More Eee…

Yesterday it was time to get the Eee to recognize that fact that it has 2GB of RAM. This turned out to be reasonably easy, though at any given turn I guess I could have bricked the box. Still the instructions are very clear on wiki.eeeuser.com.
The first step was to set up the computer to run in rescue mode. This not only helps prepare the system, you need to be in that mode to install a new kernel, it helps prepare the person doing it since setting up grub for rescue mode is pretty much the same as setting it up for a new kernel.
Once I’d set up rescue mode and tested it (don’t you always test?), it was time to download a new kernel. I’ve compiled kernels before and the idea of having to do it for the Eee either on or off the Eee itself didn’t appeal to me, so I went with the work done by EeeUser forum member eFfeM.
There are three different kernels listed on two different sites hosting the same page, here and here.
My experience was mixed. All three kernels booted and seemed to run the Eee just fine except for using the Sierra USBConnect 881u. I’m not going to link the kernels because the instructions should probably be read, but my experience was…
1. usb/fmlinuz.gz – this kernel is supposed to be more or less “stock” with USB support compiled in. This did not allow me to use the USBConnect card, it was recogized as storage and not as a modem.
2. nousb/fmlinuz.gz – worked fine with the USBConnect.
3. big/fmlinuz.gz – this didn’t work with the USBConnect either and seemed to give a lot of error messages in the log viewable with ‘dmesg’.
Since I found one that worked I stopped and went on to other things.
I will note, however, that I’ve never tried the Eee with the standard 512 MB of RAM. I basically installed the 2 GB card immediately. At first, till I put in a new kernel, it only recognized 1 GB and seemed snappy enough in speed. With 2 GB I don’t notice any improvement, nor does ‘top’ reveal any paging activity for either amount. Both amounts are sufficient. The only reason I can think of to go with 2 GB is that in the future I may go with something that needs it (if I ever bother installing XP for instance, though frankly, I can’t imagine why I’d bother).
Aloha!