It just got way easier to install Ubuntu MATE on the GPD Pocket mini-laptops.
Announced alongside the standard Ubuntu MATE 18.10 release, project lead Martin WImpress has unveiled a set of bespoke images built specifically for use with the GPD Pocket machines, in both their first and second-gen guises.
The 7-inch crowdfunded portables have proven a big hit thanks to their canny combination of decent specs, high-res touch-screen, and intimately sized proportions.
And as you’d expect from any gadget that goes down well with geeks, the little laptops have built up a strong community of enthusiasts and users who like to run Linux on them.
And it’s for those people whom these new images cater.
Ubuntu MATE for the GPD Pocket
Ubuntu MATE 18.04 LTS doesn’t work on the original GPD Pocket out of the box.
Heck, installing any flavour of Linux can be involved. You need to use a custom image, make certain configuration changes, edit a file here and there, and (if you’re a first-gen owner) get Wi-Fi working.
These headaches are perhaps why GPD chose not to flog their second-gen unit with Ubuntu pre-loaded!
Enter the pros
Ubuntu MATE 18.10 for the GPD Pocket and GPD Pocket 2 is a vanilla install with some appetising sprinkles on top.
For one, the images are tailored for the GPD machines specifically, incorporating a set of tweaks that dramatically improve the experience of using a deft distro on a diminutive device like this.
These tweaks include:
- Rotation patches
- Larger console fonts
- Scaled login screen
- Working Wi-Fi
To make the devices usable the Ubuntu MATE desktop session is scaled at 66% by default. This gives owners of the devices a working resolution of 1280×800 — which means the 7-inch 1920×1200 panel is kinder on the eyes!
The scaling factor can be disabled should anyone want to squint at enjoy the GPD’s full resolution.
Download Ubuntu MATE 18.10 for GPD Pocket
If you’re pals with a GPD Pocket do try the images out and let Martin and the rest of the Ubuntu MATE community know how you much you like them. Support is provided through the Ubuntu MATE community forum.
For more details head on over the Ubuntu MATE website, where you’ll find downloads.