Will you be installing 10.2/ Limited Edition2k5?

[Dyslexic]

I wouldn't use the binary from 10.1. If you need that kernel, rebuild it against 10.2 from the Mandrake kernel sources.

 

hmm, thanx

is it probable that mdk could become unstable if I use the 2.6.8.1-24 kernel instead of 2.6.11 ?

(I need that older kernel)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[adamw]

It might not work, but trying probably won't hurt anything, you can always boot back to the new kernel when it crashes and burns.

 

Other changes for 10.2. First the ones I can think of...the installer's changed a lot, most importantly for me we're now a hell of a lot better at monitors. Pixel's included a couple of new ways to detect monitors and improved the old list, end result being a lot more are detected and properly configured. Importantly, the installer and XFdrake can now configure a bunch of non-4:3 resolutions, which is great for people with widescreen LCDs or whatever. wireless support has had a few revisions, newer versions of drivers is one thing but we also have support for WPA in drakconnect now (it mostly works, on my laptop I have to shift wpa_supplicant a little later in the boot order for it to work perfectly, but it works fine on my HTPC). The x86-64 version is a hell of a lot better than previous releases in all sorts of ways, including very good interoperability between 64-bit and 32-bit (you can even build 32-bit apps on the 64-bit release without needing a chroot setup). the drakconf changes aren't hugely visible, but IMHO it's better than it was, and there were quite a few hidden breakages fixed. There's been quite a lot of work on proprietary hardware, I think. New versions of everything, of course. Firefox is now the default browser. You get a crazed penguin on your desktop for free.

 

And now I'm going to rip some stuff out of the PR that'll come out with the release...

 

we now auto-run an appropriate app when you plug in a camera (woohoo, I know.)

you can boot the install off a USB key.

we have pretty full support for XBox. That kinda came out of left field in the last few weeks.

more extensive use of DKMS, which should make handling proprietary drivers and stuff much less painful, especially if there are kernel updates.

KDE compiled with -fvisibility, which makes it faster, apparently.

multimedia keyboard support

ALSA software mixing by default (this one's really cool.)

you can copy the packages off the install media onto the hard disk during install, so you don't have to dig out the CDs to install new packages later.

[VeeDubb]

......you can even build 32-bit apps on the 64-bit release without needing a chroot setup........

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

That's a pretty big deal. I have yet to build myself a 64 bit system, for two big reasons, this is one, and the other is cost, but the costs are dropping all the time, and this will be a major headache reducer.

 

I tried, very unsuccessfully once to set up a chroot system for compiling source for the Sharp Zaurus on my desktop and it was a NIGHTMARE.

 

The more I read, the more I think I will go ahead and install 10.2. As I have recently discovered through the use of memtest and some ram swopping, my CPU is headed south, so my machine is likely to give up the ghost any old day now anyway. If I have to rebuild, I sure as heck isn't going to be a 32 bit system, when they are clearly going to be left behind in the next year or two. Especialy when Longhorn get's a real name and a box. I don't see 32 bit systems hanging on for long.

[VeeDubb]

Byt he way, is there an official release date yet?

[adamw]

tomorrow.

[Ixthusdan]

For what it's worth:

My sound finally works again. Never could get it going since 10, tried everything imaginable!

My Tunsten E configured and synced correctly the first time I tried.

My dvd burner was configured correctly from the first as well.

I am impressed with Firefox being the default browser.

All of my gui effects are now working without my having to add any software (KDE)

 

10.2 is a good release. Except for the stupid freaky penguin!!!!

[solarian]

aaw, c'mon, that penguin is the best I like in the new release.

not because I think there is nothing better, but simply because that penguin is awesome!

 

ha! I changed my avatar picture! :woops:

Edited April 13, 2005 by solarian

[linux_learner]

oh, and one final thing - if you want to avoid tinkering to make things work, and your 'things' include MP3s and DVDs, think twice about SUSE. Not spreading FUD here, it's a fine distro, but unfortunately they have a conservative legal department and so their media apps don't play MP3s (except RealPlayer) and are hacked not to play DVDs even if you replace libdvdcss (AFAIK, some people dispute this). So if you want to play MP3s and DVDs in Kaffeine you're going to have to find an alternative package source (I hear packman is the one to use) and rip out half your KDE packages, which I guess counts as tinkering. Stupid patent laws.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

since i run suse, and have run suse since 9.0, i am qualified to speak here. while part of what adamw says is true, it is an extreme exaggeration. yes you need packman for libs and such, just as mdk needs plf. packman really is the mdk equivalent to plf. i play mp3's constantly on my system through xmms, mplayer, kplayer, kaffiene, totem, amarok and so on. no it didnt involve ripping out kde. i am running kde 3.4 now.

 

if i remember right, mp3's do play right out of the box. its the dvd's you need packman for. you need to get libdvdcss and libdvdnav, and libdvdread and such. i also have this on my system with out any adverse affect to kde.

[Gowator]

oh, and one final thing - if you want to avoid tinkering to make things work, and your 'things' include MP3s and DVDs, think twice about SUSE. Not spreading FUD here, it's a fine distro, but unfortunately they have a conservative legal department and so their media apps don't play MP3s (except RealPlayer) and are hacked not to play DVDs even if you replace libdvdcss (AFAIK, some people dispute this). So if you want to play MP3s and DVDs in Kaffeine you're going to have to find an alternative package source (I hear packman is the one to use) and rip out half your KDE packages, which I guess counts as tinkering. Stupid patent laws.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This and YAST were what made me drop Suse.

Granted I only tried the 64 bit version but it was the principle of actually hacking Xine to prevent it using libdvdcss.

This along with YASY and stupid warning messages on config files and the fact theat practically no extra RPM\s existed for the AMD64... so you were stuck with the DVD&CD

 

having said that its much better value than Mandrake. You get CD and DVD and 32&64 bit all in one.

I actually went out to buy Mandrake from a store but

1) NO DVD version (only CD)

2) No 64 but version

 

hence I reached for the Suse 9.1 box which contained everything for less than the price of any one of the MDK versions!

[DragonMage]

since i run suse, and have run suse since 9.0, i am qualified to speak here. while part of what adamw says is true, it is an extreme exaggeration. yes you need packman for libs and such, just as mdk needs plf. packman really is the mdk equivalent to plf. i play mp3's constantly on my system through xmms, mplayer, kplayer, kaffiene, totem, amarok and so on. no it didnt involve ripping out kde. i am running kde 3.4 now.

 

if i remember right, mp3's do play right out of the box. its the dvd's you need packman for. you need to get libdvdcss and libdvdnav, and libdvdread and such. i also have this on my system with out any adverse affect to kde.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the problem with suse not playing mp3 unless you ripped out half of KDE is increased in suse 9.3.

Madpenguin's review said so.

Maybe the older version doesn't have this problem, or at least not this bad.

[Gowator]

I agree but also its the fact the specifically CRIPPLE Xine. You have to deinstall and find another... when I was in 9.1 and AMD64 this was a problem!

 

However the crippling is what I object to. It is one strong arguament in favour of Mandrake over Suse, perhaps the ONLY strong arguament but a VERY important one for me!

[iphitus]

It might not work, but trying probably won't hurt anything, you can always boot back to the new kernel when it crashes and burns.

 

Other changes for 10.2. First the ones I can think of...the installer's changed a lot, most importantly for me we're now a hell of a lot better at monitors. Pixel's included a couple of new ways to detect monitors and improved the old list, end result being a lot more are detected and properly configured. Importantly, the installer and XFdrake can now configure a bunch of non-4:3 resolutions, which is great for people with widescreen LCDs or whatever. wireless support has had a few revisions, newer versions of drivers is one thing but we also have support for WPA in drakconnect now (it mostly works, on my laptop I have to shift wpa_supplicant a little later in the boot order for it to work perfectly, but it works fine on my HTPC). The x86-64 version is a hell of a lot better than previous releases in all sorts of ways, including very good interoperability between 64-bit and 32-bit (you can even build 32-bit apps on the 64-bit release without needing a chroot setup). the drakconf changes aren't hugely visible, but IMHO it's better than it was, and there were quite a few hidden breakages fixed. There's been quite a lot of work on proprietary hardware, I think. New versions of everything, of course. Firefox is now the default browser. You get a crazed penguin on your desktop for free.

 

And now I'm going to rip some stuff out of the PR that'll come out with the release...

 

we now auto-run an appropriate app when you plug in a camera (woohoo, I know.)

you can boot the install off a USB key.

we have pretty full support for XBox. That kinda came out of left field in the last few weeks.

more extensive use of DKMS, which should make handling proprietary drivers and stuff much less painful, especially if there are kernel updates.

KDE compiled with -fvisibility, which makes it faster, apparently.

multimedia keyboard support

ALSA software mixing by default (this one's really cool.)

you can copy the packages off the install media onto the hard disk during install, so you don't have to dig out the CDs to install new packages later.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Damn! That's sounding impressive! So many things there that mandrake has been needing for a while. Alsa mixing, better usb key support, multimedia support -- its the small things that count.

 

If only it had reiser4..... :D

 

Question, Does it come with the firmware for a wireless card? ie, ipw2100 ?

Question 2, What's DKMS?

Question 3, What will it be using for media automounting? ivman? gnome-volume-manager? evil kernel based solutions?

 

IMHO, Automounting should not be a kernel based thing, and to implement it as such, just feels sooooooo dirty. Its the sort of thing that SHOULD be in userland with solutions such as the awesome ivman. Not only is it a cleaner solution, but it allows further configuration, and allows the user to do things like recompile the kernel without having to worry about breaking it.

 

Well, I'll be installing Mandrake 10.2, check it out, see how its going as I always do. It wont be replacing Arch, I doubt anything will for a long time. Either way, Mandrake's still going to be my backup distro for when I break arch ;)

 

iphitus

[linux_learner]

I think the problem with suse not playing mp3 unless you ripped out half of KDE is increased in suse 9.3.

Madpenguin's review said so.

Maybe the older version doesn't have this problem, or at least not this bad.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

then to follow up, i think its only fair to mention that there is an easy enough fix. http://lists.suse.com/archive/suse-linux-e...5-Apr/0665.html

 

Yes, there are optional packages called 'multimedia packs' on the YOU

> server now, you can have a look at them. They need to be selected

> manually, just like the nvidia driver or the MS truetype fonts, and they

> have a warning attached saying only use if legal in your jurisdiction (or

> words to that effect)

ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/suse/i386/update/9....-1-52079;type=a

is the text file to peruse pertaining to mp3 libraries.

ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/suse/i386/update/9.3/patches/ is the general

directory.

 

> > The MadPenguin article implies that SUSE deliberately

> > compiled all MP3 capable programs without MP3 support; is this not

> > correct?

>

> No, it is incorrect. mp3 support in most programs come from shared

> libraries. Libraries missing = no support, libraries present = support.

> There is rarely a need to hard code something like that.

 

whenever i read a news story or a review, i always verify it for accuracy.

[Gowator]

Adamw....

that's all impressive...

I wonder though if you can send this message to somebody, anybody.

To the old users its way way way too late.

 

For instance I actually went over to Debian primarily because MDK suspended the XBOX support. This was my 'last straw' onthe camels back so to speak, I tried Debian so I would be ready for Xebian!

It was the fact Mandrake just dropped it and left all the users stranded that I found so disgusting... people invest in hardware and software but then get abandoned just like the PPC people. It wasn't one or the other it was the overall feeling and uncertainty that left me feeling like ???

 

I could go through the rest but mainly its too little too late...

[scarecrow]

I have already installed it on my laptop (not full monty,I used thac's packages for KDE 3.4.0) and it works fairly well, I like toying with it- no more those stupid RC* kernel panic problems at shutdown.

On my desktop the only Linux that has a reason to exist is Arch Linux.

Edited April 13, 2005 by scarecrow