PC LInux OS

After using Mandriva Linux for a couple of months, I have decided to try out PCLinuxOS. At Distrowatch.org, PCLinuxOS is now number 2, behind Ubuntu, but Ubuntu is losing popularity while PCLinuxOS is gaining and set to overtake Ubuntu to become number 1. The fact that PCLinuxOS gained so much popularity in so short a time must mean something. Obviously, they are doing something right.

I had expected more from Mandriva, a Linux distro that makes you become a member of the Mandriva Club (and pay cash) to download. There is nothing wrong with asking for payment, but in return you may at least expect some advantages. Mandriva isn't offering any. A few points of comparison between Mandriva and PCLinuxOS:

+ Mandriva doesn't allow you to log in as root. This is a nuisance, because sometimes you have to do some administrative chores which need root privileges. If you can log in as root, you can use the gui. In Mandriva, you have to do it all at the command line. Not very user friendly.
+ Mandriva doesn't offer video playback (wmv-files) out of the box. You need to install separate codecs and you can only do that as root. You see the problem. Under PCLinuxOS, video playback works right from the start.
+ Mandriva showed my system was completely updated, which it clearly wasn't. PCLinuxOS's system for installing and updating files works better.
Mandriva is a heavier system (over 4GB) while PCLinuxOS still fits on a CD-ROM and is simpler, leaner and meaner. I have the impression it runs faster.
+ The only downside for PCLinuxOS is that there is no 64 bit version, but as the 32 bit version seems to be faster than Mandriva's 64 bit, who cares.

As PCLinuxOS is still gaining in popularity, it will no doubt further improve in the future. Thumbs up!

“Utter nonsense”

A Russian teacher was fined half his monthly wage for using pirated copies of Microsoft's Windows operating system and office suite. The suit was brought to court, not by Microsoft, but by Russian prosecutors. President Vladimir Putin called it “utter nonsense”. (CNN: Teacher fined for Microsoft piracy)

Russin TV portrayed Alexander Ponosov as a hero and former president Michael Gorbachev reportedly asked Microsoft chairman Bill Gates to pardon the Russian teacher.

There is an easy and convenient way to avoid this kind of shit. Dump Microsoft's Windows, the real one and the pirated one, and switch to Linux. There are more than 500 different versions of the Linux operating system. One flavor will certainly suit your hardware and your personality.

Yes, dear Vladimir, Microsoft is “utter nonsense”. Just dump it.

Linux spirng time

It's spring time again for Linux distributions. In the past few days, Mandriva released its 2007.1 Spring edition, Ubuntu 7.04 appeared on the servers and Linux Mint 2.2 joined the fray to conquer the "hearts and minds" of the Linux crowd. A new release of Fedora is also forthcoming.

It's testing time again, or spirng cleaning, reformatting hard disks, installing new operating systems, comparing, evaluating, deciding which is best, or at least which one is worth giving a try. The Dutch Slackware-based Nonux has also released a new version.

Meanwhile, Bill Gates is in Beijing acting like an idiot. Trying to promote his Vista-shit.

Sorry, Bill, too busy to listen to your nonsense... Testing Linux :-) Mandriva or Ubuntu or Fedora or Mint or Nonux, so many tasty ice cream flavors... Waiting for the next stable release of Elive...
"The Elive project has announced the release of Elive 0.6.7, the project's latest development build on the road to stable 0.7".

Iraq 2.0 U.S. edition will never be stable...

Wow, the Great Swindle

Today, Vista, the latest incarnation of Microsoft's Windows operating system, hits the store shelves. It is really amazing that anybody is getting exited about it and even more amazing that anybody is willing to pay a dime for Vista.

The richest man in the world is trying to force you and me to pay €279 to €549 for a brand new copy of Vista and a little bit less for an upgrade. The new MS Office 2007 is also priced at hundreds of euros. So what do you get? A slightly improved version of Windows XP with a few extra embellishments and bug fixes. And security will surely crumble the moment the first hacker lays its hands on it.

Why not choose one of the more than 500 Linux distributions on the Distrowatch website, most of them free of charge and all of them cheaper than Vista? Why not try OpenOffice instead of MS Office? You won't have to wait another five years for the next upgrade. Most Linux distros are upgraded with the latest features twice a year. You don't have to run to the store to get a shrink-wrapped box and contribute to environmental pollution. You can download your Linux OS online. Now Microsoft also wants to make Vista available for download. But only in the United States. In the eyes of Bill Gates, the other peoples of the world are clearly inferior.

Dump Vista and get a Linux!

Mandriva 2007

Another year, another passage. I am switching operating systems on my PC. After I bought a Lenovo desktop in September 2005, I installed Linspire 5-0, rather by default because installation of other flavors of Linux failed for one reason or another, Fedora Core, SUSE, Ubuntu all failed. Overall I am satisfied with Linspire. It served me well and the only thing that ever broke occasionally was the Click 'n Run (CNR) software installation facility, but after a bit of tinkering I managed to get it working again.

CNR was a paying service and became free this year, but it also became less useful. The latest addition to the CNR warehouse dates from August. Many new programs and upgrades have become available in the meantime. A second reason to leave Linspire behind and move on is that it still does not have a 64-bit OS. I can't wait any longer to take advantage of my 64-bit PC. Mandriva 2007 got very favorable reviews on the DistroWatch website, so I decided to give it a try. Becoming a member of the Mandriva Club doesn't come cheap but it gives you the possibility to download the Powerpack and take advantage of club offers.

As I will be reformatting my hard disk, i will also install a few other Linux flavors to experiment with: Fedora Core 6, Ubuntu 6.10, PcLinuxOS 0.93a and the experimental Elive 0.5 RL2.

With Internet traffic slowing to a crawl due to the cable break south of Taiwan and the holiday week between Christmas and New Year there is no better time to install a new operating system.

Dirty Windows

Windows Vista went on sale yesterday, ... in bulk for businesses. Ordinary people like you and me have to wait till January 30. Why is that?

And why did it take the largest software company in the world five years to come up with something new? And what makes Vista so blisteringly great people should fork out hard earned money to make the richest man in the world even richer? Why would companies risk mayhem by upgrading to the latest ugly duck from Redmond?

Anything Vista can do, hundreds of Linux distro's can also do. Not by running to the store and opening your wallet, but by a few clicks of the mouse. I have said it before, Windows is the black Ford-T, Linux is the colorful rainbow. I am using Linspire 5-0 right now, but am considering to give Mandriva 2007 a spin. And Fedora Core 6 perhaps. OpenSuse ruled itself out since Novell made a dirty deal with the Microsoft Devil.

Anyone running to kiss Gates' ass must be mad. What's so special about Vista? Give Linux a try! Linspire, Freespire, Mandriva, Ubuntu, Elive (from Belgium), Nonux (from Holland), Xandros, Fedora, Mepis, PCLinuxOS, Knoppix, CentOS, Kanotix, Red Hat, Turbolinux, Red Flag, 64Studio and more than 500 other Linux distributions to choose from, to experiment with! And most of them are free! And those who charge you money such as Linspire, Xandros and Mandriva offer a much better deal than the Microsoft cheaters.

There are two devils in the U.S. One on the West coast and one on the East coast. Dump them both. Impeach Bush, impeach Gates!

And if you don't break your windows, at least give them a cleaning. Go Linux!