LenvyX - linux optimized for Envy 14

I got notified by email yesterday when LenvyX alpha was released. LenvyX is a linux distro optimized for the envy 14 - a spin off of ubuntu. I tried it on my envy (i5 450m, 60 GB SSD) and found the boot time to be very short, and the battery life was much better at 11W with wireless on and 8 browser windows, and 8.5 W with wireless off, while taking notes.

I didn't find this distro mentioned anywhere in these forums so thought of sharing.

 

Does switchable graphics work? I've read that's been an issue with ubuntu.

 

Yep, looks like it switches to the intel HD graphics card. I'm not able to use the external display but thats mentioned as work in progress for the beta. In my last run I got 4:40 hours with wifi on before going into sleep mode which is great for an alpha release. A different appoach to default software, with dropbox and evernote as part of the image ) . No crashes/failures so far.

 

Wow, that's a pretty nice project!! I run linux as my primary OS on my Envy, I'll definitely check it out!!

Altough, it's hard to let go of the new Ubuntu Natty... . Perhaps the devs of LenvyX could do some sort of script or packages with all the optimizations instead of a new distro? Just a thought.

 

I've been a Windows kid all my life. But if someone here could get a fully functional Linux distro up and running that allows me to use switchable graphics and run all my programs and games, consider me a new Linux member.

 

So essentially you will be sticking with Windows

 

For now, yes. But I'm open to Linux if I can do just about everything I can do on Windows. I hear such good things about the performance.

 

I think you missed his emphasis on "run all my programs and games" . Linux will hardly ever do that

 

That's what irks me. I only play 2, maybe 3 games at a time (Guild Wars at the moment, L4D2 and Batman: Arkham Asylum intermittently). Only programs I primarily use are Office, dropbox, a couple of browsers, winamp, and an antivirus.

 

For Office, there's OpenOffice/LibreOffice, which IHMO is a "thank you, I appreciate your hard work, but it sucks", but still worth a try (you can download it for Windows too). Dropbox works great natively, most of the major browsers too (except IE and Safari... but who would want to run those? ), and there are better alternatives to winamp. Antivirus? You don't need one of those .

For casual gaming, I dual boot. Sounds horrible and tedious, but if you don't take gaming too seriously, it's alright.

 

Arg. Sounds good and all, but I'd rather just keep one OS on a notebook.

 

For those of us Linux noobs out there, would OP mind writing a detailed guide on how to install lenvyx? I would forever grateful.

 

uh sorry im a newbie.
I have a bootable flash stick with backtrack for linux, it won't work because of the graphics thingery haha. How can I get linux to work on my hp envy 14?
Do you know?