Mandrake Linux PowerPack Edition 8.1

If you are happy with Windows9/N/X/? and all of the hardware that works with it, you might not want to change. There is a lot to be said for plug and pray, when it works.

I bought M8.1 so I could do UNIX programming at home and not because I wanted to, but the alternative, Telnet was just unacceptable. I did not trust the guarantee that Windows and Linux can co-habitate on the same disk, so I bought a used 4GB just for Linux. I know lots of people say it's easy, it's safe, yada yada yada, but I know a couple of folks who lost all their Windows files and apps when the Linux installation claimed to have found a large un-used chunk of memory and asked "would you like me to install here?" I just swap a cable, no harm, no foul.

Winmodems, probably what came with your machine from the manufacture, "are not now and will not be in the future, supported by Linux".

I have 2 Epson printers and neither works in Linux. Spent about 24 hours on them before I gave up.

If a Linux app needs to leave the machine, I just save it as a text file, to a floppy and open it up in Windows.

Now for the good news. It is vey easy to install. But the documentation is somewhat weak. However, there is a very good users forum, that I have used extensively. However, I never needed a Windows user forum.

In summary, if you are the type of person that cares deeply about the operation and management of the minutia of your system, Linux might be what you're looking for. If buying a new modem and/or printer were on the agenda anyway, hey, this could be the system for you. If you have ever been to a software store that sold Linux compatable apps, you are definitely on the right road. If you have a lot of free time to research what should be written in the user's manual, buy this.

Just so you understand, I'm not bustin' on Mandrake8.1, it is probably the the better of the Linux packages. But Linux, like UNIX is really meant for "craftsmen". I never had any problems with Windows crashing and even if I did, I spent less time in the last 10 years rebooting than I did in the last 3 months trying to get a modem and a printer to (not) work in Linux. As for me, I'll keep it as a place to do Fortran and Ansi C++ programming.

Oh yeah, if you ever wondered why Bill Gates is worth $70Large, buy any Linux package.


Newbie-easy   January 20, 2002
Thomas Bombaci (Grants, NM United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

As a Linux newbie, I found this distribution to be easy as pie to set up. Piece of cake. Hmmm, is it lunchtime yet?
Anyway, I had a couple of false starts in installing, but feel that they were due to my own incompetence. Also, after installation I determined that my modem is not Linux-compatible, so was unable to go online right away. Although this package is nearly as user-friendly as MS products, I think it shows that it's an open-source product which is still evolving. A little less intuitive, a few more rough edges; perhaps after I become more Linux-competenet I'll look back on this review with a laugh, but that's how it looks from here. One more thing: it's not real apparent before you get the package, but it does come with Sun Microsystems' StarOffice 5.2. Nice addition.


a Converted MS USER   January 14, 2002
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I originally bought this being very unfamilliar with Linux (I knew that it was a relatively new OS). I did a little research and found that this package camely highly recommended for beginners to the world of linux. I purchased this a week ago and that is when my world changed. The program installed in 30 minutes. The install tool guided me through partioning my system so that I could boot into windows or linux. After that was installed I advanced into the desktop environment selecting KDE at random. Inside I found everything that I need for day to day use of my computer (email, web browsing, an office suite, multimedia players, etc...). Since I installed this I haven't looked back. the biggest testimoney comes from my wife who has adapted to the new OS very easily. We now only use windows to play games. In fact, I am constructing this review under Mandrake Linux 8.1 now!


Linux thoroughly and pleasantly surprises!   February 20, 2002
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

A *great* product for any level of linux or windows user. The install was easier than windows, just boot from the CD and for every option there after there is a description/help box. The partition manager, diskdrake, works like a dream, too. (didn't try with NTFS, but great with FAT32!) Once loaded, it looks and feels like windows, WITHOUT THE CRASHES! My little sister found the KDE desktop environment easier than windows (yes, there are about 7 different types of windows managers to choose from!) ....2 hours after installing, I was playing Quake 3 Arena with better framerates than in windows. The software manager makes installs and uninstalls very easy, too. My only words of warning are to make sure your hardware is supported (check online). If it isn't, you could be lucky or unlucky getting some hardware to work. Overall, a bit of a learning curve, but completely customizable and stable!!! STABLE!!! There is an XKill icon on the desktop - if any app seems to be taking too long, hit that, click the window and it's gone. If the whole windows manager seems to be frozen, just hit ctrl-alt-backspace and you're back at the command line!! startx and you're back in, no reboot. I haven't had to reboot in 2 weeks now. A *great* product for any level of linux or windows user.