bobpeers -> blog

Since my last post I’ve downloaded the Moblin v2.0 beta img file and installed the img using Virtualbox. It’s easy to install, just use the img file as you would a regular iso file so set Virtualbox to boot from the img file.

The only gotcha is to remember to enable PAE/NX in the general settings, I seem to forget this every time but the boot process stops early on with the warning. I’m also not sure how much space is required for the install but at my first attempts failed with the partitioner complaining that you must have at least 2500 MB for the root (/) partition, I’d say to allow at least 4GB in total.

For anyone that’s used Fedora and the Anaconda installer before it’s all very familiar stuff except for a few removed options (no encrypted partitions for example). The install took about 10 minutes at most.

Once rebooted we arrive at the start page, or m_zone as moblin call it.

I’ll not go into much detail as it’s described thoroughly on the Phoronix site and Ars Technica but here’s a few screen shots of the applications screen, nautilus and a terminal (no it’s not hidden away!).

Many applications are standard Gnome versions but with a modified theme and I think the GUI is very easy to use even to some one totally new to the interface.

Just to note that there seems to be no GUI to shutdown Moblin, instead open a terminal and use:

sudo /sbin/shutdown -h now

The user you created on install is added to the sudoers file so you can run this command by using your normal users password.

Generally it runs OK in Virtualbox, if very slowly, plus there are some issues with the screen resolution as you can see in the screen shots that the top menu becomes ‘squashed’ at the right side and the start screen actually goes of the edge of the screen.

Nautilus

Applications Display

Terminal