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."

Comments

entire conversation:

[databyss]

"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!"

First "Where are the Torrents?" whine!

[billstewart]

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.

Re:Ask Slashdot: Ubuntu vs. Mandriva

[Mad_Rain]

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.

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 .rpm files to download and install new programs and update stuff.

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 .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.

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!)

Re:why even bother posting screen shots

[lphuberdeau]

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)