Mandriva Linux 2010 (Free)
Desktop & Apps
My system defaulted to a KDE 4.3 desktop. The first thing I noted when booting into my desktop was the Mandriva Galaxy popup menu. This menu provides more information about the various versions of Mandriva and also provides links to support options for Mandriva as well as a link that lets you contribute financially to help Mandriva’s development.
The Mandriva desktop isn’t too cluttered but you will notice that there are icons included encouraging you to join the Mandriva Community and also another one to Upgrade to Powerpack. Also included are a Welcome icon, home and a trash can.
Clicking the star icon on the Task Manager lets you access all of your applications. There are also icons for devices, configuring your desktop, configuring your system, one for Firefox and also smaller icons to access multiple desktops.
Navigating the Mandriva app launcher menus is easy since everything is broken down into the usual categories as I’ve listed below.
Be sure to check out the Mandriva Control Center. The control center lets you manage your software, hardware, network, security, etc. Click the Configure Your Computer icon on the taskmanager bar and the control center will open after you type in your root password. I really like the Mandriva Control Center, it’s probably one of the best desktop control panels I’ve seen. Everything is right there, at your fingertips, so you can easily control your Mandriva Linux system.
Here’s some of what you’ll find in terms of software:
Games
Crack Attack
Frozen Bubble
Kapman
Nibbles
Robots
SuperTux 2
Graphics
digiKam Photo Management
DNGConverter
GIMP
Gwenview Image Editor
Inkscape Vector Graphics Editor
KRuler
KSnapshot
F-Spot Photo Manager
Internet
Firefox
Akregator Feed Reader
Ekiga Softphone
FileZilla FTP
KMail
Kopete IM
KTorrent
Quassel IRC
KNode News Reader
Konqueror
Empathy
Epiphany
Evolution
Transmission
Multimedia
Amarok Audio Player
Codeina
Dragon Video Player
KMix
KsCD
Movie Player
Xine
Kino Video Editor
Cheese
Grip
Office
OpenOffice.org
KPlato Project Management
KThesaurus
Scribus
Okular Document Viewer
Abiword
Gnumeric
Planner Project Management
I have no complaints about the selection of software that comes with Mandriva Linux 2010 (Free). Everything I needed to do my usual stuff was included (with the exception of Flash and some DVD related software, more on that below).
Adding & Removing Software
Adding and removing software is easy. Simply click the star icon in the Task Manager and then choose Install & Remove Software. The Mandriva software management tool reminds me of the Ubuntu Software Center visually. Both are attractive and very easy to navigate.
If the default software included with Mandriva wasn’t enough for you then don’t worry. You’ll find lots more apps that you can download and install onto your Mandriva system. The Software Management tool is broken down into the usual categories so it’s pretty easy to find the software you want.
The software management tool has an easy to use interface and provides lots of additional software.
(19 votes, average: 4.47 out of 5)
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no live cd?
Mandriva linux come in cd live, http://www2.mandriva.com/downloads/?p=linux-one
What do you mean, no LiveCD? That’s exactly what Mandriva One edition is. It’s an installable LiveCD…
BTW, I installed the 64 bit version, and I ran into just a couple of hiccups, one of which is a submitted bug that’s awaiting a fix. Not biggie, though… It’s easily the best Linux released in 2009, though. Very sharp…
He refers to the mandriva FREE version does not have a live cd.
It’s as stupid to say that there is no LiveCD version when you’re trying the Free edition, as saying there is no KDE in Ubuntu because you’re trying the main edition.
Morning folks,
Yes, when I mentioned the Live CD thing I was referring to the “Free” edition not Mandriva One. I know that Mandriva One has a Live CD. Sorry if I did not communicate this better in the review. I did mentionin the Suitable For part of the table that Mandriva One could be tried without installing it.
No worries though as the overall experience with Mandriva Linux 2010 (Free) was quite good. The Live CD thing is a relatively minor thing.
You would never start off with ‘Im not a religious fanatic like a jew or muslim but I….’
Seriously, is it POSSIBLE to stop shitting on people whose beliefs you might not share?
Not just you but every freaking tech nerd starts off with a version of “Im not a racist, some of my best friends are black but….”
I use free software and I participate in three projects (including my own) which are GPLed. I am not a fanatic and none of the dozens of people I collaborate with are. Yet we are to believe they are everywhere.
It is NOT a religion and being treated like some retard by mental midgets trying to say the ‘in’ thing is getting a tad annoying.
I have 3 college degrees, Ive based my whole life’s work on science, on facts and hard work, I think that people who believe in the great bogeyman in the sky are mnetally weak so I dont like some dolts insinuating that my mental capacities are diminished because OF THE LICENSE I USE.
I want my work to be accessible to ALL who want to use it… as long as they play nice and share with others. THAT is the only condition I ask they respect. You dont have to pray to some idol, you dont need a special diet or getting a bodypart lopped off to join. You can use my code however you like but if you distribute it THEN you have to share the source code.
It is a logical decision which suits my upbringing as both my parents are research scientists who have collaborated with colleagues aroudn the world for over 3 decades.
Learn the proper use of language and stop insulting people whose motives in life arent money or religion but principles.
That passive aggresive BS is annoying from the free software haters and even more so from those that try to laud it like you did.
Good article for a great distro but the facile insult at the start ruined it all.
Hi Jim,
But what’s the point of having a live CD version of Free when you have One version? the whole idea of having a live CD version as you say is, to give the user a taste of Mandriva (or any distro) without having to install. What do you think a live CD version of Mandriva Free could contribute additional to what One shows ?
IMO, the live CD experience for a new user must be the best of the best, that’s why One includes Flash and proprietary drivers for graphic and wireless cards. This way, the user can have the best experience while using Mandriva. With a Free live CD as it doesn’t include proprietary drivers nor flash, you would have a version that shows Mandriva in like an incomplete state, not being able to visit a lot of popular sites or even being able to connect to the Internet at all because the Free version doesn’t include your wireless card driver.
Also a clarification, that Free doesn’t doesn’t include proprietary drivers and flash, by default, doesn’t mean that you will have to do all the work to get those working manually. They’re available on Mandriva repositories to be installed in a Free installation. In the case of video or wireless cards drivers, when you go to Mandriva Control Center, for example when you configure your video card, it will download and install the appropriate driver (ATI or Nvidia) without user interaction, the same happens with wireless drivers (of course you will need to use your wired connection to do this). With flash, just open up Mandriva Control Center, go to Software installation and search for “flash-player-plugin” and it will be installed from Mandriva repositories. No need to manually download and install anything :)
Ross, my apologies if I spoke too liberally about “free software fanatics.” I don’t think I was referring to folks like yourself though but rather some of the more shrill, true believer types. Anyway, I’ll be more careful when I touch on that subject in the future as my intention was not to insult anyone. My apologies to anybody that took it the wrong way.
Juan, good points about the Live CD. I guess I’m just used to having a Live CD version available these days and it strikes me as odd when a distro or version of a distro doesn’t offer one.
Good point about getting software too. Thanks for pointing that out.
Jim, but THERE IS a live CD version, I still don’t understand your point, really. A live CD of Free would be a live DVD, and the ONLY advantage it would have over One liive CD would be more available software, but as I said it would have the downside of no proprietary drivers and flash support, a less pleasant experience for an inexperienced user.
It is possible that you clarify a little your point in the review about this ? it’s clear that a lot of people misunderstood what you where trying to say and leaves the impression that Mandriva doesn’t have a live CD version, which clearly it isn’t true and you are ware of that.
Thanks