Kubuntu on this laptop?

[Guest]

Hi all, I'm new in this forum and also in Kubuntu. I'm planning to get this ( https://www.asus.com/us/Laptops/ASUS-Vivobook-E200HA/ ) laptop just for study. Can I install Kubuntu on it? I know sometimes Microsoft try to avoid people install other OS. Thanks!!!

[arochester]

https://linuxfetishism.wordpress.com...n-asus-e200ha/

[claydoh]

Basically, you can install Linux on this, but you will have no power management, sound or microphone, and very likely no webcam. There has finally been some progress on sound in the latest kernel , so *maybe* the upcoming 17.10 could be worth checking out. Maybe. If you like to tinker and the laptop is a steal, it still may be worth it to you.
If you like experimenting, check out this website : http://linuxiumcomau.blogspot.com/ This is probably the best resource for Bay Trail/Cherry Trail (like the Vivo) devices.

It might be a solid alternative, imho, to investigate Chromeboooks, as many have good linux support via the customization provided by Gallium OS , who build a custom kernel for their distro that provides support for these devices. It does take a small bit of work enabling developer mode on them, but it is not terrible at all.
I think modern Chromebooks are more powerful than the Vivobook you are looking at, and often have more ram.

I am typing this on a refurb late 2016 ASUS c300sa 13.3 inch Chromebook with 4gb ram, via Plasma desktop added to Gallium's XFCE. I got it for 150 dollars last December. The only non-working thing on it is the microphone currently. Since it is great as a Chromebook on its own, I actually am dual booting it, with Linux on a low profile usb3 stick. As this machine has Android app support, I am sort of floating between 3 worlds a bit. The m ain downside to Chromebooks is that they usually have measly drives on them. Mine has 16gb, but augmented with an sdcard.

The Vivibook and other similar devices (basically Windows versions of old Chromebooks) are TERRIBLE Windows devices, utterly awful. Crappy. With hardware Intel unusually will NOT ever support on Linux.
A shame, really as these Cherry Trail/Bay Trail devices are actually very nice things, despite the lack of ram and linux-friendliness.



*EDIT*
Of course, in support of Chromebooks, I forgot to mention using Crouton to run Linux from within ChromeOS as a simpler option to installing or dual-booting