Mandrake 10.0

[Linux Frank]

In case you haven't heard it is possible to get hold of Mandrake 10.0 Community release.

Get yourself an install of bittorrent, I found a copy on rpmfind.

From shell run

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btdownloadcurses.py --url http://qa.mandrakesoft.com/torrent/Mandrakelinux-10.0-Community.torrent


This worked for me anyway. First time I managed to get bittorrent running.

[Linux Frank]

Well I updated the system. I am still not convinced that Mandrake is good for updates. However I liked what I saw. Much more polished, but I feel Mandrake has know passed that point.

I knew it was coming, but Mandrake has now become the user friendly distro of preference, It is very good for people moving from other OSs, but if you want to keep the configurability of Linux, then this is no longer the way to go. I will probably keep a simple Mandrake install on a partition, for those users that need simplicity at any cost, but I think I am done with this distro, So Long and Thanks For All The Memories.

After updating, I found my printer will spit out a sheet of paper, I don't know if this is a bug in the printer or Cups, but it used to work, so I suspect a bug.

When configuring the update source the list of mirrors will give an error 9 signal 0 reply. The problem is simple. In the URL replace Mandrake-devel with mandrake-devel, and remove the / at the end. If that fails, then remove from the URL everything after the first Mandrake directory. Navigate there and physically follow the tree on the server.

The install was a long time, considering it was an update it took longer than an install. If I was convinced I could save all the settings and return them after install then I would do an installation.

My sound system is still screwed up, but the changes they have made make it work MUCH better, it seemed to release the soundcard properly.

However that was the end of things. My system suddenly reverted to failsafe mode, I got X server login, and only to gnome. I installed 9.2 because I thought that 10.0 had crapped out, but no, my system has finally gone totally unstable. I can run the system from the CD drive by putting Knoppix in, but even that has a tendancy to lock up (sounds like I got an IC hitting thermal O/L somewhere). The motherboard has been threatening for years, so it is no suprise, but I think my HDD has finally had enough of slaving away with sub par equipment, and is heading South.

-- So that is the end of my brief experience with 10.0.

Overall very nice, very easy, but still it is the little bugs Mandrake fails to solve. When it gets them ironed out, Mandrake will possibly rule the home desktop of non-technical users.

[Void Main]

From what I understand the Community release is sort of like the beta release no? Won't this eventually become the "final" release (or a similar name)? If so, it might be worth reporting all of these problems to them so they can get them ironed out before the final release (if they have not already been reported). Just a possible suggestion.

[Linux Frank]

You are absolutely right. It looks as though many of the bugs are up there already, including KDE crashing, but I am reluctant to go much further, as I don't know whether my system is responsible or not for certain bugs. They have Bugzilla and testzilla running for it.

Actually I am kind of ready to leave Mandrake as a playing around system, it just isn't compatable with poking around. Not sure whether I'll use MDK or RH for the production. After playing around I prefer RH but hate their interface (What they did to KDE). But the unknowledgable users are much better off with MDK.

[Doogee]

Have you tried slackware?

It's actually not an "advanced" distro, its very costomisable and very easy to use.

[Linux Frank]

This system has seen various versions of Mandrake, Red Hat, Knoppix, Slackware, BSD, BEOS, OS/2, Peanut Linux, not to mention floppy disk linuxes, basic linux, and there was some other stuff.

I liked slack, but I need to hack apart xfree86 because it looks like crap on my monitor. However my fiancee needs to use the computer for business as well as personal reasons, and so I need a system that is constant, which is why I use Mandrake - She has no problems with it (and actually likes it so that is no bad thing).

[Doogee]

very well, then.

[Lord C]

May i recommend Mandrake 9.2?

Its looks smart, and works well hehe

If you're looking for MDK this is the best version to date.

Mandrake 10community is not good for a home users, more for testers and developers - wait for Mandrake 10 Official Release, which should be around May.

[Linux Frank]

You are absoluetly right. 9.2 is awesome for most general users. It is what I currently use. Although like I say I want to get away from MDK and get deep into Linux, maybe even get invoved in a project - I'd like to test code.

I'd would prefer to see much tighter integration with Mplayer (like making it the deafult media player), and integrating all the plugins, and codecs, etc., and I would love to see Ogle included.

Mandrake was my very first distro ... ahhhh ... and I'd like to break the Apron strings. It is still an important distro, but it ventures away from where I want to go right now.

Dogee: I actually like Slackware, it seems to be a robust and intelligent release, operating on a slightly more intellectual plain - if you like. Just can't get it too look pleasing to the eye, and that is important.

[Doogee]

well it all depends on which window manager you use. or lack thereof. Here is the user interface for my slackware server:

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daniel@doogee:~$

I find this an excellent user interface.

I use gnome on my desktop, which as pretty (or minimalistic) as you want it to be (installing themes is a breeze, no matter which distro you use)

[Void Main]

At work I've gone back to good old Enlightenment for my window manager. We have KDE set up as a default on our Sunray thin clients (hooked up to big Sun servers running Slowaris). There's just something about KDE and I don't quite know what it is, and I used to be a big fan a few years back.

I use the default Gnome/Bluecurve on my Fedora boxes at home but at work I switched back to Enlightenment which used to be my favorite window manager several years back. It's funny, I think the latest release is several years old but I still like it. It's sort of a hybrid between old school configuration with new school looks. I'm comfortable with it where I just never quite feel comfortable with the heavier desktop environments like KDE and Gnome.

Wow, that was *really* off topic. Sorry about that. :)

[Buzza24]

Use Fedora Core!!
Stop using Womandrake and start using Fedora Core!!