut @ Feb 3rd 2008 7:38PM]

this is a REALLY bad OS

[Kriston @ Feb 3rd 2008 7:53PM]

Yes, the gOS is rather riding on the name of Google in a somewhat dishonest way.
The design of the system, however, is a departure from that you usually find on distrowatch.com.
I hope they succeed.
But I hope they realize the dishonesty of saying that gOS has anything at all to do with Google, which it does not.

[web2.oh @ Feb 3rd 2008 8:00PM]

God damn, Engadget, what's with the hard-on for gOS? Please stop slobbering over anything even vaguely related to Google. As Kirston stated, gOS doesn't have anything to do with Google. They happen to provide easy access to Google's various services, that doesn't make it some miracle Google OS. Knock it off.

[web2.oh @ Feb 3rd 2008 8:00PM]

God damn, Engadget, what's with the hard-on for gOS? Please stop slobbering over anything even vaguely related to Google. As Kirston stated, gOS doesn't have anything to do with Google. They happen to provide easy access to Google's various services, that doesn't make it some miracle Google OS. Knock it off.

[web2.oh @ Feb 3rd 2008 8:04PM]

While I'm bitching like the whiny nerd I am, can something PLEASE be done with the comment system? It's quite broken at the moment. Pardon the double posting above. I hit "Add Your Comments" button exactly once, got taken to a blank page, refreshed, and hey double post! (and if anyone who does webmaster work at Engadget is reading this, this bug happened in Opera 9.25)

[gyffes @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:06PM]

What do you morons THINK engadget should cover? You whine about Apple posts, you whine about eee posts, you whine about gOS posts -- it's a tech blog, chumps. They're gonna talk tech. These happen to be topical issues. When M$ comes out with something worth discussing, I'm sure Engadget will deign discuss that, as well.

Further, the gPC people do NOT say gOS has anything to do with google other than that it rather heavily leverages the google apps to enhance the offerings of the OS. They're quite clear in specifying that gOS has nothing to do with google other than that. Any assumptions otherwise fall completely at your totally misapprehending feet.

Now. Let's read another MacBookAir post...

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:35PM]

Could you put that on a PlayStation 3? It runs Ubuntu and yellowdog...

[Richard Lai @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:58PM]

That's because the GUI of gOS was designed by an ex-Apple designer. It says on gOS's website.

[samnesral @ Feb 3rd 2008 10:21PM]

perhaps more importantly, whats the deal with your picture?

[gork @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:08PM]

This is stupid. This is like saying you can install Linux on a laptop and in reality that's what it is. This ISN'T a story! It's something that's been done by MANY on the Eee and will be done by many on the Cloudbook. Nothing to see here...move along.

As for the looks of gOS, it's simple. It's e17....my least likely Window Manager I would zap on the users that are targeted by Everex.

[Joshua Walters @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:15PM]

I honestly LIKE gOS.

Not because its a great OS, but because it has brought Linux to the mainstream.

My friend who is newer to technology, but not completely inept was talking me to today about Linux! He said that he saw those boxes at Wal-Mart and has heard me talk about it, but had never used it. He wanted to know if it was any good.

Naturally, I said YES! Of course, I told him those boxes suck, but I was able to pass on an Ubuntu disk that I had, and he was planning on giving it a try tonight.

Not to mention, gOS is probably the EASIEST Linux "distro" (or spin off) out there.

I know complete idiots who have been able to use gOS and get online and do the things that they would use Windows for.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:32PM]

But can you install it on the Ps3? Thats all I want to know.

[Paul @ Feb 4th 2008 5:12AM]

Or you could just install full Ubuntu on your EeePC as I did...

Simple step-by-step on my Blog here:-

http://www.internet-tools.co.uk/blog/index.php/2007/11/26/installing-ubuntu-710-gutsey-gibbon-on-my-asus-eee-pc/

[Nathanael Johnson @ Feb 4th 2008 8:36AM]

Back to the whole google thing...they are not "...riding on the name of Google in a somewhat dishonest way."

While it officially has "NOTHING" to do with google, Google DID write some of the applications to be better suited with this package, so they are full aware of the use.

[dvdivx @ Feb 4th 2008 12:37PM]

How about installing a decent higher res screen on the EEEPC. There are plenty of us waiting on Asus to finally get the screen resolution to something decent before we order one.

[Tmask @ Feb 4th 2008 1:52PM]

I like g os it has a great gui... Be careful when u install on a thumbdrive. G will install grub as your bootloader and prevent u from booting into windows if u just use the installer program... I had to learn the hardway ESP since u can't see NTSf drives. I spent 3 days worrying that the install deleted all my files on my hd...

[Chris Lees @ Apr 4th 2008 5:45AM]

@Soopergooman: gOS is compiled for the x86 architecture, not the Playstation's PPC platform. So no, gOS will not run on your PS3. As you have a computer, though, you can test out gOS on your main computer by downloading the disc from www.thinkgos.com. Alternatively, you could install Ubuntu on your PS3 using the ppc version, and then install the Enlightenment window manager on top of Ubuntu, to get similar functionality.