Sarissi

I have been playing with Mandrake since 7.0 Powerpack, and have been routinely using it since 8.2 Powerpack. I came from a loooong MSDOS and MS Windows experience, and still use Windows. Anyone who comes to Linux from the Windows world pretty much goes through the same thing. I sure did! It is somewhat easier for those with any Unix or BSD exposure. I have rarely had to resort to the console (command line) in Mandrake. Unless you are using database or Web/ftp servers, you don't need a firewall running. I only have the print and X servers running here. I hate the ever so rude 'RTFM' that total newbies get from some. If they want Linux converts, they had better learn to not be rude and help the newbies. Don't they realize, that everytime they say "RTFM," they are actually helping Microsoft????

I agree. Good article.

Interestingly, my MDK 10.0 CE Powerpack sees my NEC ND-2500A just fine. I am using the 2.6 kernel (nforce2/nvidia enterprise). Gigabyte GA-7N400-L mobo, Athlon XP 2500+, 1 GB DDR333, nvidia card.

Nice review. The DVDs are double sided. One is the 64 bit version. This explains the higher pricing of the Pro version: you get both 32 bit and 64 bit in one package.

One misleading and truly uninformed bit of FUD: " Open-source software -- uncopyrighted software which has no license cost -- like Linux"

Very interesting article. Thanks.

I have 2 x 2 GB swap partitions, one on my dedicated Linux hdd, and the other sharing hdd with Win2K Pro. I also have 1 GB ram at the moment, which will be going up and that is why I have my swap this way. Besides, it is like insurance: better to have it than not. Besides, I run 3D CGI apps, and those are memory intensive, particularly when rendering.

It would be nice IF they mentioned which Distro and version of Linux, as well as type of Video Card (Consumer or Workstation)!! I would be willing to bet it is either Redhat or SuSE, in that order.

Most times you should not notice a difference. Note that the faster the RAM, the LESS you can install, due to bandwidth limits. The max for DDR266 (PC2100) on 32 bit mobos, is 4 GB, 3 GB for DDR333 (I think). This limitation is due to the memory controller in the chipsets.

Your welcome!

Looks like you may need to either replace the mobo with a Via chipset mobo, OR, replace the video card with an nVidia. nVidia has better OpenGL support, anyways. ATI is more geared towards DirectX.

I don't know about 10.0 OE, but in CE, the file manager - super user mode is missing. You have to create a symlink to kdesu konqueror (which is what is needed) for kde, anyways.

Which kernel are you running? 2.6.x does not need ide-scsi anymore for atapi cd/dvd drives.

Funny thing, but the nVidia Quadros are better than the FireGL cards for the mainstream 3D CGI applications (Maya, etc.). Tom's Hardware benchmarked the latest of the two, along with a different make, and the Quadro came out on top. I have an ATI XPert 2000 Pro AGP (32 MB) and my computer locks up running Daz Studio (in beta now) with this card. Studio uses Hardware OpenGL. Yet, with my GeForce 4 MX440SE (Lite version), Studio runs just fine.

I read the entire article. Very interesting and informative.

During install, Mandrake installs both nForce2 and nVidia (not nv) all by itself for my nforce2 mobo and nvidia card. I don't see how it can get any more user friendly than that. Oh, I agree that you do need to know your system's hardware, at least to a point for Linux. However, if you don't need to tweak, why bother? I am knowledgable about computer hardware and I am a computer user. I am not a software guru by any means. Linux is about choice and having control to a greater extent than Windows allows. "Linux on the Desktop is for people who like to tinker and mess with it..." I prefer to use it than mess with it.

Remember alot of people who use computers, are just that: users. They are used to buying OEM systems that come with the OS preinstalled. They wouldn't know how to reinstall that OS if they had to (presuming it wasn't some hokey 'rescue' disk)! They don't even know what is inside their computers. These people just want to use their computers. Most everyone here knows what a PITA Win98SE is when it comes to installing some drivers. Sometimes you have to be real quick to swap the driver CD with the OS CD during a reboot, or you can't swap them when 98SE wants you to. That is not user friendly. On the other hand, Win2K Pro is user friendly in this department, and so much easier to install. For myself, Mandrake Linux is a breeze to install, since all of my hardware is compatible (camera doesn't count). Mandrake is very user friendly, in terms of actual usage. I don't need to boot to text mode to do anything. Actually, nobody should mess around with the OS (tweaking), unless they know what they are doing.

I would prefer to have NO onboard sound as well (includes midi port and all that). On my current mobo, I can disable AC 97 and the Game port, but, NOT the stupid Midi port. That interferes with the Soundblaster card I had.

I have been using LBA since before I tried Linux. Had to in order to get 61 GB hdds fully seen with super socket 7 mobos. Now that I know the problem, at least with mandrake and auto or non LBA, I won't use any other mode. I think the difference, is that auto defaults to CHS (I think), and Linux hates CHS.

The last time I used Partition Magic, was version 3. I did not like the idea of having to have a special partition just for the boot manager. A friend of mine turned me onto System Commander and I have never looked back. One nice thing, is that Mandrake Linux recognizes the System Commander MBR and gives you the option to install lilo/grub in the first sector of the root partition, where SC will load it from.

7.2? YUCK! 8.2 was the first truly stable (for most) version, where everything important actually worked. I started with 7.0 Powerpack Edition (nothing but powerpacks for me, with one exception, 10.0 CE download ISOs). I have skipped 9.2. I never had a stability problem with Win98 or Win98SE, except when I had a flakey RAM module installed.

Hmmm.... I thought Athlon was spelled the same everywhere. :D Reworking things can always be 'fun'. It took me 2 days to get win98se and W2K Pro to play nice with each other. That is after I swapped 2 HDDs and I needed to move my root partition to the big hdd.

Winmodem are problematic. There are a couple of drivers for them, but I never heard of any for that controller chip. Perhaps you should look around for Linmodems (internal hardware modems). They do exist. Not all external modems are hardware modems.

It is insane, but, what do you expect from the MPAA?? They don't get the fact that most of the piracy of DVD movies is done in Windows. I would gladly pay for a Linux version of Powerlink DVD.

Most standard ATX PSUs will have more than enough power connectors for your current needs. Not sure about the one in your current computer. Besides, OEMs are notorious for including barely adequate PSUs, and they don't always work with standard mobos. You are better off getting mobo, cpu, PSU, case, fans, and such. Check to see if you can get the HDD out of your current system, or CD/DVD drive for that matter. The one Compaq that I had the misfortune to work on, did not have a BIOS. It had a stupid Setup Partition on the HDD.