RSS| DudeBoyz | Dec 26, 2008 | 2009.1 Alpha |  2 out of 5 |
Buggy. Very buggy. Installation problems and interface problems abound. |
| DudeBoyz | Oct 10, 2008 | 2009.0 Final |  4 out of 5 |
I'm a bit confused by this release. It appears to contain KDE 4.1.2, which is the very latest and the one included with OpenSUSE Beta 2, but there seems to be a problem. There are changes to Panel Settings screens in OpenSUSE Beta 2 that do not seem to be in the final release of Mandrake 2009. I had thought that the changes to the Panel Settings was a part of KDE 4.1.2, so I expected them to appear in the final release of Mandrake 2009, yet they do not. In OpenSUSE Beta 2 with KDE 4.1.2 there are new slider graphics that are larger and easier to understand. They have also placed a Screen Edge control and a Height control on the panel editing area and added a More Settings button that contains the Panel Alignment and Visibility options. All of these changes in OpenSUSE Beta 2 with KDE 4.1.2 are good changes and increase usability, imo. But where are those additions and changes in Mandrake 2009 Final with KDE 4.1.2? I'm just not sure what is going on with this, and it is of some concern to me. KDE 4.x has a long, long way to go in order to even approach the usability and productivity of KDE 3.5.x, but the changes I observed in OpenSUSE Beta 2 are positive steps forward. I wish they were included in Mandrake 2009 Final, and am baffled as to why they are not. Mandrake still has a more full-featured default install than OpenSUSE and works great with VirtualBox 2.0.2 and GuestAdditions right out of the box. So, I do think it still deserves a rating of 4, but with a caveat in regards to the Panel Settings issue. |
| sjc001 | Oct 9, 2008 | 2009.0 Final | 4 out of 5 |
How is it in regards to accelerated video drivers for an ATI HD 2600 Pro AGP 8X and something like Compiz-Fuzion? |
| DudeBoyz | Sep 26, 2008 | 2009.0 RC2 | 4 out of 5 |
Response to Twood: I do agree that Linux itself is more about stability. But remember, the GUI is just a process that runs on top of the OS. You can run and control just about everything you want at the command line. Killing the GUI (CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE) and restarting it (STARTX) is just as easy as opening and closing an application like OpenOffice.org Writer or FireFox 3. So when I'm referring to sluggish and ease of use issues, in my mind I'm only considering the GUI and perhaps the installation processes and performance and I'm not trying to denigrate the underlying Operating System. Mandriva makes its own install, and I'm pretty pleased with the speed of the RC2 install. But the KDE 4.x interface and support applications they load by default is something I feel comfortable criticizing. They may tweak / tune the KDE 4.x setup in a manner that is different than other distributions and may enable certain effects, applications and other processes differently as well. I can tell, for example, that there are different defaults in openSUSE 11.1 Beta than in Mandriva 2009 RC2. I like Mandriva's install better. It asks less questions, seems faster and installs more relevant support applications. In explanation, VirtualBox 2.0.2 Guest Additions loads with no sweat on Mandriva, but in openSUSE 11.1, I have to manually install some Kernel and GNU related options and go through a Kernel recompile in order to get VirtualBox 2.0.2 Guest Additions to successfully install. So while I do agree that the underlying foundation, the actual OS itself, needs to keep the focus on stability, I do think that it is fair to suggest that a particular distribution improve on their installation code and the settings and options for the GUI's they include to run on top of the core OS. Hope that clears it up. :) Mandriva 2009 RC2 Review Specifics As for the Mandriva 2009 RC2 version, it seems to be working well. I'm not noticing much in the way of improved performance yet, but I'm also not noticing any negative developments yet either. I still wish it included FLASH by default because it is such a universally available app and so many sites depend on it, but if you open up Firefox and choose Manual Install when prompted and then choose the .RPM FOR LINUX install, you can click the "Agree and install now" button, select to open it with the Software Installer, choose install and give your ROOT PASSWORD, the FLASH Plug-In install is much less annoying / painful to deal with. Knowing that particular sequence saves me a lot of hassle, but it wasn't provided to my by Mandriva and if Mandriva had included the FLASH Plug-In from the get-go, I would not have had to spend a bunch of time looking for that sequence. Plus, don't you think Adobe would be totally fine with Mandriva including that Plug-In by default? Certainly they would not object to it if Mandriva chose to have it pre-installed, would they? I'd go for a 3.5 if it was available. Perhaps the shipping version I'll feel more comfortable with a rating of 4. UPDATE: IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT IN RC2 There was a bug in RC1 that did not properly save the screen position in a VirtualBox 2.0.2 Virtual Machine with GuestAdditions installed. This bug has been corrected in this RC2 release, and accordingly, I feel comfortable changing the rating to a 4. It is an important improvement that was submitted to them as a bug only after RC1 was released. I hope there is a direct correlation between the bug report and the change in function. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that there is. Well done, Mandriva. |
| Banquo | Sep 25, 2008 | 2009.0 RC2 | 4 out of 5 |
I'm more a Fedora person as far as Linux goes but this is coming along nicely too. Looking forward to trying the final. |
| twood | Sep 12, 2008 | 2009.0 RC1 | 4 out of 5 |
DudeBoyz, Linux isn't meant to be user friendly, it's meant to be stable. Flash is proprietary anyways. And yet I digress. I'm a Gnome fan, so KDE isn't my favorite, but I really like Mandriva as an intermediate GNU Linux. As for the new KDE, I am still getting use to it, its different. |
| DudeBoyz | Sep 7, 2008 | 2009.0 RC1 |  3 out of 5 |
Pretty sluggish, with the KDE 4.1 bogging things down, and not being able to log in as ROOT from the start is annoying. I go to configure system settings and only then will it prompt me to type in the root password. I'd rather be logged in as root the whole time. Dolphin file manager is pretty cool, as is the inclusion of Open Office 3 and Firefox 3. I still think that SUSE has a better overall product. I hope this one improves. Update: I'm a bit irritated by the fact that Firefox 3, which came with this version, does not seem to have Flash installed and actively functional by default. Couple that with an apparent requirement for a manual install of that app, which is not as easy as it would be to do on Windows, and n00bs may indeed be perplexed. Still, I do appreciate much of what this distro does well, and it is in many other aspects, more n00b friendly than some of the competition. I was able to finally get Flash installed for Firefox, but only by the .RPM selection on the plug-in site. Other formats did not install and play Flash, but the .RPM version (of the 3) seemed to work. |
| zenarcher | Aug 22, 2008 | 2009.0 Beta 2 |  5 out of 5 |
Beta 2 is progressing quite well for Mandriva 2009. The KDE4 desktop is quite usable, but requires time for familiarization, if one has not used it before. There are still a few glitches in Beta 2, which have carried forward from Beta 1, such as the Madwifi drivers not working properly yet with at least several Atheros based wifi cards. Dolphin is greatly improved. Not all Mandriva graphics are available yet, but Beta 2 offers a great opportunity to preview what's to come with Mandriva 2009. Again, it's not "production ready," but well worth the time to explore! |
| zenarcher | Jul 30, 2008 | 2009.0 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
For a first Beta release, Mandriva 2009 is quite usable. The new KDE desktop is functioning very well, compared to the Alpha 2 release. There are a few glitches, which are to be expected in a first Beta release, but I'm looking forward to the same excellent experience with Mandriva I've had for the past couple of years of use. While Beta 1 should not be chosen for a primary system, it's well worth the effort to install and experiment with. |
| masinick | Jul 11, 2008 | 2009.0 Alpha 2 | 5 out of 5 |
NOTE: I installed Mandriva One 2008 Spring Edition on my Lenovo 3000 Series Model Y410 laptop - 2 GB memory, 1.6 GHz Intel Duo Core processor. I have not yet had a chance to review the upcoming 2009.0 release in Alpha form, but I intend to do so and provide suggestions for fixes and improvements. Mandriva is as easy as ever to install. The installation is effortless, easy to understand, and fairly quick to complete. The installation was flawless in every way. Similarly, the resulting software was also completely satisfactory. Finally, adding additional update sources was easy and they also worked well, making it trivial to further tailor the system to meet my needs, which it did with the top rating. |
| GrantTLC | Apr 12, 2008 | 2008.1 | 5 out of 5 |
Glorious. Simply glorious. All issues I'd experienced from the betas/release candidates have been eliminated, resulting in a smooth, full-featured, secure and gorgeous distro. I implore anyone thinking of using Linux to download the Live CD and let it make beautiful love to your PC. |
| GrantTLC | Mar 26, 2008 | 2008.1 RC2 | 3 out of 5 |
Some strange issues with this release: The barrier between Root and User actions appears to have been broken; typing SU does not ask for my root password, but simply moves to root-level access! I can also install programs without entering my root password. This may have something to do with the glitch/freeze in the install at this point but a few users on the Mandriva forums have reported similar problems. They've been upgrading the multimedia system which seems to work fine except for in Dosbox, where my previously working sound is now stuttering badly. Apart from these issues, Madriva is a very pleasant distro to work and play in, particularly now the new 2008.1 graphical theme has been implemented in KDE (including the new Fedora-inspired wallpaper that changes colour according to the time of day). Hopefully the final release will iron out these problems. I'm very much looking forward to this becoming the primary OS on my PC over XP. :) (Low mark given for the serious security breach!) |
| zenarcher | Mar 24, 2008 | 2008.1 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
RC2, just as with all previous pre-release candidates of Mandriva 2008.1 Spring, installed and everything configured perfectly for me. Very easy to install, stable and hardware detection is excellent. I've been as pleased with any of the pre-release versions as I would expect to find in a final release. |
| zridling | Mar 20, 2008 | 2008.1 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
nilst2006, just go to the Mandriva site and download via torrent. ________________________________________________ PS: The Mandriva desktop looks nothing like the screenshot above (the real one is much better, and newer). |
| nilst2006 | Mar 5, 2008 | 2008.1 RC1 |  1 out of 5 |
Can't download any file. It starts normal, after a few seconds You have downloaded NEGATIVE % ! Fantastic. |
| zridling | Mar 3, 2008 | 2008.1 RC1 | 5 out of 5 |
What zenarcher said. Mandriva is super easy, broadly compatible with old and new hardware and printers, and unlike some distros, somehow finds the right font tint without further tweaking. Once you use Mandriva, it's difficult to move to something else because everything works so well. |
| zenarcher | Feb 16, 2008 | 2008.1 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
Again, Mandriva 2008.1 Spring Beta 2, is an extremely clean install. Considering there are two more Release Candidates to go before the final release, the progress has been excellent. Mandriva is very easy to install and hardware recognition is excellent. I'd recommend it for anyone wanting to give the Linux world a try. |
| zenarcher | Jan 28, 2008 | 2008.1 Spring Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
Once again, Mandriva shines with the first Beta release of 2008.1 Spring. As with the two previous Alpha releases, installing with the KDE desktop was flawless. Wireless and Nvidia video drivers working right out of the box. Nothing major appears to have been missed in this release. One more Beta and two Release Candidates to go before the final and if this is any indication of the final release, it's a winner! |
| Darkk | Jan 28, 2008 | 2008.1 Spring Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
The best keeps getting better. I've been using Mandriva for years, and this is going to be the best release yet! No problems seeing the Windows drive here (NTFS/FATx) so must be a setup issue. |
| GrantTLC | Jan 14, 2008 | 2008.1 Spring Alpha 2 | 5 out of 5 |
Mandriva's newest continues to impress. This time, the Live CD had Compiz Fusion and PulseAudio enabled by default and once I had installed to my HD so did my installation. The new Nvidia drivers work with compiz to provide a smooth desktop experience, while Pulseaudio allows me to now configure different sound levels for different applications, although I've only seen Amarok using it so far (not Pidgin). A word about installation. I finally noticed that Mandriva installs itself to a separate Partition from the Home directory, meaning this install was blindingly quick and - so far at least - absolutely painless. One complaint: this version now cannot see my windows drive but I'm unsure if this is it's fault or mine. |
| zenarcher | Jan 14, 2008 | 2008.1 Spring Alpha 2 | 5 out of 5 |
As a Mandriva 2008 user, I anxiously looked forward to trying the new Mandriva 2008.1. Thus far, it's been even better than I expected with Alpha releases. Alpha 1 had a minor problem with wireless, which was resolved within a couple of days. Likewise, a minor issue with adding sources. Alpha 2 has shown no problems, thus far. It is at least as stable as I would expect with an RC1 release. The Mandriva install is simple and straightforward. I have installed it on eight machines thus far, ranging from old Pentium III's through 64 bit AMD's and with a wide range of hardware. In all cases, all hardware was recognized and configured. A couple of mouse clicks to choose the proprietary Nvidia driver and my Atheros-based wireless cards and again, everything was automatically configured and working. Over the past three years, I've used OpenSUSE, Fedora and Mandriva...and Mandriva, by far, is the easiest to use distribution I've found. It does everything I want and need, installs easily and package management is simple. This I say as someone who has tried to install Kubuntu and Ubuntu for three years and yet to have managed a successful install. Mandriva just works. Period. Works with my desktop systems, my laptop system and anything I've installed on. KVM switches, wide screen monitors, wireless, multi-function printers...everything just works, right from the install....no tweaking....no command line work necessary. |
| cool_guy | Jan 13, 2008 | 2008.1 Spring Alpha 2 | 5 out of 5 |
Mandriva is a great distribution -- 5 stars! I am using the 2008 edition and has worked perfectly well. Even my brother HL-2040 printer works (using the HL-2060 driver). - My printer was on and all of a sudden I see this message offering me to install the drivers. Using the front end of urpmi Mandriva installed and handled all dependencies automatically. - Software installation is a breeze using the front end of urpmi. All dependencies are handled well. - Fonts are looking great. Crisp and sharp, no more bad fonts. - Plug in a USB key and a dialog pops up just like in Windows offering you choices what you would want to do. - I plugged in my Powershot A520 Canon camera into the USB and again a dialog pops up offering me choices. - My creative SBLIve! sound card works great. Using KMix or something like that it increased the bass, the threble, 3D sound etc. I am quite amazed. - Mandriva came with Nvidia drivers and my CompizFusion works great. Seriously, I am now considering switching from Windows as I am mostly a business application user. Well done Mandriva! To anyone who hasn't tried Mandriva I strongly advise you to try it but try the 2008 edition for now instead of this Alpha release. All of the above observations were noticed on Mandriva 2008 edition (with non GPL-software). Mandriva made me go WOW, not Vista. |
| angrykeyboarder | Jan 11, 2008 | 2008.1 Spring Alpha 2 | 5 out of 5 |
Dear BetaNews, Where o-where did you get that Screenshot? It's not a Mandriva default desktop by any means. |
| GrantTLC | Jan 4, 2008 | 2008.1 Spring Alpha 1 | 4 out of 5 |
For an Alpha, Mandriva 2008.1 offers a remarkable experience, especially for one coming from the Gentoo-based Sabayon! (RPMs for teh win!) I consider myself a novice Linux user, but found no trouble whatsoever using KDE to configure my desktop, deal with hardware - installing graphics drivers and starting Compiz Fusion - and efortlessly install my favourite software, some of which wasn't in the repositories. It even configured my old Canon printer: a first for any distro! Oh, and I haven't had to touch the command line once in the three weeks I've been using it. ;) Clear sound, crisp display, fast and responsive to all commmands -I liked the Mandriva LiveCD so much I junked Sabayon, which I had been using for the last four months. I'm now looking forwrd to the final release with great anticipation! |
| Maverick_16 | Oct 10, 2007 | 2008.0 | 5 out of 5 |
to the super blah, blah, blah guy (SteveJohnSteele): YOU got to be kidding me!!! Mandriva worked perfectly on all the VM progs i have, including VMW6.0... the VM tools aren't even required to run it in a virtual machine... gosh... go read a book or google the thing. Even better, write to VMWare and ask them to fix/update their product. Even more better, go educate urslf before posting a total crap review and affecting the rating of an excellent distro. |
| SteveJohnSteele | Oct 10, 2007 | 2008.0 | 5 out of 5 |
while I agree that my comment is a lot about vmware and not a lot about Mandriva ... the point I'd like to make it that the vmware tools come as a RPM and still dont install without a hitch and if this dont install - what else dont work as a person thats been using Windows XP for sometime - I, (like many other I guess), will try a Linux distro and expect things to run smoothly ... and then when they dont !!! probably leave it Mandriva does look good BUT Linux relys to much of users editing config files and using console |
| jeffonline | Oct 9, 2007 | 2008.0 | 5 out of 5 |
BETANEWS : PLEASE CHANGE THE SCREENSHOT ! |
| Artem Tashkinov | Oct 9, 2007 | 2008.0 | 5 out of 5 |
An excellent choice for people who want to plunge into the world of Linux. Mandriva is a polished, stylish and easy to use distro. |
| Darkk | Oct 9, 2007 | 2008.0 | 5 out of 5 |
The best just keeps getting better. I've been using Mandriva for years and this latest release is one of their best. Do a full install of the DVD or multiple CD version to see the real power and features of this release. The one-CD live version is but a taste of what the full version with all of the bells and whistles has to offer. |
| Skawt | Aug 30, 2007 | 2008.0 Beta 2 | 4 out of 5 |
That's the 1-CD Live version, which you can download and boot from immediately to see if you like it. If you do, you would perform an install to your local system, and it would go through the process of downloading everything else it needed from the internet. |
| bantam | Aug 28, 2007 | 2008.0 Beta 2 | 2 out of 5 |
im a little confused.....this is a 4 cd installation, but theres only one cd to download...where do i get the other 3? please pardon my ignorance... i downloaded the image posted and attempted to install not knowing there were other images needed...but i cant find them anywhere.. |
| marty | Aug 27, 2007 | 2008.0 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
Mr Photoboy: Open source is all about choice - evidently you don't want any choice even if it means using a closed OS that's 6 years old and costs $199. I have Windows also - they are kind enough to send out Beta's for free so I got a copy of Windows 2008 Server. However I mainly use for Outlook (which I got free and with no limit on 'activation' from a guy at Microsoft Tech Support (USA) because he though twice about having me find Registry keys. Have you tried Ubuntu? There are about 10,000 free applications which can be installed in a few minutes. Fedora and SuSe are more powerful and thus a little more complex - but not very much. O- are you going to vote in the upcoming election or let others decide who will "lead" us. Sorry to flame here but I've heard these complaints about Linux a hundred times. Sure Linux likes KDE - but that just his opinion - others are free to disagree. There also a nice desktop called Xfce but you probably would'nt use that either since its 10 times faster than M$. I do agree however with ;your decision to pass on Vista. Maybe I'll buy a MS$ when they come out with their vaporware new WinFS. |
| DudeBoyz | Mar 16, 2007 | 2007.1 RC1 | 3 out of 5 |
I wish they would make a single 32 bit DVD version avail for ix86 instead of putting it on 4 cd's. If I try installing the combo 32/64 bit version off the DVD image in my Parallels under OS X, it only installs the 64 bit version - and that's not what I want to do. Also, I do think that OpenSuse 10.2 has surpassed it as a good default install. Yast is a good tool, Suse handles video better, which is key under a Virtual Machine, and it handles Samba better. I wish Mandriva would get back on top of things and get competitive again. I think the community needs a strong alternative distro like Mandriva. |
| grum36 | Feb 14, 2007 | 2007.1 Spring Beta | 4 out of 5 |
I donwload several Linux distrubs and see what's new , so I enjoy mandriva even when the nvidia driver make me creazy with refrech |
| photonboy | Feb 13, 2007 | 2007.1 Spring Beta | 3 out of 5 |
Hard to rate.. I occasionally load on several Linux distros and see what's up. I especially like the LIVE distro idea. I gave this a "3" by comparing it to other Linux distros and NOT Windows. PCLinuxOS "Big Daddy 0.93" scored the highest on my list. I recently reviewed several Operating Systems including Vista, Ubuntu, Mandrive, OS X and a few other Linux distros. I keep wanting to make the break from Windows but it doesn't look like it is going to happen. Ubuntu looks like it has a great future due to the backing it has. The problem with Mandriva is the problem with Linux in general. They need to offer LESS choices and start to standardize. For example, the Linux Community should make a decision to use only KDE or Gnome. A lot of applications are close, but not quite good enough for my needs. I still want NTFS read/write. *I want to see "double-click" installation methods in Linux. Mandriva, like the Linux community is steadily progressing and some distros like Ubuntu have made rapid progress due to an infusion of cash. The Linux Community has recently started to map out a path for it's future (Linux Torvalds is on the Committee) but I don't know what they've decided so far. Some people may like Linux. I'm still using Windows XP because it works great. I do however, plan on bypassing Vista. Hopefully Linux will be replacing Windows. Video gaming is still an issue though. Linux is going to be an awesome Operating System that will scale to every user and most hardware but it's just not there yet. There's a lot of reasons why Linux should start to develop more rapidly than in the past (including the Sony PS3) but for my needs I think Linux will require two more years. (Uh, DirectX 10 on Linux? I hope so.) |
| robmanic44 | Jan 3, 2007 | 2007.1 Spring Alpha 1 (Hangzhou) | 2 out of 5 |
I've used Mandrake since 6.2 and it was by far the simplest distro to install. Its cost for the pro version are way out of line. If you want simple then Xandros 4.1 is the choice. If you want linux then Gentoo is way ahead of everybody due to Portage. |
| Frostek | Sep 2, 2006 | 2007 Beta 3 "Tyr" | 5 out of 5 |
I find the money I save buying Windows can be spent on nice new PC hardware, making it more powerful than it would be otherwise. :-) And can we see some action from our moderators if it wouldn't be too much trouble? The noise to signal ratio appears to be on the rise. Thanks. |
| bobenhaus | Sep 1, 2006 | 2007 Beta 3 "Tyr" | 1 out of 5 |
it would be nice if everyone would stop bitting and create a OS from the ground up. There must be 1000 veriations of the Linux OS, Unix OS. I believe its about time for us humans to advance and get rid of this OS that is 30+ years old. The BEOS was an revolutionary operating system but never fully matured. Enough said. Have a good day. |
| YankeS | Aug 17, 2006 | 2007 Beta 2 "Odin" | 5 out of 5 |
is good but... on asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe,2x Seagate 320GB RAID0 (on NVIDIA), AMD Athlon 4400+,4x512MB * starting step `setup SCSI` (...) * error illegal division by zero at /user/lib/libDrakX/partition_table/raw.pm line 97 ;(( on vmware is ok ;-) |
| toddhd | Aug 1, 2006 | 2007 Beta 1 "Thor" | 5 out of 5 |
Mandriva has early releases of ISO's to customers who donated money, which enourages people to donate. Having access to those ISO's doesn't mean you that work for Mandriva. For what it is worth, you can always access the latest Mandriva, for free, by downloading the "Cooker" version. That is the open source "in development" version, but you can always get "the latest and greatest" with no donation required. Once the donaters get their early "official" copies, Mandriva then releases them for free anyway, minus any non-open-source code such as some drivers and programs, and that's just a licensing issue, same as any other distro. For what it is worth, Mandriva is still the most feature rich and easy-to-use distro I've tried, and I've tried them all. Power users may whine about it because it "feels like Windows", but Joe average will love it. My mother can use it, and she's 75 and can't figure out how to use a cell phone yet. If she can use it, it's easy. Best driver selection of any distro I've ever seen. |
| cletusbaird | Apr 10, 2006 | 2006.1-0.3 Beta | 1 out of 5 |
The link for available Iso's is restricted and not available to "joe linux user". If you work for Mandriva, which is obvious, since you link to a mandriva only post. How credible is your review? Don't get me wrong, I like Mandriva and the previous Mandrakes...but to blatently post a link for iso's not available to an average user is a waste of time. |
| UTAKER | Dec 27, 2005 | 2006.1-0.3 Beta | 5 out of 5 |
A note to all guys who say that ISOs are not available. Yes they are released sometime after a version is released *freely* If one wants to try that before, you can always install directly from the web since its still available in non ISO form on many official mirrors btw: the free ISOs of Mandriva 2006 are available on the to download too: http://frontal1.mandriva.com/en/downloads/mirrors Drivers have always been limited due to the support from the hardware makers who usually release only for Windows, although it already comes prebundled with many drivers as compared to other distros, even then if you can't find it, one can use compile the drivers if your hardware maker released any drivers? Sometimes one should also complain to the hardware makers to release drivers for other OSes Linux continues to evolve and get better and it will go on for the betterment, lets not stay the old way, see the future and its going in the right direction |
| robmanic44 | Nov 14, 2005 | 2006 Final | 3 out of 5 |
Drivers,drivers, drivers. I just loaded Mandriva 2006 pro and it still has very limited support for anything but serial modems. Way too many bugs and it does not support all rpm packages. SuSE is a bad joke, they are releasing ditros that are not even close to being ready. Novell has major problems. |
| onestar | Nov 2, 2005 | 2006 Final | 3 out of 5 |
Kenjoy, they say at the top of the page that the ISOs aren't available yet, and to check back in a couple weeks. |
| kenjoy | Oct 14, 2005 | 2006 Final | 1 out of 5 |
I go to the mirror sites, via Betanews to Mandriva to download but Version 2006 ISOs do not appear to listed as yet? Am I looking in the wrong place? |
| Mastertsung | Oct 14, 2005 | 2006 Final | 5 out of 5 |
This is the first Distro to support my D-Link Wireless extreme G natively. No sloppy NDIS Wrapper, no half functioning drivers. Out of the box like install great for my needs |
| UTAKER | Oct 14, 2005 | 2006 Final | 5 out of 5 |
It is an excellent distribution unlike what some other users said. BEST for desktop PCs when you talk about linux and excellent for servers too |
| surfbum4fun | Oct 13, 2005 | 2006 Final | 3 out of 5 |
yes Ubuntu is very good,and i think better then mandriva.But suse linux is the best linux o/s out there. |
| summasonnen | Oct 13, 2005 | 2006 Final | 3 out of 5 |
Why don't you guys try Ubuntu? It comes in just 1 CD. You can either download or order free CDs shipped free to your house. I liked it and using it as my main OS after trying Mandriva, Fedora, SUSE etc. |
| Jacen | Sep 24, 2005 | 2006 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
You seriously can not find a better operating system then Mandriva Linux. It has everything. Ease of use. pOwer. Speed. Compatiblity. Good graphics (hey... thats what made Windows popular :P). Great choice of software. Free. |
| agentvenom | Sep 9, 2005 | 2006 RC 1 | 5 out of 5 |
I started nine months ago with no knowledge of linux whatsoever. I am probably considered an advanced user in Windows, since I have used it for upwards of ten years. But, in the spirit of Open Source, I decided to take the plunge and try Linux (why not, it's FREE). I installed then Mandrake 10.2 and loved it. I don't mind the multiple CD's if I can choose what I want. But, the added feature that allows for the CD's to be installed on your harddrive was a lovely addition from my perspective. Also, the use of Easy URPMI beats the heck out of having compiling issues and solving dependencies yourself. I for one WANT the power to choose which software I like the best and try all of them for FREE which is never the case in Windows. I don't want someone to box up my linux the way they think it should be done, I want to set it up the way I think it should be done. The power of linux is that you always have the freedom to choose....Distributions, software, setup, whatever. Mandriva is a slick OS with many neat features and a fantastic GUI in the KDE desktop. Also, who can turn down an OS that doesn't bog down, obtain viruses, spyware, adware, and is most secure than Windows XP will ever be???? Also, some would argue that Linux is hard to learn and Windows is more user friendly. But, remember back when we first learned Windows??? It took a while, nontheless, as linux did. But nine months later, I am fluent in Mandriva and anything I can't figure out, Google solves for me!!!! |
| Darkk | Sep 9, 2005 | 2006 RC 1 | 5 out of 5 |
Three CDs... the actual commercial Mandriva version is 7 CDs and includes a lot of commercial drivers for quite a bit of the popular hardware, as well as complete sources. It's also available in a DVD D/L. Choices... I think Mandriva is doing a good job. YES!, give me choices. There are various ways to do things on Linux because not everyone would choose the same solution. Mandriva would be negligent not to make the well thought out choices available to it's user base. I expect this from them, and I think they're doing a good job. There is also a wide variety of contributed apps available for easy installation using the Mandriva software installer. Using the same tool, updates are a snap. If you want less choice take a look at Mandriva's Discovery version. It's aimed at newbies. Under a Mandriva install you have the ability to choose what you want installed and what you don't, you can also take the typical install and get a reasonable level of choices. I think Mandriva has done a good job here. I also think the Mandriva installer is one of the best. Mandriva, via it's PLF repositories, also makes installing apps that need licensed software, like mp3, Windows codecs, Real codecs, and the like easy. Other distros like SuSE don't include this stuff. Ease of use... not sure I get the complaint on that one. KDE, Gnome, they all work as expected, as they do on any other distro. I consider Mandriva to be easy to use as well as powerful enough for experienced users. It's as easy to configure as any Linux distro, lots easier than some. I have used a large number of distros over the years and watched them evolve (many of them, and experience going back to the 70s for *nix) and Mandriva is still my distro of choice. It's easy enough for new users to get going, and rich enough for experienced users as well. There is also a thriving and helpful Mandriva user community. This is also important. Hewre one can interact with Mandriva developers as well as users of all experience levels. Mandriva 2006 may just be the best Mandrake/Mandriva release ever. I have no connection with the Mandriva/Mandrake organization, other than being a satisfied member of the Mandriva community of users. |
| Sabz | Sep 9, 2005 | 2006 RC 1 | 4 out of 5 |
Slushdot, Why do they need THREE CDs? I don't need 80% of the s*** on there! Slim it down, FFS.... i bet you also dont use Everything in Windows either but its Forced on you to install it anyway whether you want it or not, by downloading 3 CD's worth of ISO's you have a CHOICE at installation of what you want |
| heyupandy | Sep 8, 2005 | 2006 RC 1 | 5 out of 5 |
i used to be a huge fan of mandrake linux but in my opinion since the name change its been goin abit down hill :( dont get me wrong tho...its still gr8, i give it 5 stars coz u get a full os and loads of software with it and u dont even hav 2 pay for it which is gr8...well worth a download tho....just needs a little better driver support, to change that awful name (bak 2 mandrake wud b enough) and perhaps better support for windows games (not that it bothers me 2 much) n i'd rate it up there with windows :) p.s. any free operation system where u can get loads of free software for is well worth 5 stars...anyless is ungrateful....minor problems or not i've read why they changed the name....still fink its awful...hope ya find a better 1 :) |
| war593122 | Sep 8, 2005 | 2006 RC 1 | 3 out of 5 |
What's up with the name change? Oh i see: http://www.mandriva.com/...pr?n=/pr/corporate/2551 |
| slushdot | Sep 8, 2005 | 2006 RC 1 | 3 out of 5 |
Sabz - The problem is: too much choice confuses people. Another thing is most of those programs on there offer similar features to others on the SAME DISTRO. This sends out mixed signals to people. Its like they can't agree on what is the best solution for a given problem, or they just don't know. Makes the whole thing feel very amateur. Maybe in reality, it isn't like that. But its the feeling i get when i see 3-4 CD Linux distros. Come on, Mandriva guys, get your act together! I don't hate you or want you to fail! Quite the opposite! But if you're trying to take on MS, at least make the playing field a little more level by giving us only the best software of each type! No, I don't want choice (in this case)! I want professionals to decide whats best for me! If I don't like it, I go ahead and download what I need! But don't force me to d/l 3 CDs! I'm not the only one who doesn't like it! If you want to help your users, give us a single CD distro with the best hand-picked software, not the entire freshmeat mirror! Wake up and smell the napalm in the morning! Its why people flock to WinXP. At least then you know what you're getting. True, I don't use EVERYTHING in Windows, but then WinXP is only a single CD. (yes, that mis-quote was intentional ;)) |
| jaelanicu | Aug 26, 2005 | 2006 Beta 3 | 4 out of 5 |
Frankly, I'm a little dissapointed. Since it became Mandriva, I was expecting more ease of use and more coverage of the Linux configurations. But it still not coming. And the important thing for me is the full-text-search feature of the KDE Help Center. Why it's not yet configured? I'm having a hard time configuring it which forced me to keep my SuSE. And yes, I'm a beginner in Linux. And the help & documentation files is critical for me. I hope Mandriva realize that. |
| JaDaDowntown | Aug 26, 2005 | 2006 Beta 3 | 2 out of 5 |
Mandriva is still s....! I prefer Suse Linux for the destop computer. I download the latest beta it and Install it on a Intel Pentium EE, it does not work well. Tomorrow i will change back to Suse. |
| similacrum | Aug 24, 2005 | 2006 Beta 3 | 4 out of 5 |
well actually i only use mac osx & linux just to experiment and taste other operating systems. it's all the same if you ask me...windows, mac and linux all need a little bit of consciousness and a lot of configuration from the user and %90 people don't know how to use windows yet :) windows achieves in hardware support & globalization...mac os x achieves in speed & stability...linux achieves in safety & simplicity but if linux gets one quarter of the hacker attention that ms gets it would be very different. i wonder who's going to win this mandriva vs suse battle in the end and by the way maybe google will come up with a lot better alternative...confused |
| LRN | Aug 24, 2005 | 2006 Beta 3 | 5 out of 5 |
Mandr(ake/iva) is good user-friendly Linux OS. " and they don't have their hand out for $$$" - OpenSource means only OPEN software, not FREE software. Besides, you can just COPY ANY OpenSource software COMPLETELY from anyone who already bougth it, because he(she) receives ALL the rights to modify and distribute OpenSource software and it's source code with software itself. You don't need to buy your own copy (if it is sold at all). In this case the only restriction i saw it's "direct download only for registered users" (that's why i download it througth p2p). "Mandriva is OK.. I like Mandrake, but Mandriva seems to have WORSE driver support.." - it's still BETA. |
| UTAKER | Jul 26, 2005 | 2006 0.1.1 Beta | 5 out of 5 |
My Favourite and Best Distr... Keep in mind that it is beta! not a stable or final release so don't complain like that Otherwise, it is a very excellent OS and those who keep yelloing its for $$$, there is a free version of it too |
| surfbum4fun | Jul 26, 2005 | 2006 0.1.1 Beta | 2 out of 5 |
i dumbed it also.but i use startcom. it's a awesome o/s. based on redhat (or fedora). the price is right also http://www.startcom.org/ |
| CyberHobo | Jul 26, 2005 | 2006 0.1.1 Beta | 3 out of 5 |
I dumped Mandriva for ubuntu. Ubuntu is no hassle, easy to install, stable and they don't have their hand out for $$$. |
| wobo | Jul 26, 2005 | 2006 0.1.1 Beta | 4 out of 5 |
I installed the REAL beta version (3 iso images on all Mandriva mirrors) a couple of days ago and it's running smooth as it should. No problems with hardware and/or any other issue. Question to the last reviewer: If your BETA! version did not recognize your hardware, did you write a bug report? Cause, you know, that's what Bera versions are for! If you did not, why did you download and install a Beta in the first place? One more to the site webmaster: A Linux distribution IS NOT FREEWARE! If you don't know what I'm talking about read up on GPL and Mandriva Linux. wobo |
| perhaps | Jul 26, 2005 | 2006 0.1.1 Beta | 1 out of 5 |
Mandriva 2006 didn't recognize my hardware either. Mandrake 10 does. Conectiva Linux the other company merged with Mandrake Co. may be the cause of this bad release.... Wake up Mandriva Developers.... |
| LRN | Jul 25, 2005 | 2006 0.1.1 Beta | 5 out of 5 |
Guys, its BETA, damn you! You can't compare Mandriva beta and Mandrake latest release! |
| midfingr | Jul 25, 2005 | 2006 0.1.1 Beta | 3 out of 5 |
Well I had Mandrake v7.0 and thought it was good for it's time. But these latest releases are hopeless. I haven't been able to install this one as it didn't recognize my hardware; the installation just stopped and I threw the DVD in to the garbage. I prefer Ubuntu as it installs very easy and the support is great. Plus they'll send you free CD/DVDs. |
| imafurby | Jul 25, 2005 | 2006 0.1.1 Beta | 2 out of 5 |
Well the next time I've got 8 hours of band width to spare downloading this thing I might try out out. The link here is kinda slooooooooooow. And I agree with the previous reveiewer re distos getting worse. The latest Ubuntu is a dog compared with the one before. |
| robmanic44 | Jul 25, 2005 | 2006 Beta 1 | 2 out of 5 |
I'm the guy who suggested that Mandriva would be the company that would build the best distro for people switching from Windows to Linux. This certainly isn't it. I run Mandrake 10.1 and it's a lot better than this. Is it just me or are Linux distributions getting worse instead of better? |
| ArabianNight | Jul 19, 2005 | 2006 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
Certainly better than Windows. |
| Ulmo | Jul 19, 2005 | 2006 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
I like it. The most easy free Linux distribution I've tried. I prefer it to Ubuntu for now... |
| gawd21 | Jul 19, 2005 | 2006 Beta 1 | 2 out of 5 |
Switched to Ubuntu for all of my workstation needs. |
| fair_is_fair | Apr 30, 2005 | LE 2005 | 3 out of 5 |
It certainly works well enough - no complaints there. Mandriva (Mandrake) is too commercialized for me. Companies trying to make money from open source rubs me the wrong way. I bet Mandriva, Lindows, and others do not share anything with all the software developers. I prefer to stick with the totally free operating systems as this is what Torvalds invisioned when he developed linux. |
| NinjaOfLove | Apr 19, 2005 | LE 2005 | 4 out of 5 |
TechSys: I suggest getting a clue. The free version will be released within a month. |
| TechSys | Apr 19, 2005 | LE 2005 | 3 out of 5 |
I didn't test it, and refuse to. Why should I pay for a club membership or whatever it's called for an operating system that is based on open source. I fI wanted to do that I would go redhat (the evil empire of the linux world). I did give this a rating of 3 due to it being (mandrake that is) a great os. I don't understand why there is stability issues with kde 3.4, which I have been running since released on pclinuxos 8.1a without any problem what so ever. |
| UTAKER | Apr 19, 2005 | LE 2005 | 5 out of 5 |
update to my review: on May, 3rd 2005 - Mandriva Linux LE2005 i586 ISOs have been released FREE to download! ok guys In reply to: niti and TechSys!!! Kde 3.3.2 has been chosen over kde 3.4 for its maturity. However many bugfixes and some important new features ( kpdf, gdm theme support for kdm ) were backported by the Mandrakelinux KDE team into the packages included. In reply to: Bischoff!!! yes it has a public free version available. members get early versions too but you dont need to be a member to download the free version and once again i repeat, it has a FREE version too here is a link to another review: http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/639 |
| niti | Apr 19, 2005 | LE 2005 | 4 out of 5 |
Yes you are right, You cant download ISO file for now. But you can install it from ftp. http://www1.mandrivalinux.com/en/ftp.php3 I point it as 4 because of it has not KDE 3.4 |
| Bischoff | Apr 18, 2005 | LE 2005 | 4 out of 5 |
Mandriva Linux LE 2005 is freeware? As far as i know you need to be a Mandriva member to download it. And that costs money... The posts following this one will probably contain the word "you are greedy", but still. Don't call it Freeware if you need to pay to download it. Anyho. It's a great OS:D |
| zenarcher | Apr 18, 2005 | LE 2005 | 5 out of 5 |
Here's just a point of information, regarding joining Mandrake Clubs or paying the cost of commercial Linux distros. Most of the expensive Linux distros, including Mandrake, include commercial programs. There are several places one can download distros for free, but often people fail to correctly burn the ISO images. You'll see the question often on tech forums. If you want any full Linux distro, you can get them for $1.50 per CD at: https://www.sarahgifts.c...6c52d096edf3434380cdc10 There is a $5.95 flat shipping charge, no matter how many you order. Also, some excellent, inexpensive manuals for learning Linux. I've used distros from this place for a long time and never received a bad disk. If you don't want to hunt for the downloads or pay the cost of joining clubs, it's a great alternative. No, I don't work for the place, just a long time customer and think it's good information for anyone wanting to try Linux. If you don't see a distro listed, just email and ask them. If $1.50 per CD is too expensive, hunt down the distros and burn your own CD's....or check the prices for purchasing M$ software. |
| thehunger | Apr 18, 2005 | LE 2005 | 4 out of 5 |
Actually SUSE is 5 CDs or 2 DVDs (including source code). Mandrake gets pluses for having better multimedia support out of the box. SL93Pro is a slicker distro, but a lot more costly. |
| gawd21 | Apr 18, 2005 | LE 2005 | 2 out of 5 |
Ok now this is getting just stupid. 3-6 cd's for a simple OS install. Get real.Linux has not even gotten a tenth of that good yet. SuSE is much better than Mandriva and is a heck of a lot smaller. I will stick with XP Pro and SuSE 9.2 thanks. |
| niti | Mar 27, 2005 | 10.2 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
Paulm, try this (Kernel 2.6.10) and get the meaning of the speed. |
| paulm | Mar 26, 2005 | 10.2 RC2 | 1 out of 5 |
I totally agree with fatray and GeneralLeoFF. I installed Mandrake 9.1 a couple of years ago, and found it ran slower than XP on a slowish PC. Celeron @525 with plenty (512) of RAM for that speed PC. Whilst the installed programmes worked OK. I didn't need 3 different CD players, and installing another programme required a degree in geekdom!. Not to mention my experience with enabling sound! It just isn't simple to install and configure like Windows is. Not only is it not suitable for my mother, it's not suitable for me, and I have built many PC's and can tweak/optimise the crap out of Windows 98, W2K, XP or W2K3. But I'm frustrated with Linux. I can't see Mandrake 10.2 being much different. A pity though, because Microsoft need some good competition. Apple Macintosh sure isn't. |
| GeneralLeoFF | Mar 26, 2005 | 10.2 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
I have to agree with fatray. Linux in general is a royal pain in the ass. Simple taskis like installing a program, or changing the desktop refresh rate are a major job. Having to log in and out of root all day long to make any little change to YOUR system is rather annoying, Both the KDE and Gnome desktops are lacking in many major way when you look at them next to the Windows or Mac OS user interface. The way files are plasterd all over the system in a rather un organized fason gives linux an over all sloppy feel that is made worse by the dependencies crap. I dont want to install program B and C that might require program D just so I can use program A. Thats insane and is bad design. The windows DLL system is alot better. However linux is a powerfull and secure OS, only the above problems keep it in the relm of the super geek and I woudlent put my mom in front of it if her life depended on it. Sticking an old lady in front of linux is worst then a slow painfull death. Now This is saposed to be about mandrake though not linux in general. And mandrake as a linux distro is definitly making great strides to get linux out of geek land and try and make it user friendly for everyone and for that they get a high score. Hopefully becose of them and SuSE one day Linux will be fleshed out enough to be as user freindly OS for the masses but that day is not yet here. MS is going to have atleast one more day in the sun with Longhorn but with any luck that will be the last :) |
| sinesolis | Mar 13, 2005 | 10.2 RC1 | 5 out of 5 |
WHAT?!?!? Are you being serious, or was that just a bad attempt at making a sarcastic joke about technophobes??? Regardless, Linux is a great OS. Mandrake is one of the more user friendly versions. It will and has become a more supported OS as it makes gains in popularity. I suggest instead of lambasting it in beta forums you take your complaints to the hardware manufacturer's for not adding Linux support in their boxed driver's. |
| fatray | Mar 12, 2005 | 10.2 RC1 | 1 out of 5 |
I tried it and just couldn't figure it out. Felt like I went back to the old Commodore 64 days. Installing programs is just a total PITA. I tried to install a program and just couldn't figure it out. It wouldn't DOUBLE CLICK AND INSTALL anything I downloaded. You have to follow detailed instructions and if your like me and have never tried Linux before it's near imposable without sitting down for hours searching for directions on HOW TO. Wouldn't install my sound card either, found out how though. I would have to write a program (or something like it) for Linux to configure the sound card. Forget that, never again will I try Linux unless someone sits down with me and tells me why I should waste my time, and then shows me how. I know more about computers then anyone I know “PERSONALY”, Linux made me feel like a complete idiot. |
| Zorbie | Mar 12, 2005 | 10.2 RC1 | 5 out of 5 |
That's funny, I'm using the torrent right now. Copy the link for the b3 torrent and change the end to rc1, or you could just copy and paste this in instead: http://qa.mandrakesoft.c...kelinux-10.2rc1.torrent The website just hasn't been updated yet. I'm excited about this release, it's the first Linux distro in years to have WORKING 3D acceleration for my Gateway Solo 9300 laptop (ati rage m/p 2x) Been using Mandrake on and off since it first came out, though I use SuSE for my laptop right now, once this one is final, I have a new favorite to use. |
| spiffyjeff | Mar 12, 2005 | 10.2 RC1 | 4 out of 5 |
I have always liked mandrake, but am going to give Gentoo a try soon. I don't know why mandrake doesn't include a torrent for their new releases/betas. That way speed would be fairly quick and we can all contribute to the server. |
| gawd21 | Feb 25, 2005 | 10.2 Beta 3 | 3 out of 5 |
Damn could they atleast get a server that will upload it at least faster than 75k? They always host it on such slow servers. In fact most of the time it times out on the download. Only with Mandrake have I ever had this problem. |
| Bobbitchin | Feb 24, 2005 | 10.2 Beta 3 | 1 out of 5 |
Worst distro ever! I installed this and it boots into some lame GUI with no programs, no command line, no console, no terminal window, nothing! Where is Gnome? I told it to install Gnome! I can't even fix it now because I can't get to the command line. I am left with reintsalling as my only option. Shees might as well have installed Windows. |
| alexweber15 | Feb 24, 2005 | 10.2 Beta 3 | 5 out of 5 |
I couldn't agree more with toddhd... this is definitely my favourite linux distro! I game too much to use linux regularly and I like my wxp... but this is definitely the most user-friendly and easisest linux distro to set up... well worth a try if you're curious about linux! |
| surfbum4fun | Feb 13, 2005 | 10.2 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
i installed the Mandrake 10.1 DVD and all i can say is wow, great product. I find myself using WindowsXP less and less at home.(I am forced to use Windows 03 server and XP at work)Linux is the future and I'll keep on using it.Well worth the money to support this O/S.(yes, i paid for the DVD version)Have not tried this beta... |
| toddhd | Feb 10, 2005 | 10.2 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
I've been using Mandrake for years now, and it just keeps getting better. In my opinion, it has the easiest installer, and the best driver support I've ever seen. The packages are always cutting edge, and it has an update feature similar to MS, so that when the "newest thing" comes out next week, you just upgrade. FWIW, I read some of the other reviews here, and people have given it a lower rating because they either don't know anything about Linux (not Mandrake's fault) or they had trouble downloading it via peak hours on a slow connection (also not Mandrake's fault). Please folks, rate the product on it's merits, not on whether or not you are having a "good day". |
| wtigerguy | Jan 26, 2005 | 10.2 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
the link on this site is not working so i don't know how to rate it but i do have 10.0 and would like the new one but when i click on the download it is not there hmmmmm ??????? |
| NinjaOfLove | Jan 26, 2005 | 10.2 Beta 1 | 4 out of 5 |
I would have loved to try this new release, but installation failed to detect my Nyko Airflow mouse. All previous releases have been fantastic, however. I'm a huge Mandrake fan. |
| jhands | Jan 1, 2005 | 10.2 Cooker Snapshot | 4 out of 5 |
Installation in linux(all of them) has always been my weak point and unless mandrake uses an easy installer(urpmi is good though) with latest versions of different softwares, im gonna stick with that no good windows |
| mancub | Jan 1, 2005 | 10.2 Cooker Snapshot | 5 out of 5 |
if you know xp pro you think twice abot linux |
| DigitalSin | Dec 28, 2004 | 10.2 Cooker Snapshot | 3 out of 5 |
This is good, but I think Mepis Linux is going to take over this market for desktop users. www.mepislovers.com |
| noredspoon | Oct 27, 2004 | 10.1 Official | 2 out of 5 |
surfbum4fun, you can't rate one linux distro based on your experiences with another. In my opinion, this one is trash. Maybe I'm a Linux snob, but RedHat based distros, especially Mandrake, always seem more restrictive than Windows for me. I try almost all of the new big name distros out, but I just despise this one. |
| motion_blur | Sep 25, 2004 | 10.1 | 5 out of 5 |
Best Windows-like Desktop-Distribution out there!! great installer, RPM-Manager with GUI (fantastic!!) and all important packages are included (e.g. window-manager). Ohh and i forgot... Free ISO download!! IMHO Mandrake is better than SUSE, which turned from a really good, graphical distribution, into a more or less bad KDE distribution, without some really important packages. Must download all from the internet... And that's annoying! Mandrake is more complete |
| surfbum4fun | Sep 25, 2004 | 10.1 | 5 out of 5 |
I'm using SuSe 9.1 and also Windows server03 right on the same hard drive.i don't know about Mandrake, but the installation with SuSe was flawless.I think Window Server03 as a O/S is better then XP.But then again, I really only use linux.Open sourse vs closed minds...... |
| Ranger187 | Sep 25, 2004 | 10.1 | 3 out of 5 |
pplude92 wrote: On the other hand, with Windows versions 1, 3.1, 95, 98, NT, NT Server, ME, XP Home, XP Pro, XP Server, and Server 2003 beta-all they did was give me problems. =================================== My reply: Your comparing 16 bit os's too? Yeah, that is really fair! ME is not even an OS to me. ME was abandonded from M$ cuz the assclowns knew it was junk. As for having issues with NT/2000/2003 I question your skills/knowledge as an end user/admin (if you are even one). Mind your 2003 is not beta either. I have 2000/2003 running on most of my workstations and before you start flaming, I also run Debian on a few servers as well. Linux has some nice features and so does Windows. But retards that claim Linux is better, or Windows is better need fuking shot. Each OS has it's strongpoints/drawbacks. Stop flaming it's as gay as you. |
| robmanic44 | Sep 23, 2004 | 10.1 Beta 2 | 3 out of 5 |
I'm running Mandrake 10 right now. I have been using Mandrake since 6.5. I have tried virtually every major distro out there including: Suse, starting with 6.4: RedHat, starting with 5.2: Lycoris, Debian, well you get the idea. Perfect, give me a break! Really great installer, no way. Easy file access, iffy. A proxy that even approaches Proxomitron, nope. There are some very good things about running Linux, the installations have actually become much easier than Windows. The graphics and media programs will stand up to anything Windows offers. For the the average e-mail and hunt user Windows or Apple is still the only way to go. |
| likwidv | Sep 4, 2004 | 10.1 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
people need to calm down when it comes to oswars, I use both mandrak 10.1 beta 2, and xp sp2, and niether have been more or less stable then the other, ive never been hacked on either, and in my 15 years of using computers ive only seen a "blue screen" on windows once, and that was in windows ME. if you know what your doing (which most windows users dont) then you shouldent have problems in anything you run. anyways Mandrake is a great product, and I like theve switched to x.org, good looks on thier future :) |
| stevenyu | Aug 24, 2004 | 10.1 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
Go LINUX Go!!! |
| pplude92 | Aug 24, 2004 | 10.1 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
I've been using mandrake since version 6.5. It just keeps getting better and better!!! I've also used Corel 2 Linux, Red Hat Linux 9.0, all of the Lindows (Linspie) releases, and I have to say, they are perfect. On the other hand, with Windows versions 1, 3.1, 95, 98, NT, NT Server, ME, XP Home, XP Pro, XP Server, and Server 2003 beta-all they did was give me problems. As in another post, all Microsoft does is give problems, they dont fix them. I know my Operating Systems and trust me, Linux and/or UNIX are the ways to go. Any questions on the Operating Systems above (I mean ANY) e-mail me at pplude92@yahoo.com |
| Fidelio | Aug 7, 2004 | 10.1 Beta 1 | 3 out of 5 |
Well, that is due the normal attitude of a group of penguin followers... everything related with Linux is the best, anything else is garbage. They think that being aggresive and talking in that way will make people to use Linux... nice marketing strategy ;) |
| veca_man | Aug 7, 2004 | 10.1 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
This has hardly anything to do with a 'penguin followers'' attitude. Should you spend any amount of time reading what I have wrote and what others posted in this review, you would see that the only invasive comment was to come from a person who spent 10 minutes (or so he says) installing an OS that is 2GIG wide!! This is an outrage! And saying that Longhorn is to be Unix-based? What is this guy doing reviewing software? There is no way this guy could make a 2GIG download and spend 10 minutes installing and reviewing! The install itself takes longer! Whether it is Linux or Windows, people should respect, at all times, others' work. Some of us do work in these areas, and are NOT fond of these little skirmiches. Please stick to the review. It's a Mandrake Linux 10.1 Beta 1 review, not a Comparison Chart, especially not a Windows vs Linux one! Long live Open Source. BTW, I do work with Windows, ever since v. 1.0 . Being narrow minded only makes one realize that there is only one way. Avoid this at all times. As FileForum well says: 'Foul language, personal attacks and repeated, or off topic reviews will not be tolerated.' Maybe paying a bit more of attention to what is written. Feel free to remove this comment, and thank you for the opportunity to express myself. |
| allsiante | Aug 5, 2004 | 10.1 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
OFF Aaroniekins, you're a moron. What you say hows simply you inability to learn things that are completely new to you, as your comments show. It's a pity, you will never know what you've missed. And for the record, what you say doesn't prove your point of you being a windows pro either. I have to tell you, I never heard a linux guy complaining of not being able to solve problems. It's windows pro's who complain the most. /OFF I personally don't use Mandrake. My 5* rating still stands, because it's a great distro for newbies, all shiny and clickety-click. |
| tannman1 | Jul 20, 2004 | 10.1 Alpha 1 | 4 out of 5 |
Being a novice user of Linux I found the installation of Mandrake much easier then Windows. I am not here to argue technical issues but my comments are from strictly a normal user point of view. Granted there are some things that are done different and names that are different from what a Windows user is used to. Everything has a learning curve and just like DOS, Windows, OS2 or any other OS that is new the best way is to use it. Experience is a key element and I am confident that given time I will be as comfortable using Linux as I am using Xp. The cool thing about Linux is all the different packages available. If documentation is what you require then perhaps buying a boxed Mandrake with docs and support. Linux may not be the dominant OS now or even the near futire but it's plain to see that it is a player that has a place in personal computing. |
| marcos_cu | Jul 20, 2004 | 10.1 Alpha 1 | 5 out of 5 |
To the poster below, where on earth did you get the ridiculous idea that Longhorn is going to be based on UNIX? That is wrong, it is being based on the NT family just like XP was. As for Mandrake I've been using it since version 9.0 and it's getting better, but it's still a hassle to do many things and there is a lot of hardware and software that doesn't work in it yet. It's slowly getting there though, just give it time. |
| Aaroniekins | Jul 19, 2004 | 10.1 Alpha 1 | 5 out of 5 |
mandrake is probably the most user friendly, but im a pro windows user and a NOVICE at linux, and after 10 mins on linux i was turned off, didnt wanna read 10 page articles on how to install a driver through console and all that, and didnt wanna sit there editing and hunting for config files through a foreign file system Sure it had hardware support, but even their hardware support is LIMITED, my tv wonder card it kept playing sound from even when the program wasnt open games wont run on linux unless theres a port, and the ports look TERRIBLE compared to their windows vers, and theres emulators which are hard to set up By the time linux figures out how to appeal to the new crowds Longhorn will be out, its based on unix, and Linux will be pointless... |
| clyfton | Jul 19, 2004 | 10.1 Alpha 1 | 5 out of 5 |
Ok I am a computer tech, I get paid to install windows into systems. and by your words it means that Windows is not Desktop ready, We have had so many systems come thru that the customers didnt know what the heck they were doing say they know how to install windows and everything was fudged. I have installed Mandrake and a bunch of the others and it can be easier then installing windows on some things. especially when it comes to drivers. installing windows 98 on a brand new system is a hassle because of system board drivers and so on but peiole still want it over windows XP. The easiest OS I have ever seen installed, which wasnt Desktop ready either since it didnt have enough *Killer Apps* was BeOS r5 |
| rijp | Jul 18, 2004 | 10.1 Alpha 1 | 3 out of 5 |
Great. I will qualify the statement "Linux is not ready for the desktop". Its not just someone's desktop, its not ready for mainstream. I have been waiting for years for Linux to finally be intuitive enough to install and use. Its not. Therefore that's why people say its not ready for the desktop, becausse it isn't. For those of us DOS users and Text based programmers, its great. But can you honestly say your grandmother could install it? I think not. My mother isn't very technical, but Windows at least she can stumble through an installation.. just by answering a few questions. Linux.. ha! forget it. Initial installation requires a swap file, file system prep, format/fdisk. THEN you can install it.. now you have to decide which RPM's to install, and configure them. Windows is way easier and Apple even still more so a snap than Linux to install and use. I can prove it.. take a machine, put a hard drive in it (blank unformatted). Take another identical machine same way. Give me a Windows disk and a Linux disk, I guarantee you 8 times out of ten a person that has no idea how to even use windows or Linux will feel more at home with Windows than Linux. They can instantly follow simple instructions (remember, we are talking linux as a whole, not specific versions) and be up and running in 30 minutes or less.. With Linux, if you are one of those say No Way! yes way, I can randomly select ANY version of Linux, not just Mandrake, and then we will see what's what, each one is different from the next.. That's why its not ready for the desktop. Its confusing to the avg user to not only select which version of Linux, but a generic version of Linux is not as easy to use as either Windows or the Mac. Therefore Linux is not ready for the general public.. I like Linux, but it frustrates me that some things are not as apparent on how to do plus.. there isn't that much support for it yet. The a first time computer user.. more times than not they will feel more at home with Windows, because you can buy games and other products for it.. easily. They aren't as easily accessible for Linux. I want office for Linux, Open Office is *NOT* microsoft office. Its compatible, but definately not the same thing, I play WarCraft III ( hugely popular game) ..hmmm not on Linux. Yeah, those two examples alone are a prime reason Linux isn't ready for the desktop. |
| techie_G33k | Jul 18, 2004 | 10.1 Alpha 1 | 4 out of 5 |
"Linux is not ready for the desktop, face it." - WTF dude? 95% of everything I use in Windows can be found as a port or was origanally release under a *nix ditro, so I can use it as a desktop just as easily as I can Windows. Personally I have used Mandrake before and it is very good, though currently I am dual booting between Windows XP Pro and SUSE 9.1 Personal, and I can even make my Cisco 4800 Wireless card work in Linux. --UPDATE FOR ABOVE RESPONCE: True you have points about it "in general" and for "avg user" not being ready,but you can't blame the fact of lack of games on Linux, but instead the programs of the games (heck UT make a Linux port - to bad more of them don't take the time do it). I agree OO is not MS, but it has everything I need in it, so I see no reason to get MS or even use MS, and there is a E-mail client in Linux that is basically the Linux version of MS Outlook. But in general I think we agree :-) |
| crimarti | Mar 14, 2004 | 10.0 | 5 out of 5 |
quote: "...less complicated to run than Windows." Man, you're on drugs or something. Linux is not ready for the desktop, face it. FYI, i use Debian and WinXP. |
| EViL3 | Mar 12, 2004 | 10.0 | 4 out of 5 |
Mandrake has always been good especially so for those just starting out in the Linux world, and this version just helps improve that reputation. And geekz "Children run Linux, old people run Linux", maybe so but its still not ready for the masses. Linux still lacks a coherant and centralised configration centre, although the upgrading of packages has become simpler, its still far to complex and unpredictable; How? well when the upgrade utilities don't work and it takes 2 hours to get KDE manually upgraded to v3.2 because of all the inter-dependancies. Also there is still to much manual editing of configuration files, this ain't a problem for us experienced users, but it is for your average Corporage user they'll see this and shy away. Before its ready for the masses, these issues need to be addressed. |
| NinjaOfLove | Mar 12, 2004 | 10.0 | 5 out of 5 |
Fantastic. I've been using 10 as my primary operating system since the first snapshot. It just keeps getting better and better. |
| geekz | Mar 12, 2004 | 10.0 | 5 out of 5 |
I wish people would qualify this kind of comment: "Linux is still not ready for the desktop." It's not ready for YOUR desktop! The rest of us who use it have no problem. Some of the newer user friendly versions are much less complicated to run than Windows. Children run Linux, old people run Linux. If you're not ready for it on your desktop, run something else. |
| geminiz | Mar 12, 2004 | 10.0 | 5 out of 5 |
please correct, this is not the official 10.0, this is the Mandrake 10.0 Community Edition, which still have few bugs to iron out. |
| robmanic44 | Feb 22, 2004 | 10.0 RC1 | 3 out of 5 |
If you insist on running Linux on your desktop, Mandrake is as good a distro as you can get. In fact I'm running on Mandrake 9.1 now. It is really the only distribution that runs on my system out of the box, but in spite of all the hype, Linux is still not ready for the desktop. |
| utomo | Feb 17, 2004 | 10.0 RC1 | 3 out of 5 |
About the 18 month cycle, I believe because they got problem with last release which having problem who can make LG CDROM damage. I think releasing the version in between final version must be more, so user will not think it is slow in the development. I dodnt know which Openoffice version they include, I hope they include the Openoffice.org 1.1.1b. which is much better than 1.0. Other things need to improve is reduce the installations problems. Use newer Kernel, now we have 2.6.2 instead of 2.6.1. |
| Banquo | Feb 17, 2004 | 10.0 RC1 | 5 out of 5 |
Getting nicer with each release. Never had any problems with the installation of any version of Mandrake; controler sounds like your hardware is not compatible, is junky, or you are doing something wrong. |
| landcross | Jan 28, 2004 | 10.0 Beta | 3 out of 5 |
Anyone know if it is possible to buy this beta on CD?. I would love to try it.... however with a my 56k modem a downnoad it would take me about 90 hours. I rate Mandrake 9 as a 3. -Not yet a good enough replacement for windows, but ever release moves it closer. |
| controler | Jan 25, 2004 | 10.0 Beta | 1 out of 5 |
Even though this build gets me further on the install I will never get Mandrake installed and woeking. I can reinstall it over and over and one time it will install everything and another it gives errors. Even if i get a good install and reboot, I get errors. something about setting init = kernel untill Mandrake can get their install working, NO common computer users and some that have used computers (DOS 7 Windows) will ever admire it. controler |
| yokozuna | Jan 24, 2004 | 10.0 Beta | 5 out of 5 |
H8TEIRIS, I do hope that you speak Chinese, because it is the most popular language (actually a group of languages, just like British English, American English, etc.) in the world. I guess from your words that you speak English only, which obviously is your mother tongue. Am I right? Mandrake is a good distro, very simple in use, and relatively stable. There is only a bug (feature?) that concerns my laptop, the infrared emitter is not recognised by the OS. There are some distros, like e.g. German Suse, that work flawlessly with it. Anyway, I think that Mandrake should be taken into consideration. |
| fliegendreck | Jan 24, 2004 | 10.0 Beta | 5 out of 5 |
Hi - all you rewviers with the unbounded knowledge and the greates wisdom ever concerning linux distributions. Give me one answer, please to this question of mine: does this distribution work on a Radeon 9600 Pro graphic card - ? The SUSE 9.0 doesn't even give me a working VESA base for KDE or gnome. It simply crashes the x-server all the time. MAybe this MANDRAKE gives me a working x-server for my RADEON card . . . |
| Sabre29 | Jan 24, 2004 | 10.0 Beta | 1 out of 5 |
seems to me that mandrake is kinda following in the footsteps of M1cr0$0ft by releasing the oficial release every 18months, next it'll be 24month cycle, has Microsoft bought out Mandrake one wonders? :P |
| NinjaOfLove | Jan 23, 2004 | 10.0 Beta | 5 out of 5 |
Installed 10 and it's working great. All those shiny new components and programs really help. |
| wnowak1 | Jan 23, 2004 | 10.0 Beta | 5 out of 5 |
kimzn, what do you mean by this: "And as for the command line, you manage a whole network with out it" Sounds you don't like the command line. Well, it so happens that its one of the best features an operating system can have. |
| geminiz | Jan 23, 2004 | 10.0 Beta | 4 out of 5 |
To H8TEIRIS: 5% of the world population is few hundred million!! |
| krimzn | Jan 23, 2004 | 10.0 Beta | 5 out of 5 |
If you don’t know much about operating systems please stop posting pointless reviews…Linux is nothing like windows at all, in the first place LINUX is a UNIX clone, and was NEVER intended as a windows clone. KDE and GNOME look a little like windows EXPLORER, but both are totally separate projects that can run on Linux, Unix, Bsd, Mac OS X, and with some supporting applications, even Windows. And as for them being a copy, they look similar, but that is about where it stops. KDE and Gnome are nothing like explorer. And if you don’t like it, and don’t have any constructive reviews to post, keep it unless you can write a better OS. And as for the command line, you manage a whole network with out it. |
| H8TEIRIS | Jan 23, 2004 | 10.0 Beta | 5 out of 5 |
"Okienkowy sposób zarządzania systemem będzie mu zjednywał dalszych entuzjastów. Jest poważnym konkurentem dla komercyjnego Windows. Prosta konfiguracja sieci, sprawne wykrywanie urządzeń /w tym modemów ADSL w port USB/, bogaty pakiet oprogramowania. Godne polecenia narzędzie zarówno do domu jak i do biura. Idealny wręcz system do zastosowania w sekretariacie firmy." WHAT? so now only .5% of all the people of the world know what that says. |
| Jarek.Zrost | Jan 20, 2004 | 10.0 Pre-Beta 20031231 | 5 out of 5 |
Okienkowy sposób zarządzania systemem będzie mu zjednywał dalszych entuzjastów. Jest poważnym konkurentem dla komercyjnego Windows. Prosta konfiguracja sieci, sprawne wykrywanie urządzeń /w tym modemów ADSL w port USB/, bogaty pakiet oprogramowania. Godne polecenia narzędzie zarówno do domu jak i do biura. Idealny wręcz system do zastosowania w sekretariacie firmy. |
| subarulegacy | Jan 14, 2004 | 10.0 Pre-Beta 20031231 | 5 out of 5 |
I think, that will be the best system linux on computers desktop.Will be threat for MS Windows. I wait on premiere :-). |
| L06@N | Jan 5, 2004 | 10.0 Pre-Beta 20031231 | 5 out of 5 |
I have used 10.0 (and have been waiting for a distro with 2.6 kernel) and like it. Works really nice (yes I am being laZy and didn't want to have to load a 2.4.x and then upgrade it - but I had time to sit and wait, so...). SIDE NOTE: If you are not gonna really give a review, but just bash it cause its GUI based I personally think you should keep your review to yourself. Seriously I'd use Slackware (if my laptop could handle it - so far Mandrake only works) as a desktop, and Debian as a server (cause it's just sweet with great security patching speeds), but Mandrake is a VERY good distro and it pretty good at keeping up to date; personally I think every new *nix user (who cares what distro) is a step in the right direction, so to each his own! |
| iguanas | Jan 4, 2004 | 10.0 Pre-Beta 20031231 | 2 out of 5 |
GUI based linuxes (kde and gnome at last) blows. slackware and debian all the way :D |
| daver18qc | Jan 4, 2004 | 10.0 Pre-Beta 20031231 | 5 out of 5 |
As usual, Mandrake did a great job with their new version. I'm just sticking with windows for the games. Game developers should make all their games for Linux too. Sure, there is Atari who made Unreal Tournament 2003 compatible but you just can't play that all day long, it gets boring. There is always Winex (windows emulator to run games) but the performance just isn't as good as if it were 100% Linux. |
| Mogiin | Jan 4, 2004 | 10.0 Pre-Beta 20031231 | 5 out of 5 |
I love it!!! I got v9.1 , and Mandrake is the best Linux I ever used. Installation is easy , and it supports most hardware. I like Knoppix too , so if you want to try Linux , download Knoppix first. And if you like it then install Mandrake... |
| jrepin | Jan 4, 2004 | 10.0 Pre-Beta 20031231 | 4 out of 5 |
Well I just installed it and for a pre beta release it is working very well. I love the responsivnes of the new kernel version 2.6.0 and KDE 3.2 beta is awsome. There are still some bugs so I give it 4 stars. Can't wait for the 10.0 final. |
| AlanS2001 | Jan 3, 2004 | 10.0 Pre-Beta 20031231 | 3 out of 5 |
Hard to see How this is going to be Mandrake Linux 1. |
| Makull | Oct 16, 2003 | 9.2 Final | 5 out of 5 |
Mandrake is still one of the best distros for beginning Linux users, and this new release is no exception. Personally I find this much better then Red Hat. |
| alienvenom | Oct 15, 2003 | 9.2 Final | 5 out of 5 |
Mandrake is a great distribution to use if you're a beginner. One side note to those here at FileForum. The final relese of 9.2 was released as you know. As of now, it is only available to Mandrake Club users, and will be available to all others when it goes retail. With the link provided, you can only download RC2 (release candidate 2 -- very buggy). |
| Safaa_Pro | Oct 15, 2003 | 9.2 Final | 3 out of 5 |
I like the way " OpenSource " of Linux I like the speed, performance & stabelity of Linux Systems ---------------------------------------------------------- But Still Windows EASEAR EASEAR EASEAR ( one-two-three clicks ) |
| manakas | Oct 15, 2003 | 9.2 Final | 5 out of 5 |
Mandrake 9.2 is the best desktop distro out there for the following reasons: a. Features b. Tools c. Speed d. Community support. It is one of the most optimized distribution and comes with the latest and the greatest GNU tools. Being a cutting edge distribution, some programs can be unstable sometimes. However, I am using 9.2 RC2 for a month now and it has been rock stable and I don't even feel the need to grab the 9.2 release, but I might once its available for download in a couple of weeks ;) |
| veloquin | Oct 15, 2003 | 9.2 Final | 4 out of 5 |
First off not to nay say all you people, but here is the deal, if you don't have anything valid to say other than Windows is better, and why doesn't linux stop trying to copy windows interface? Shut the hell up! The idea of writing a review is for usefull information, not meandering crap about how you feel. Get over it, and if you don't like it, don't use it.. Get on with you lives and play microsoft's game. None the less, Mandrake has come a long way from its early days, this newest incarnation is proof to that. Gone are the days of strict command line installation and use. The Gui rules the day. Setup is automatic if you let it, and even most people with limited computer knowledge can set it up. It doesn't run seamlessly, but what OS does? It is highly configureable, and with a little tweaking can do just about anything that windows OS can do, quicker and less bloated. Overall it is a good evolution to a free OS, and I hope to see it continue to evolve. |
| tylerj99 | Oct 15, 2003 | 9.2 Final | 5 out of 5 |
Everyone is allowed to voice their own opinion. If you don't agree with it, so be it. Why doesn't everyone grow up and accept this. Stop harassing people because their opinions are different than that of yours. It ruins the integrity of these forums. |
| Penyles | Oct 15, 2003 | 9.2 Final | 3 out of 5 |
_______________________________________________________ Fidelio In response to your comment- "If Linux is as wonderful as most of you say, why they still copy the Windows interface??? PLease!!! come with your own creativity and UI design team and create a revolutionary new interface for your product..." ________________________________________________ Believe it or not, Microsoft stole the UI from Apple. Apple has had a graphical interface long before Microsoft. I'm a Windows user, Prefer that over Apple, but I like trying out all sorts of software. Just to see whats coming down the line. Competition is good for all. I would give a rating on Mandrake, but I don't have a Login name and password to download this BETA version. If it is freeware why do you have to join a club to test it? Penyles |
| Damador | Oct 15, 2003 | 9.2 Final | 5 out of 5 |
yeah - but what about login/pass ? |
| Fidelio | Sep 14, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
I'm not a fan on Linux and has been using Windows since it exists, seeing how it had become better and better. Linux is a response to this, an alternative... I welcome the fight between Windows and Linux and it contributes to better products on both sides... BUT this is my point: If Linux is as wonderful as most of you say, why they still copy the Windows interface??? PLease!!! come with your own creativity and UI design team and create a revolutionary new interface for your product... |
| Sactownd | Sep 12, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
Why are most of you so friggin childish, if you dont like a product simply state why it does not work for. You guys seem to always want to get personal. The Windows linux fight should not be between any of you anyway. If you are advanced enough to right your own version of linux then get a job doing it. I use xp love xp and think those of you who use linux are help shaping the next wave in computing.... Geez i just wish some of you would grow up and stop being bated into fights. |
| thing2b | Sep 10, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 1 out of 5 |
I still think Redhat is better. You must not have much experience with computers "RedEyes". For your information people around the internet get quite annoyed when information is repeated around the net is repeated. Also I use a combination of redhat and windows. I know what the good points of each are too. If being a geek means that I can get things correct first time and do not screw up on things like input forms, then so be it. |
| RedEyes | Sep 10, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
Thing2b. Obviously, you are a geek. Plain and simple. If you think that by giving out the URL for that micorosft link. Then, I want to know what it is that you're using for writing your message. I bet that you're using a Windows OS. So, either you need to go to the doctors, or reconsider what you have said. Linux might be big in about 20 years time, hopefully you're still around by then. By then, I believe microsoft will only get better. So I suggest that you stick thost URL back up yours ***. |
| eL MaesTro | Sep 10, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 4 out of 5 |
contrary to what many ppl say this OS has made really giant steps in the last 4 years. Improving , Improving a lot, though this not mature enough for the normal person. So if you have alot of time, and want to give this a try, make it. It is good. But if I were you I wouldnt recommend this to your family. Only if you have lots of time and some aspirines. Instead I recommend you Lindows. for techies FreeBSD (only if you have some knowledge). A try is not bad. But for the normal user I recommend you to wait til the year 2010. At that time I have really no doubt this will be perfect, serious. for the server go all the way, for the desktop...eehhrrmmm wait a little more , is better for you. |
| CrazyJay | Sep 10, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 2 out of 5 |
Virtorio & CrazyJay have said everything that I wanted to say. Linux will need to advance a lot faster if they want to more people to use their software. e.g. Actual softwares that runs on it. I'm not talking about simple office package that linux have. You can't even compare that to Windows Office XP. Better support for hardware would be best start for any OS. And since CrazyJay mention it. I have change my rating of 1 to a 2 because Linux is free. Even then, I won't use it. |
| virtorio | Sep 10, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 2 out of 5 |
Terrible. Its almost 2004, lets move away from the command line. I was forced to used this for an assignment, all I can say is holy s*** -- I think I will stick with Windows. For a start the X-Windows would only start with a refresh rate of 65hz, printer refused to work and some of the included software is beyond useless. |
| Makull | Sep 10, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
"I don't sit at home and play on my computer all day long trying to get x-win to boot." I see, so you just try it once and then give up? You should try Linux, it will start up every time. |
| jrcamp | Sep 9, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
deboi, could you be, I don't know, a little more precise? Mandrake has been one of the best Linux distros for desktop/workstations. |
| deboi | Sep 9, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 1 out of 5 |
Personally I don't like this software... Can't get better than Microsoft Windows OS. |
| eletrik | Sep 9, 2003 | 9.2 RC2 | 1 out of 5 |
Slackware all the way baby! |
| NinjaOfLove | Sep 9, 2003 | 9.2 RC1 | 4 out of 5 |
Very promising. I've used Mandrake and Red Hat in the past, dool booted with XP, and my opinion of them wasn't overly high. I downloaded and burned RC1 with the intention of trying it, but forgot about it - until I formatted my harddrive and couldn't find my XP disk. This RC is badass. A bigtime improvement over 9.1 with better hardware support, bleeding edge apps, and a sleeker overall appearance. Thanks to some PLF rpms, I am now completely Windows-free, and I may stay that way. Can't wait for the final. If you like Windows, you'll like Mandrake. If you hate Windows, then Mandrake might only seem like a marginal step up. |
| geminiz | Sep 5, 2003 | 9.2 RC1 | 3 out of 5 |
tylerj99 1. coming back and spending time on reading users review on software u don't even use, makes me wonder how much time you spent on programs u actually use. 2. taking comments too seriusly and personally. 3. instead of save your money with linux and spend money on other life-related matter you decide to offer precious fortune on Mr.Gates. in conclusion. This guy is the biggest GEEK. |
| rwalw | Aug 28, 2003 | 9.2 RC1 | 5 out of 5 |
tylerj99, It has nothing to do with being free (not for me anyways). It is simply trying new and different things. Perhaps for home use, Windows is great for personal use, even in the workplace but there are many other OSes that are just as productive, stable, and secure if not more so. If you're a gamer, then windows is the Os of choice. I like to do more than frag people.... |
| tylerj99 | Aug 28, 2003 | 9.2 RC1 | 1 out of 5 |
I wrote that review to see how many linux geeks would start whining about what i wrote.Thanks guys you proved my point.You cheap screws will only use anything that's free.Linux sucks, always has, but I'll give you this, one day it may be the OS of choice.Not anytime soon though. Don't bother replying to what i wrote this discussion is closed.I don't sit at home and play on my computer all day long trying to get x-win to boot. |
| thehunger | Aug 28, 2003 | 9.2 RC1 | 4 out of 5 |
Mandrake is a great distribution, and I for one would be sad to see it go. Note that Mandrake has had financial troubles, and is actively asking users who like their software to support them by becoming member of their Mandrake Club. BTW this 9.2 version has greatly enhanced support for NTFS, so it can co-exist with Windows without requireing separate Linux partitions. As for the discussion on Linux vs Windows: Linux is definitely a great alternative for office and productivity, but sucks big-time when it comes to games. The problem is with X-Windows which simply isn't designed for that! Anyway, I recommend ANYONE, including Tylerj99, to try out Knoppix (http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en-old.html) - a Linux distribution that boots and runs off a CD, requiring NO installation! Meaning you can try it out, run apps etc. and get a great feel for Linux, then remove the CD from your CDROM drive and your PC is EXACTLY as it was before - untouched by Linux. |
| silvervortec | Aug 28, 2003 | 9.2 RC1 | 5 out of 5 |
I think that Linux, in particular Mandrake, has come a log way and it is the most promising alternative to Windows. The reason Linux is more secure is because anyone can see a problem and fix it. In Windows if you see a problem you can't fit it because it's closed source. The only thing you can do is take advantage of it. Granted XP has lots of features, it should you payed good money for it if you payed at all, but if you need something relable and secure for a business it's not the way to go. Not to mention that it will save you tens of thousands of dollars. Let people have there Windows and their hackers. I know I will go to sleep tonight with out a worry in my mind. |
| paulm | Aug 6, 2003 | 9.2 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
sixfive, It may be "free" only if you download Mandrake which is not practical on a dialup modem, or know someone who can slip you a copy. The CD's cersion still costs, but yes considerably less than XP. I'm not knocking it, just that is NOT more stable than a properly installed XP installation with properly written third party apps and drivers and IS slower on low end systems. This was always a positive with Linux, it's lower system requirements. Maybe some other flovours of linux are useable on lower spec machines? jrepin, “there are a lot of updates but they are not all for linux but also for Linux apps.” One of the same I would have thought! FYI, Windows Server 2003 is outselling Linux in the server market, and it's only been gold since April 24. |
| jrepin | Aug 6, 2003 | 9.2 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
I just installed Beta 2 and I have to say I'm very impressed. It is extremely stable for only a beta OS. Runs fast too. Oh and paulm you can easily get its size down a lot. Just don't sellect the software you don't need just like in... oh wait you don't have a choice of what not to install on Windows XP. And multiple partitions are there for a very good reason (security, keeping swap from fragmenting...). If you haven't find anything that is working better for you then maybe you didn't use it long enough to check all the cool stuff out or maybe you don't need any of the advanced functions. Yup there are a lot of updates but they are not all for linux but also for Linux apps. There is a big difference about this. And at least we get patches fast in Linux. Sometimes it takes ages before Microsft releases a patch and sometimes they don't even release it. Oh and the last time I checked there were a lot more Linux servers then Windows ones so they also get more hacking share. But thanks to its strong securiry there are less reports of succesfull attacks on Linux machines. You have a lot to learn paulm... |
| sixfive | Aug 6, 2003 | 9.2 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
@paulm But its FREE,unlike windows... |
| lordcyber | Mar 26, 2003 | 9.1 Final | 5 out of 5 |
er rather looks good. gotta love those typos still can't wait til we get our copy of redhat 9.0 at the end of the month though :) |
| lordcyber | Mar 25, 2003 | 9.1 RC3 | 5 out of 5 |
looks but but I'll wait for Redhat 9.0 instead. We run Redhat Linux on our systems at work and I'll be able to download the new RH 9.0 at the end of this month a week before everyone else gets their hands on it. :) |
| jamwheat | Mar 4, 2003 | 9.1 RC2 | 1 out of 5 |
It would be nice if it would install on my system like mandrake 6 did....I don't like having to disable serial ports (which aren't used anyway), remove my Nic, geforce 4, USB2.0, etc to maybe get it to install! |
| cork | Mar 4, 2003 | 9.1 RC2 | 5 out of 5 |
THE best linux out there. clean, fats, simple, tons of software included. get it ! |
| IGx89 | Feb 1, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 3 | 4 out of 5 |
I love XP, and don't have the time to play with linux. BUT, I like starting the Mandrake installation, and going to DiskDrake whenever I need to reformat or resize my NTFS/FAT partitions :) It's cheaper than Partition Magic ;) |
| Yeah, ok! | Jan 19, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
Anything!!! That is NOT From MICROSOFT is good ;). Mandrake Linux is Very good. |
| ShellShock | Jan 18, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 2 | 1 out of 5 |
Didn't like Redhat, didn't like Mandrake either. Also, a screenshot of KDE has nothing to do with Mandrake. And last I heard, MandrakeSoft just filed for bankruptcy, so I wouldn't get too comfortable using it. |
| Anacific | Jan 18, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 2 | 4 out of 5 |
whatever_-_: Just because someone's generalizing doesn't make all their statements false. Saying that this and that is for idiots is an absurd statement. I didn't even have to quote anyone in that case. I used RH7 then switched to mandrake 9. I'm yet to try RH8. Mandrake IS unstabled in places and needs more improvements. It's a great distro nonetheless. |
| trapanator | Jan 18, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
one of best linux distributions! |
| jimf43 | Jan 10, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
Having tried Red Hat 8.0 and Mandrake 9.X I can honestly say that both have made a lot of progress in the last couple of years. Are either of them ready for prime time... well???... if so, Mandrake is the one to go with. Features like hardware recognition get better all the time, and, point and click configuration of Samba make the choice a no brainer. |
| veeoh | Jan 10, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
hehe - that was a good troll - sorry! |
| whatever_-_ | Jan 10, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 1 | 3 out of 5 |
Anacific: In making that statement, William Blake was himself engaging in blatant generalization. So I guess it takes an idiot to know an idiot than eh? So what then, therefore, does it make you, espousing the "wisdom" of an idiot commenting on the actions of "idiots"? An idiot, maybe? ,:-) Anyway, to the matter at hand: Mandrake is not good enough yet. It is slow, unstable and buggy, and they really need to do put more emphasis on theming KDE and GNOME in an original and quality way. If I were you, I would try Red Hat 8.0 or, if you want a new beta, try Red Hat 8.0.92 Pheobe (a.k.a. Red Hat 8.1 @ http://fileforum.betanew...tail.php3?fid=954171700 ) Better yet, try Mandrake 9.0 and 9.1 beta, *and* Red Hat 8.0 and 8.0.92 Pheobe Beta. Tell me which you prefer. Some here will reply saying RedHat sucks that Mandrake is better. Don't take my word for it and don't take theirs. *Do* take my advice, however, and try both. You'll know what I mean when I say RH *is* better,and Mandrake still has a long way to go. :-) |
| dmateljic | Jan 10, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
Heh, i saw many comments, but no1 explain is it compatible with new hardware like NV30, ATI 9700pro, or maybe some exotic ATA RAID like Promise FastTrak 2000TX or similar .. My last version of Mandrake ( 9.0 ) didn't saw ma raid disk at all. ( boot from CD ) If anyone have such hardware please test it and drop few line of text 4 me :-) |
| netean | Jan 10, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
"mandrake=linux for idiots" it's comments like that show that linux has an almost impossible uphill struggle in gaining exceptence. Most people's idea of linux is "linux what's that?" or "isn't for geeks, nerds and loser" Mandrake is quite nice and fairly usable but still suffers from some of the "geek" factor that dogs linux... It's (sadly) still not ready for regular users yet, but it will be......someday. |
| Anacific | Jan 10, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 1 | 4 out of 5 |
"To generalize is to be an idiot." - William Blake You know where you fit, veeoh, don't you? |
| WRFan | Jan 10, 2003 | 9.1 Beta 1 | 4 out of 5 |
because of these ph***ing betas and rc releases one never knows what one is really downloading. last time I downloaded mandrake it turned out to be rc3 instead of final version, although I got the link from the official site. they really should release only final versions. the distro itself is definitely perfect, the best you can get, it's free and just as comfortable as suse, which costs me as a student 40 euro (pro version), which is too much for me. still, though mandrake is the most userfriendly linux distro and supports most hardware out there, it still got some probs - e.g., it doesn't support my usb internet wireless device, so I can't access the net when on linux and always have to plug in the cable to my old ethernet card, take the other end to the opposite side of the house and to plugin into the router in order to access the net on linux too, because mandrake only recognises my ethernet isa card, not my usb wireless device. |
| netean | Sep 26, 2002 | 9.0 | 3 out of 5 |
I can't comment on Mandrake 9 but having used Mandrake 8/7 and 6 in the past I can recommend it to everyone that has a fast computer. Mandrake 8 has a great installer, and found all my hardware without problems. The only two things that prevented me from keeping it was the fact that KDE (the desktop - equivelent to windows desktop thingy) was so unbelievably slow. (30 seconds to open a terminal window) and the fact that it doesn't work with my usb isdn adapter (but that's true of all linux distros - they don't work with BT Home Highway boxes in the UK) Download mandrake, have a play, if you've never done linux before you'll be suprised at how nice it looks and how straightforward it is (for most things) I'd also recommend you try Suse 8.0 (or 8.1) - I personally prefer Suse to mandrake but they're both superb! |
| Von Himpfendinckz | Sep 20, 2002 | 9.0 RC3 | 5 out of 5 |
Mandrake linux is just as easy to install as Windows 9x/ME/2000/XP so go out and try it out, and you´ll see a much better OS than windows ever could come up with and it´s totally free too so what more can we expect. Now we just want linux to come up with a distro where it´s just as easy to play games as on windows it would be nice, and if they do ohohh, Windows is history the future belongs to Linux. |
| dmateljic | Sep 2, 2002 | 9.0 RC1 | 4 out of 5 |
Mandrake 9b4 and RC1 still have one minus .. Can't find my Promise FastTrak 2000TX 160 GB :( and Radeon 9700 pro ;( I hope driver will be released until final version .. All other is OK ... |
| bobad | Sep 2, 2002 | 9.0 RC1 | 1 out of 5 |
Very disappointing! The interface is confusing and very counter-intuitive. Programs of this type are for people who are forgetful or not well organized, so being easy to use is an absolute MUST. Although the feature list is quite nice, the poor interface, lack of a few simple keyboard shortcuts, and lack of direct input make this program a real pain to use. This is not meant to discourage the authors. It is meant to encourage them to streamline and simplify access to the nice list of functions. (bobad@charter.net) |
| jrepin | Sep 1, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 4 | 5 out of 5 |
RC1 is already out. Installed it jesterday and it works just fine. And I have WD harddrives (2x WD800JB) and Adaptec AHA 2940U2W SCSI adapter. And Mandrake never wrote anything to BIOS (and any other OSes also don't). You just have to be cerefull to setup boot manager in the right way and not format/delete existing Windoes partitions. |
| larrycox2000 | Aug 31, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 4 | 5 out of 5 |
Mandrake Linux looks like a good distribution. But the last time I installed this distro it messed up my other partitions. Look a while to get everything back. I am a Linux newbie (I am a windows only developer) so your experience might be better than mine. |
| davidtb_2000 | Aug 23, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 3 | 1 out of 5 |
After I loaded it worked pretty good, but I could not get back into windows. It wrote to my bios and screwed that up as well as my HDDs. in FAQs another guy had the same problem. we had simular equipment WD hard drive, Asus MB, 2940 SCSI addaptor I had to erase and reflash my BIOS and reformat my drives from dos then in windows took me 3 day to get back to here. |
| MadEx2k2 | Aug 18, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 3 | 1 out of 5 |
Still gives me the same errors concerning XFree as beta1 did (see my old review below). |
| jrepin | Aug 16, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 3 | 5 out of 5 |
And don't forget it's compiled with GCC 3.2 which makes it more optimised for current CPUs (P4, AthlonXP, *Hammer). And there are things like compliance with LSB standard and new and improved tools. The newest kernel is also here. |
| aeon | Aug 15, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 3 | 5 out of 5 |
ditoa, most important features are Gnome 2.0 and KDE 3.02 And a new installer or something like that. |
| ditoa | Aug 15, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 3 | 5 out of 5 |
So whats new? I hate it when there is no info :( |
| ditoa | Aug 2, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
i hope they wait a while and put KDE 1.1 in with the distro also :) so far it is looking good. It is an excellent choice for new users (and some power users) however most power users will prefer redhat or suse etc |
| xippon | Aug 2, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 2 | 4 out of 5 |
I like this edition of Linux Mandrake, because it's user friendly instalation and easy to configure... |
| stevvie | Jul 26, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 1 | 1 out of 5 |
tried installing twice and the same thing as MadEx2k2 but I have a radeon8500. |
| jrepin | Jul 26, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 1 | 5 out of 5 |
Mandrake 8.2 is the main Linux OS on computers at aour home and it works great. I like the community of Mandrake users a lot and also try to test betas as much as possible and report the problems I have to Mandrake Cooker mailing list. |
| MadEx2k2 | Jul 26, 2002 | 9.0 Beta 1 | 3 out of 5 |
Tried installing 3 times. Everytime I couldn't start X Windows, more specifically XFree was kept failing, it couldn't see my Ti4200. |
| thebrix | Mar 30, 2002 | 8.2 | 3 out of 5 |
Installed and running, from scratch, in 30 minutes - and Linux is getting better and better, with KDE 2.2.2 a huge improvement on the version 2.0 I previously used. 3 rather than 5, though, because people using the Alcatel (now Thomson) Speedtouch USB modem could well become completely confused. Although the installation process appears to install and set up that modem, it doesn't because you have to obtain a (proprietary) file from Thomson's driver package (not supplied with Mandrake 8.2) and copy it to a directory on the Linux partition before the modem will work. This is not made obvious and Mandrakesoft really need to, somehow, persuade Thomson to licence that file. Anyone starting from a clean PC, with Windows removed and no other method of downloading, would be in trouble. All this is especially disappointing given that Mandrake is pitched at new Linux users ... |
| nberardi | Mar 19, 2002 | 8.2 | 3 out of 5 |
You have missed the whole point of why things look like windows. Not because they want to be help by the comfort of Microsoft, but that it is a proven interface that has been researched, and had Millions of dollars spent on the development of it. I am also a debian user, and I have tried other Window Managers but I don't use them because they really don't have any more functionality then windows 3.1. Ok that is my 2 cents, but having a hard to use Windows Manager doesn't really make you any better than the guy that uses a MS like Windows evironment, the only difference is that the second guy is probably more productive with his time. |
| Zyion | Mar 18, 2002 | 8.2 | 4 out of 5 |
I think distribs like Mandrake and RedHat are great for getting people "into" Linux. I can have a fully configed Linux with net, x, sound, etc all setup in less time then it takes me to install Win2k at times. I think the below revewier was a bit harsh on things. I dont think distribs like Mandrake are going for the 'wanna-be cool kids who want to use Linux just to say they do', but they are trying to make a distrib which is geared towards the casual home user who is looking for a serious windows replacement for whatever reason, and not just as some teenage-anti-MS-rebel bullcrap. There are plenty of other distro's out there for that market, and for the "hardcore linux market". Why make a distro ment for hardcore linux users, when there are allready alot out there? The more "avg-joe users" they get using Linux, the more companies will see that there can and will be a Linux market if they make applications / versions geared for Linux, and the more applications that are available, the more people who will use it as "hey, there are good (free/cheaper/whatever) alternatives to windows programs", and over all is better for the Linux industry. IMO, Mandrake currently does *NOT* do a good enough job at this, thus it is a 4 not a 5. The more user-friendly they can make Linux the better, it should not simply be an OS for elitest-computer geeks to run and act all cool as they push up their taped-up glasses saying "heh, I run Linux. Windows is the worst OS ever" |
| Bad Karma | Mar 11, 2002 | 8.2 RC1 | 2 out of 5 |
Failure... I've been using linux for seven years and not only I, but anyone that's used different distros can tell you Mandrake and RedHat are the worst distributions out there. The "ass" of linux, if you will. I've used everything from Debian to SuSE, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, IRIX, and Solaris. If you want a real linux distribution, use Debian. If you want a true *nix enviroment, go FreeBSD. While Mandrake is "user-friendly" (more so than RedHat) and has the best hardware support out of all the distros, it's also riddled with useless packages that no one uses or are out of date. Linux has always been something for the "elite", but distros like Mandrake, RedHat, and SuSE are meant to attract the Windows user that doesn't really know what they're doing by showing attractive X-Windows with GNOME screens made to look as closely as they possibly can to Windows as not to scare anyone off. Why do they do this? So people can "be different" without leaving the comfort of being held in the arms of Microsoft. I'm quite mad at distros like this because they attract people who usually have no desire to learn anything about the mystery that is linux, but when they ask for help and we tell them to open the console, they become scared and try to fix it on their own, usually ending up breaking everything. Mandrake and RedHat are also the most security-flawed and bug-riddled distros of linux. If you're running of the two, you're screaming "hack me!" to the rest of the world. Before the flames start coming of "you're a linux zealot!", I have a Mac PowerBook G4 laptop running OS-X, another machine running Windows 2000 Server (my main machine, this is what I'm using to type this), and a third machine which runs Debian linux. |
| Hit_Amok | Mar 9, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 4 | 4 out of 5 |
Well, the install didn't work for me. It showed up fatal error, and it said something about the RAM. But I'll give it 4 because i've heard good things about the OS and it looks like its workin for others. Besides the link on fileforum doesnt work. I downloaded it from one of mandrakes mirrors! |
| Makull | Mar 6, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 4 | 5 out of 5 |
Linux is completely new to me and after I tried slackware and some others I was about to give up but decided to try mandrake as a last try to grasp the world of linux. I'm glad I did, it's userfriendliness is unsurpassed compared to other distro's. I recommend this distro to anyone who wants to take his/her first step towards Linux. |
| ManiaXe | Mar 6, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 4 | 1 out of 5 |
Im a java-programmer and trust me, stick with the Sun Java plugin and runtime environment. |
| vituz | Mar 6, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 4 | 5 out of 5 |
Mandrake is a great distro for 2 reasons. 1. OpenSource.. I cant stress this enough :P 2. It is trying to create a user friendly distro of Mandrake making linux available to the masses (ALWAYS A GOOD THING!) anything that takes away from a monopoly and gives power to the people is good... Support Linux in any shape or form. cause it is opensource and should be watched as it grows! |
| skybluesmurf | Mar 6, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 4 | 1 out of 5 |
personaly I don't like Linux, It's my personal opinnion and I'm entitled to that. I have used RedHat, and Mandrake. I'd say Mandrake was the easiest to install, but still confuseing for someone that was new to computers. But its a good start for makeing the process easier. |
| espectro | Mar 5, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 4 | 5 out of 5 |
Linux + innovation = Mandrake The most user-friendly distro (and company) of the pack. Please support them |
| errderr | Mar 5, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 4 | 5 out of 5 |
I haven't tried Mandrake in a couple of years (and wasn't that impressed with it when I did). However, just to build on the previous comment - there is another distribution that just came out that appears to be pretty promising as far as ease of use goes. I haven't tried it, but it got praised reviews. It's at http://www.lycoris.com/ It used to be called Redmond Linux and they just changed the name to Lycoris Desktop/LX. I think a good name change. |
| jyyi | Feb 21, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 3 | 5 out of 5 |
Mandrake is an awesome distro for newbies wanting to get a Linux environment up and running as smoothly as possible. It started out as a glorified version of Red Hat, but today it stands out for its ease of use and its constant updating. Hard core Linux advocates may not appreciate the usability functions that Mandrake provides, and I admit, it is getting quite bloated. However, as a workstation environment for newbies, I would go with no other distributions but Mandrake. |
| GimieGimieGimie | Feb 21, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 3 | 3 out of 5 |
Argh! Too many versions of linux. You could try linux and get all confused, or you could stick with simple Windows. I've made my choice... |
| Androo | Feb 21, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 3 | 2 out of 5 |
Mandrake is most definately the best distro for newbies, but only because of its installer. This still uses RPM, a terrible package management system. It's bloated, no matter if you tell it to install just a few things or not ... the system takes forever to boot even on this 1.5GHz/512MB machine. If you want Linux, choose Debian. I just wish Debian would make a better graphical installer (which I hear will be in Woody) |
| InShadows | Feb 21, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 3 | 5 out of 5 |
This is a great OS. Too bad I just installed Beta 2 last night. Now I'll have to download the isos again and start from scratch.. I think they are doing this just to keep me from being ahead. bbhermit - It is Free. You do not have to join and pay to download the isos. Just click on the line that states, "I'm already a member of the Club or plan on registering soon, please send me to the download page now." and it miraculously takes you to the ftp mirror site. Good luck |
| mrp- | Feb 21, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 3 | 5 out of 5 |
This is one of the best Linux distros around, especially for people who are new to Linux. It has a great graphical installer that explains everything, and works great. bbhermit, you said it's not free cause you have to register... Simply clink the link that says "I'm already a member of the Club or plan on registering soon, please send me to the download page now." and it will bring you right to the FTP list. :) |
| ditoa | Feb 21, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 3 | 5 out of 5 |
very nice, not much new from 8.1 but still very nice :) |
| bbhermit | Feb 13, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 2 | 3 out of 5 |
I've heard a lot about this. However, it is listed as being free. Clicked the link, and in order to get to the download page, you have to pay to register to get in their club. That, is NOT free! Granted, it isn't a very high price to pay, but free is free, and anything else, is not. |
| johns713 | Feb 12, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 2 | 5 out of 5 |
I like Mandrake. There are good parts to linux and windows. But I find more and more that any work that does not involve MS office linux does a better job. Have you ever tried to remote login to work? Well linux does it better. Period. |
| debonair | Feb 12, 2002 | 8.2 Beta 2 | 1 out of 5 |
I think badreviews should stick to windows beta's. Go to freshmeat for linux, otherwise there will be too many apps. Also, Debian is still the way to go as far as Linux. Wish I had tried Libranet's version. |
| aeroe | Oct 7, 2001 | 8.1 | 2 out of 5 |
A big bloated mess of an OS. I rather use Win2k over this slow behemoth. |
| bandido | Oct 3, 2001 | 8.1 | 5 out of 5 |
I did not have ANY problems downloading, burning or installing any of the 8.1 versions (the three betas, the RC1 nor the Final version) You must have a problem with your comfiguration or hardware somewhere. Installing Mandrake 8.1 went without a hitch. It recognized all of my hardware correctly (Nvidia TNT2/64 video card, built in motherboard sound chip, Realtek network card, SCSI card, HP 40/16/12 CD R/W drive, Viewsonic 17GA+ monitor) except for my 2 scroll wheel mouse from Radio Shack but it worked fine with the standard mouse driver and the standard scroll wheel mouse driver. KDE 2.2.1 is very stable and fast. well i have a fast computer -Athlon 1.33gHz/512 meg RAM- My cable internet connection worked without any problem and all I had to do was to click on the DHCP box and it setup the connection automatically and without any additional problems. Great work Mandrake. Waiting for Ximian to update their Ximian GNOME desktop package for Mandrake 8.1. Upgraded to Mozilla 0.94 |
| xVariable | Oct 2, 2001 | 8.1 | 5 out of 5 |
I highly recommend this latest version to advanced Windows users that may be interested in a viable alternative to Microsoft on x86. I say advanced users because Linux just isn't there *yet* for the non-technical user. A word of warning: 1) I've wasted at least 10 CDRs trying to burn the Mandrake 8.1 b1, 2, 3 RC1 and now the final release images, due to the files being corrupted. In all my years downloading and burning CD images I've not had such a problem. I've had to resort to checking the md5sum. Obviously Mandrake is doing something wrong, either not running a check on the files they upload to their mirror sites or there is a problem with the ftp servers themselves. If you're going to download, take the time to do an md5sum check, or open the files in iso buster or something. |
