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Mandriva Linux 2006 Beta Underway
linuxbeta writes "Distrowatch is reporting that 'The beta testing process for Mandriva Linux 2006 is now officially underway. All the new features, which are not yet all included in this first beta version, will appear in the next test versions. You will see changes in the network management, especially WiFi, in security, on the desktop with the new versions of KDE, GNOME, new version of the kernel, GCC....'. Screenshots are available."
and then we would have another story once the beta is out.. but with the same links and screenshots, what we call here a dupe!
"Mandriva Linux suxorz! The best distro is _____ biznatches!!"
"Yeah well all linux suxorz! Windows is teh roxorz!"
"Hey guys wait! MacOSX is linux and it's the best thing god ever handed down to humans!"
"No n00b, MacOSX is BSD."
"Yeah well all BSD's suxorz! Windows is teh roxorz!"
Hmmm witty sig or funny sig? Maybe elitest techy sig!
Sigh. ISO downloads instead of bit-torrents. Maybe they figure the beta won't be popular enough to get lots of downloaders at once, but they still ought to be efficient about it.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
You'll probably want to do the actual compiling on another machine, though.
Overall, though, I'd recommend Debian Stable. Fire-and-forget.
I'd say Ubuntu. I find that it runs better, has better hardware support out of the box and is easier to manage than Mandriva. However, I'm sure this is not always the case so your results may vary. Try them both, they're free and you'll learn something in the process.
Be sure to mess around with Nessus, nMap and Metasploit. They'll teach you a great deal about securing your systems.
/. spaztech
Depends on what you want to do, and if you have a preference for Gnome vs. KDE and/or apt-get .deb files vs. urpmi .rpm files.
.rpm files to download and install new programs and update stuff.
.deb files to install/update programs, and is much easier to use than urpmi in my opinion. It's also harder to "screw up" since it offers you some limited ways to mess things up.
I'm going to presume you want a little desktop/fileserver type thing. Mandriva, once all cds are downloaded, supplies you with everything you need (and plenty you probably won't). The setup is pretty simple, hardware detection in my experience has been good, and is pretty stable. They include their own little GUI configuration tools for hardware detection, server setup, etc., and it can help you transition away from windows. It's default setup is for KDE (although you've got plenty of choices on the CDs) and uses urpmi and
Ubuntu is a little different - the download is only one cd, and it only offers you Gnome as default. (The Kubuntu project, also one CD, offers KDE, and is a "apt-get install" away). Because it starts out so simple, you have to be alittle more knowledgable about linux and how to go about setting things up. Ubuntu also uses apt-get and
And on that note, both distros as I recall , offer livecds to test-drive your system with. Try downloading those and checking them out if you have the time/bandwidth. (But if you don't, go with Ubuntu - they'll ship you cds for free!)
"What do you think?" "I think 'What, do you think?!'"
KDE 3.4 has a lot of visual improvements. But from what I saw in the screenshots, the distribution is nothing more than Gnome and KDE with all their respective logos replaced by a yellow star. They should have placed the focus on their custom management applications and such. Looking at all those KDE screenshots is a waste of time once you've seen them before.
(I really like KDE, I use it every day)
Qui ne va pas à la chasse n'a pas de gibier
PHP Queb
This would be in line with past MS behavior. Microsoft often chooses "sloppy seconds" or "also-rans" as aquisition fare. This is a product of price conciousness, concerns of anti-trust action for snaring market leaders, and a disdain for anything not originating in-house. Past indicators ere were Great Plans Accounting, Interix,Connectix Virtual PC, RAV Anti Virus and Giant Anti Spyware. Mandrake/Connectiva/Turbo, with their miniscule commercial share (they are a sliver of RedHat - which is a fraction of a sliver of MS) is ideal.
The Winix Beta will not yet include Avalon or Indigo subsystems, although a rudimentary transplant of the .NET CLR and frameworks are rumored to be in the works once Redmond fully grasps this beast by the tail. Much of this work has been done on the BSD platform, and reputedly the internal Micosoft build - project Marklar - runs the Avalon-based Windows Dodge Colt Vista interface as flawlessly as XP.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
My opinion below is not exactly on topic for your question, but the end result is that I would recommend Ubuntu. They make a great distro and support it well without being focused on money the way Mandriva has become. And now for the rest of my rant...
--
In my opinion, Mandriva is no longer a viable option for anyone who wishes to try Linux for the first time. It has gone the way of many of the main distros in that they want money before you try. The problem with that of course is that if you decide you don't like the distro, you're still out the cash. Try three or more distros that require payment first and Linux quickly becomes prohibitively expensive for a single user. There is suppose to be a free, limited download of Mandriva available through the Mandriva club (and there is) but good luck finding it on their web site. I finally had to write to their tech support requesting they send me a link to the free "limited" version. Unfortunately for them, by the time they sent me a link to the limited version, I had already installed Ubuntu. Ubuntu works as well as any distro I have tried so far (in fact, better than most) and the Ubuntu community is MUCH less pushy when it comes to financial support.
The bottom line is, with many distros requiring payment up front, Linux is becoming at least as expensive as Windows, if not more so. I personally would not recommend anyone use any Linux distro that requires payment up front, no matter how good it is. If the distro is good, users will support it. If not, they won't. I believe this is what explains how Ubuntu has skyrocketed to the top of the distro popularity list. It is a great distribution and they don't ask for support until after you expect to stick with it. As it should be.
The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
Doesn't it look like Tux just got a beating?e lease=388&slide=22
http://shots.osdir.com/slideshows/slideshow.php?r
Well, you're one of the few who doesn't like the Crystal theme. I'm not hot for it, but I don't find it "a piece of shit". Actually, if I wasn't able to do my own icon themes (and I am not) I'd watch what I say about them. Who knows, maybe you wouldn't like your own work to be called "What a piece of shit".
So you find Exquisite, Edge and d3a beautiful. Have you thought of filing bug reports on their inclusion into mandriva (or your distro of choice)? Perhaps they have some problems that void their use.
Like, what do I know, Exquisite is just the apple icons, and any commercial distro would be sued to bits if they included them?
Like, d3a has serious usability problems: it's too gray and silver, it's not very readable by people who don't see that well.
Edge is a bit too black n' white for my taste, apart from the fact that it imitates the apple icons too.
So, basically, you want a Mac and OS X. This is Mandriva Linux.
"I think it would be a good idea!"
Gandhi, about Internet Security