Getting back to basics on this thread, here's my experience of venturing into Linux for the first time, which may or may not help other potential new users. I did have some slight acquaintance with Unix years ago. I have an old Samsung N150 netbook, Atom processor that I used to use for browsing, TeamViewer (indoors) linking to my laptop connected to imaging kit (outdoors), and for occasional HEQ5 mount control and DMK41 solar imaging. It could never be called speedy, but with Windows updates it made watching paint dry a quick fire pursuit. Rather than send it to recycling, I gave Linux a go.
I found a recommendation that Lubuntu would be optimal for my N150 netbook, so after a test booting from usb I went the whole hog and wiped out Windows to give Lubuntu a clean install. It works a treat, boots up quickly and doesn't use up half the CPU just existing. It came bundled with Firefox, also Software Center is handy.
I put TeamViewer on successfully, that justifies the netbook's continuing use.
I installed Stellarium from Software Center, but the recent versions use OpenGL which is not supported by my Atom-based netbook, so I uninstalled it.
Next was KStars with INDI (I had never heard of INDI before). It took a bit of effort – including a fresh Lubuntu install when I cocked up somehow, but I got it running. I am able to control my HEQ5 mount – although it did go a bit wild at first.
I also installed Skychart / Cartes du Ciel, which I normally use for mount control. However, it was unable to connect to the INDI server, and its recommendation to launch INDIstarter was not helped by my being unable to install INDIstarter.
Camera control so far has been hopeless. In KStars nothing has connected except the netbook's inbuilt camera. I have tried ATIK Titan and 314 , Canon DSLR and DMK41 (I have read about problems with Imaging Source drivers). Incidentally, if anyone knows what the KStars Device Manager icon that looks like a blue telephone means, I'd like to know.
I also tried CCDCiel, but couldn't get anywhere with that.
I have no idea if these problems are to do with the limitations of the netbook, or if I have failed to install something or another.
I did manage to have some success with a DSLR using the Entangle app, but doubt if I'll want to use it.
One minor achievement was writing a small script for the screen. Various packages have window panels that are not adjustable. The netbook's resolution is 1024x600, and while in Windows I could change this to 1024x763 for Skychart, etc, I found a better solution in Lubuntu with a .sh script to allow panning across the screen to give me 1040x763 without compressing the display. I just click the script to execute it. The command is:
xrandr --output LVDS1 --mode 1024x600 --rate 60 --fb 1024x763 --panning 1024x763
(a second script reverts it to normal)
GIMP works fine.
Conclusion so far – limited success, could do better.