Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you make another fork of Debian to adapt it to the Asus Eee PC?

We don't. ["DebianEeePC"] is pure Debian. It's a CustomDebian project to make Debian work optimally on the Asus Eee PC. Our [:DebianEeePC/Repository:repository] keeps just a few packages which cannot (yet) be in mainstream Debian for some reason.

Do I need a swap partition?

No, not really. The system works well without. The installer will try to convince you, that you do need one, but it´s on you to decide. Putting more RAM into your eeepc is often a better choce than using swap.

How much RAM do I need?
Try it out. You will be surprised how much you can do even with 512MB. But then, RAM is cheap and does not drain too much battery power. So if you can upgrade to 1G (or even more) it is certainly worth it.
What about suspend, if I don't have a swap partition?

Suspend and resume will not work without swap.

Can I put a swap partition on an SD card that I always keep in the card slot?

Theoretically this should work, but at the time being this is asking for trouble. Don't do it. See 468213.

Do I need the EFI partition or is it safe to delete?

It's safe to delete that, debian won't need it. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EFI_System_Partition).

Can I make a test install on removable media without changing the existing OS?
Yes. See ["DebianEeePC/HowTo/InstallOnSDcardOrUsbStick"].
Can I install *to* an USB harddrive in an external case?

Probably yes. (ToDo: would have to be tested.) Expect the same confusing device name changes as outlined in [:DebianEeePC/HowTo/InstallOnSDcardOrUsbStick:installing to USB flash media]. You will probably have to fix the installation before booting as outlined there.

Can I put the *installer* on an external hardrive ond start installation *from* there?

If you want to use your drive in "superfloppy" mode (i.e. without partition table etc.) it should work. But who would like to? (Press <esc> on bootup and select your external drive to boot from, if you want to do it.)

Can I install from an external CDROM drive?

No, installation (or booting) from a CDROM drive in an external USB case doesn't work (tested). This has nothing to do with the OS, but is a question of the BIOS.

My system takes too much space on the flash drive. How can I make it smaller?
The Debian eeepc system leaves you all the freedom to install/uninstall the software packages you want. For suggestions of lightweight packages see ["DebianEeePC/Software"]. ["DebianEeePC/TipsAndTricks"] gives instructions how to make your systems footprint smaller.
Where can I get help?

Your questions are welcome on our IRC channel #debian-eeepc at oftc (irc://irc.oftc.net/#debian-eeepc ) or the [http://alioth.debian.org/mail/?group_id=31309 mailing list]. Please do read the information given in our wiki pages first. Feel free to come back later and edit the wiki, if your question was not answered here.

Where is the FAQ?

This is the FAQ! Why didnt you read the FAQ before asking?