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Review: Mandriva Limited Edition 2005
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CommentsShortly after announcing the merger of Mandrakesoft and Conectiva into Mandriva, the newly combined company released a transitional "limited edition" GNU/Linux distribution to bridge the gap between the two parent distributions. Mandriva Limited Edition 2005 may look a little different, but it's the same great Mandrakelinux desktop distribution that you're used to.
Mandriva has changed more cosmetically in this version than Mandrakelinux has in the past several releases. While the Galaxy theme is still the default, there are new splash screens and graphical changes here and there that make you feel like you're using a different -- or at least newer -- distribution.
Mandriva is, as Mandrake was, a user-friendly desktop distribution that focuses on providing the newest tested software available. Mandriva Linux presents a themed KDE-based desktop with intelligently designed, easy-to-navigate menus. Configuration tools such as HardDrake, DrakConf, and MenuDrake make desktop system administration simple.
The distribution recognizes external hardware and automatically configures it. Flash drives and removable media are automounted and given an icon on the desktop.
Mandriva installs by default hardware-accelerated 3D video drivers for Nvidia, ATI, and Intel-based graphics processors.
Proprietary software is kept to a minimum -- just browser plug-ins and hardware drivers. The entire distribution is not governed by a restrictive proprietary license like most other commercial desktop operating systems. Mandriva is a much more freedom-friendly distribution than many of the alternatives.
Installation and software updates
If you install from the DVD, Mandriva allows you to store all of the software packages on your hard drive. This makes it easier to install new software packages from the distribution -- you won't need your DVD again unless you have to reinstall the operating system. Mandriva also offers a 6-CD edition of Mandriva Limited Edition 2005, as well as a "mini" CD, which downloads the required software packages over a broadband Internet connection.
Mandriva Limited Edition 2005 includes new versions of these major packages:
- KDE 3.3.2
- GNOME 2.8.3
- Linux kernel 2.6.11.6
- Firefox 1.0.2
- The GIMP 2.2
- OpenOffice.org 1.1.4
In addition, you'll find K3b for CD and DVD writing, Screem and Bluefish for Web development, a recent build of WINE for running some Windows programs, RealPlayer for playing RealMedia files, X-Chat for IRC, GAIM for instant messaging, Grip for ripping CDs, BitTorrent for file downloads, Acrobat Reader for PDFs, Opera 7.54 and Mozilla Firefox 1.02 for the Web, and hundreds of other programs. Included with the Web browsers are plug-ins for Flash, PDF, RealPlayer, and Java.
The window managers included in the optional graphical environments package set are Blackbox, Window Maker, and IceWM.
Installation time was just over one hour with an older 7200RPM IDE hard drive, and about 40 minutes with a new Seagate SATA-V disk. System speed did not significantly impact installation time.
Improvements
One of the most convenient features of Mandriva Linux is the way it handles commercial DVD movies. Put an encrypted DVD into your DVD-ROM and the Kaffeine video player pops up a window that checks for the required libraries and codecs. If some are not found -- Win32 and libdvdcss are not installed with the distribution because of legal issues in some countries -- you're told where to go to get them. Click the provided links, download the RPMs, install them using Mandriva's software installer, and within five minutes you have DVD and Windows media file playback capabilities. Many distributions try to force you to buy proprietary DVD players or provide disabled versions of video players that can't use the libdvdcss decryption library, making it inconvenient for the user to add this functionality.
The quick launch icons in Mandriva Linux have been changed to reflect a more developer-friendly selection of programs. KDevelop, XEmacs, and the KDE terminal program all have icons in this area, along with the Firefox browser, the Show Desktop button, and the DrakConf system configuration utility.
The DVD and CD writing utility, cdrecord, has been updated to allow writing to dual-layer DVD+R discs.
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KDE seems a little faster in its rendering of menus and windows, and program execution also feels a little more speedy. Mandriva says this is due to adding the fvisibility GCC flag when compiling the KDE binaries.
The x86_64 and x86 editions both work equally well with no apparent difference in the software that is offered for both. A Mandriva representative says that the only major software application in the 64-bit edition that is still 32-bit is OpenOffice.org, which is not yet 64-bit clean.
Included by default in Mandriva is the ndiswrapper package, which allows Windows wireless networking drivers to work with the Linux kernel, thereby enabling support for otherwise unsupported wireless NICs.
What didn't work
All of the foregoing is good, but not everything in the distribution works perfectly. Automounting of removable media and USB flash drives did not work upon first use. I had to remove and then re-insert the media or drive to get Mandriva Limited Edition 2005 to recognize them.
Mandriva claims support for "multimedia keyboards," but none of the extra functions on my Microsoft Natural Multimedia keyboard were operational, nor did I discover a utility to activate them.
The installer choked on my VIA VT8237 SATA controller, halting the installation routine. The workaround was to use the other onboard controller on my MSI K8T Neo2-FIR motherboard, which was a Promise 20579.
Summary
Mandriva Linux Limited Edition 2005 is a superb commercial desktop distribution, and perhaps the finest choice for first-time GNU/Linux users. It has all of the necessary desktop software, plus alternate desktop environments and window managers for those who want to try out other interfaces, and it works reasonably well with modern hardware. I purposefully use "difficult" test systems to try to break operating systems, and in this case the only snag I ran into was the VIA SATA driver. Since most modern motherboards come with two kinds of SATA controllers, and since the VIA chip is not used as often as the Intel or Promise chips, I don't consider this a significant problem.
One thing I always liked about Mandrakelinux was that it didn't hide the terminal or consistently treat users like dummies. That hasn't changed in Mandriva Linux -- it's still an operating system for experts and beginners alike.
As I used the software, I didn't see where the Conectiva connection was -- there didn't seem to be anything new and different about Mandriva that would suggest that it is a conglomeration of two distinct distributions. It appears as though the name change and the altered release schedule were the primary reasons for the Limited Edition release. Just the same, it's an improvement over 10.1 in the age of the software, the expanded hardware compatibility, and the ease of adding DVD decryption support.
Considering what this distro can do, it's a bargain at $65.
| Purpose | Desktop operating system |
| Manufacturer | Mandriva |
| Architectures | x86, AMD64 |
| License | GNU General Public License, although some included software is under proprietary licenses |
| Market | Desktop users, software developers, first-time GNU/Linux users |
| Price (retail) | $65 for the boxed edition, $60 for the download |
| Previous version | Mandrakelinux 10.1 |
| Product Web site | Click here |
Comments
on Review: Mandriva Limited Edition 2005Note: Comments are owned by the poster. We are not responsible for their content.
Don't forget that even with Windows, special software is needed to those multimedia keyboard.
I don't know if the problem comes from the 2.6 series of the kernel or Xorg because everything worked with previous distributions shipped with 2.4 kernels and XFree86.
From what I've seen as of late from the major distributions, there are very few left that can be downloaded. I don't mind paying for support, but free software is supposed to be free. From what I've seen of SuSE, DeadRat, Mandrake, and a few others, downloading their distro is nolonger an option.
If I am in error, please post a link, and I will recend, admitting I didn't look hard enough.
(SUSE admittedly)
http://www.mirror.ac.uk/mirror/sunsite.uio.no/ftp<nobr>/<wbr></nobr> linux/mdl/official
(last updated, er, 27 April 2005)
Mandrake (SUSE is there too, as are all the others)
search time, er, as much as 10 seconds
I would do so, but 1) The cost is too much for what you get, and 2) I have read too many complaints about shabby treatment of Club "Members". As someone in a position to recommend MDK, or not, it is not real wise to waste my time, or irritate me with constant, deliberate, annoynaces to try and squeeze some more money out of me just to have a system that works right. That's what I PAID FOR in the first place when I spent $150 on their software - then find out that - "oh, by the way, if you happen to have a really nice video card and need THOSE drivers, for just a few francs more we allow you to download the file." So I have to get the source, compile it out, install - which leads to the question: How is this better than just getting Slackware or running Gentoo? If I am going to have to "shoehorn" every upgrade by hand, or spend $250 per year, how is this better than M$ anyway? This trend is getting worse, not better, and the GPL is being parsed within an inch of it's life. Maybe I'll download the MDK source, compile it out for myself, and then go ahead and package it in RPM binaries for anyone who wants it...... It would be about the same amount of hassle...
http://www1.mandrivalinux.com/en/ftp.php3
As other posters noted, LE 2005 is not available yet for non-club members. You can still download 10.1 though or wait a couple of weeks.
True but not necessarily "free". Free software is supposed to be free as in freedom not as in free beer. The reason a lot of free software is provided free of charge by the creators of that software is that anyone is free to distribute it. So if they were to try to sell it someone else would just set up a way to distribute it for free (as in beer);~). When the creators of a distro provide a free download they also get more control over who and how their software is downloaded and they get their corporate name distributed and up front in the public eye.
There is no obligation for anyone to provide software for free.
beer versus freedom (how Mandriva works, AFAIK)
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on April 29, 2005 05:41 AMWarPengi is partly correct, but *mostly* wrong in the parent post. Mandriva is happy to provide the *SOURCE CODE*, per GPL requirements, for all of their GPL software at a "nominal cost". The GPL *DOES* require that you provide the Source Code for your software at no more than a nominal charge for copying to the media and sending it to you. (Mandriva's charge for Source Code is ZERO, if you download.)
But the GPL does not require anyone to provide you with compiled or packaged binary software, it requires only that modifiers who distribute GPL software provide you with their Source Code (at nominal cost). Mandriva is being very generous in providing an actual 'download' distro at no charge.
Note also, that the version being reviewed here is a COMMERCIAL ("PowerPack") version-- the ATI video drivers, for example, are not covered by the GPL. So, if you want video acceleration and you're not comfortable with installing the ATI kernel modules and configuring Xorg, you might want to pay them and help support their work (Mandriva creates lots of excellent GPL software at their expense, providing it back to all of us exactly as the GPL intends).
If you want just the drivers, a "standard" club membership gives you access for $66 per year (which will typically include 2 distros, the Fall "Official" and the Spring "Limited Edition"). You get the "free" distro a few weeks earlier than the public, plus an extra CD for the proprietary drivers and plugins.
Or, you can buy a Commercial ("PowerPack" or "PowerPack+") version of each Distro you want ($60+ each). These include proprietary Apps, as well as the Drivers. Or, become a "Silver" member for $132 per year and get one or both of the "PowerPack" versions (Limited Edition in the Spring, Official in the Fall) depending on how the schedule works out. If you join for multiple years, you'll average about 2 distros per year, assuming the schedule continues to fit Mandriva's announced intentions.
You can also consider a "Gold" membership to get the "PowerPack+" versions.
You obviously get more for your $$ with a membership, and a much larger portion of this money goes directly to supporting Mandriva Developers (it avoids the inventory and assembly costs of creating sets of retail packaging).
This post brought to you by a PC running Mandriva Linux Limited Edition 2005, with ATI Video Drivers provided by the Club. I'm loving this distro!
As has been demonstrated by several Red Hat Enterprise based distros (http://www.centos.org/, http://www.lineox.com/, http://www.piebox.org/, http://www.whiteboxlinux.org/ to name several) anyone is free to distribute 100% Red Hat compatible binaries as long as there are no trademark infringements. This despite the fact that Red Hat no longer releases a free download.
If someone wanted to release a 100% Mandriva compatible distro they could compile it from Mandriva source code and distribute it for free. You can bet that if Mandriva went to a paid only model that someone would do so. I don't know if the Mandrake Control Centre is GPL. If not that would not be part of the new distro, of course.
"If you want just the drivers, a "standard" club membership gives you access for $66 per year"
When I was a standard member of Mandrake Club, Nvidia and Ati driver binaries were not part of the package. One needed to be a Silver member or higher to get those with the kernels to support them. Has this changed in the last 6 months?
Re:beer versus freedom (how Mandriva works, AFAIK)
Posted by: rickstockton on April 29, 2005 07:42 AMAFAIK, MCC and all of its underlying tools (urpmi, the "drakxtools" packages, etc.) are licensed under the GPL. For example, I'm looking right now at the drakxtools-10.2-24.mdk Source RPM download page. It says "Copyright: GPL" (i.e., the GPL provides license terms for Mandriva's and anyone else's Source Code in this package). Mandriva really DOES Walk the Walk!
You're 100% correct that anyone could make an "Old-Man_Drivver" near-duplicate Distro from Mandriva's GPL Source files, just like the "Pink Tie" distribution available from one of the "Cheap Distros on CD" distributors, and the others which you mentioned. I think it's very FLOSS friendly that Mandriva doesn't make these people jump through the hoops which that other Company does (i.e., the romve-all-the-trademarked-stuff-hassle).
(Rick, now logged in instead of being Anonymous.)
"Cheap Distros on CD"
Check out http://cart.cheapbytes.com/cgi-bin/cart
Mandriva 2005 for $8.99 - $18.99. That's pretty cheap!!!
DO NOT recind your complaint because they ARE making it less convenient to find and download a free complete working distribution of their latest releases. For example, the free SuSE 9.3 Live DVDs are excellent and easy to get, but you can't convert them to an installation on your hard drive. They now call them EVAL copies. The complete free SuSE 9.3 distribution is available only as a directory of an incredibly large number of RPMs. I am a MandrivaClub Silver Member, but I always have trouble downloading the latest. Mandriva never responds to my pleas for help. In less than a month I will a dissatisfied former Silver Member.
But, my point is that corporations aren't supposed to be able to "make" laws.
Fascism, on the other hand, is related to old corporatism. This is where, as an official part of the government, bodies called 'corporations' (but not business corporations) are formed from groups of influential people. One corporation may consist of a certain type of businessmen; another may be members of the clergy; still a third may be another type of business or trade people, or it could be members of a labour union. You get the idea. These corporations serve as legislative bodies (making the laws). Of course with fascism the whole system is subject to a dictator (who controls the military and enforces the law), so the influence of these corporations is limited.
Yes, fascism includes corporatism, but in this context corporatism doesn't mean what you think it does.
then I'm more than happy using libdvdcss on my debian box.
Otherwise over here in the UK, I would be unable to play any of my legally purchased DVD's.
Love Mandrake: Still good after all these years...
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on April 28, 2005 05:33 AMhttp://easyurpmi.zarb.org/
They play by the rules of Free Software and try to make your life easy by providing a distribution with very strong technology.
I think they could improve the looks of the distribution. But it is easy enough to go to kde-look.org and download your favorite icons, themes and wallpapers.
I also like the fact that in October they are moving to yearly releases. Frankly, I am getting tired and old of the six month updates.I always tell myself that I am going to skip them this time, but, in the end, I never do. Mandrake will be doing me a huge favor and they will be able to test even further future updates to the distribution.
If you have never played with Mandrake, download the free edition that will come out in a couple of weeks.
Take care yall
There's one problem which kde-look can't fix, and that's the Mandriva "bootsplash" screen. This Startup/Shutdown screen looks really childish, not suitable for a professional's desk. The penguin has star-like eyes which remind me of the days of Sandoz blotter paper. Yeah, I'm that old<nobr> <wbr></nobr>:-(
And they tried to make a Penguin beak which smiles, but it only ends up looking like Donald Duck (tm). In BlackFace. On LSD. REALLY UGLY.
And to top it off, the bootsplash options to show only console text, or to show a dimmed bootsplash behind the console text, DON'T WORK-- they destroy your auto-login stuff, and (for me, anyway) my KDE settings. I'll be opening a bug on this. For now, if you want to use the auto-start-X/auto-login feature, you have to stay with Mr. Duck. But, he does seems to be enjoying his trip!
controller as in the article. It makes no
sence that a newer version of the distro
would have removed functionality.
Mandriva DOES NOT USE ANACONDA (Error in article)
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on April 27, 2005 07:01 PMQuote: "DrakX is the graphical installer of Mandriva Linux. It's been integrated in our releases since version 7.0 of Mandriva.".
DrakX is pretty much better than Anacoda, anyway<nobr> <wbr></nobr>;)
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