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Mandrake Releases 9.1b1, New Packaging Model
DCowern writes "Mandrake today announced version 9.1 of their distribution. While there are some interesting choices for new packages (like kernel 2.4.21pre2 and XFree86 4.3 beta) the most groundbreaking thing about this release is the way in which they decide which packages are "high priority" for development and inclusion in the standard install. Any registered user at MandrakeClub can vote. Their opinion is that no one knows where development effort needs to be spent better than the end-user." Update: 01/10 19:38 GMT by T : That's "distribution."
There is absolutely, positively NOTHING bad about the RPM. It's all in the tools around it. Have you ever thought what would be so special about *.deb if it wasn't for apt-get ? Right, nothing. And you can have apt-rpm for RedHat.
Next thing you know, they'll be making money.
I think these are the innovations that the linux distros need even more than new drivers, other technical advances.
Based on upvotes, Ageism is the only "-ism" Slashdotters care about and think isn't SJW
Mandrake is now sold pre-loaded on millions of inexpensive, high-quality computers at Wal-Mart
Playing devil's advocate here; I'll venture that most of those machines get reformatted with a warez'd copy of Windows.
Trolling is a art,
The line I find most interesting is this one:
I guess since I run it on my desktop, and finally convinced my wife to run it on her laptop, I should cave and make that 19,999 users.
Never confuse volume with power.
"All this is is another way to get more money out of their users."
Download it for free, use it for free. Sounds fair enough to me.
But if you want to have some input as to what actually goes into the distribution, then join the Mandrake Club, which costs money.
Sounds like a great idea as far as I'm concerned, and I wish them luck with it.
I just wish (for their sake) they'd get the Boxed Sets ready earlier (before 90% of their users have already downloaded it for free) - or supply free updates with the boxed sets (maybe slip a "latest updates" CD into packages bought online, installed automatically as part of the installation process), or something else to make them more attractive to buyers. Although it is nice, in a way, to be able to say that supplying extra commercial apps just doesn't cut it anymore (with Star Office being the possible exception) - since the free apps are just too good in comparison.
Although I wouldn't really like to see it, they could also restrict downloading of ISOs to Mandrake Club members only until the boxed sets are ready. But I don't know whether they'd do this - they're pretty committed to the "free"-ness (as in speech) of (Gnu-)Linux.
to remind everyone who has used or is interested in using Mandrake to become a Mandrakeclub member? The Slashdot community has been pretty critical of Mandrake recently, so here is your chance to become a member and do something about the distro you spend so much time bitching about.
.?
Otherwise, people might get the idea that slashdoters are a bunch of whining freeloaders who complain for the very sake of complaining.
Er, or is that me . .
Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
Playing devil's advocate here; I'll venture that most of those machines get reformatted with a warez'd copy of Windows.
If I was aware of that happening, I'd turn them in. Not out of Linux zealotry per se, but because I don't want M$ to have a good reason to squash the market for PCs without the M$ tax.