PCLinuxOS 2010 (KDE)
The last time I looked at PCLinuxOS was back in 2009 when I was working full-time for ExtremeTech. There’s a new release out and it’s a good time for a review of it here on DLR. I’ve also gotten some requests for it in the Request A Review page and I’m always happy to try and fulfill those requests.
PCLinuxOS comes available in a number of different desktop environments:
For this review I decided to use the main KDE version.
There is also a “MiniMe” version that contains the desktop only, without all of the extra applications. If you are the type that wants total control over what applications are put onto your system, the MiniMe version is definitely for you. I, being somewhat lazy and not much of a control freak, simply opted for the regular version.
What’s New In This Release
Here’s a sample of what’s new in this release:
Kernel 2.6.32.11-bfs kernel for maximum desktop performance.
Full KDE 4.4.2 Desktop.
Nvidia and ATI fglrx driver support.
Multimedia playback support for many popular formats.
Wireless support for many network devices.
Printer support for many local and networked printer devices.
Addlocale allows you to convert PCLinuxOS into over 60 languages.
GetOpenOffice can install Open Office supporting over 100 languages.
MyLiveCD allows you to take a snapshot of your installation and burn it to a LiveCD/DVD.
Parental Controls to keep your kids away from those naughty websites.
I don’t have kids so I don’t usually bother with parental controls. I took a quick peek at the ones in PCLinuxOS though and found them somewhat limited.
If you want to access the parental controls for PCLinuxOS, click the Configure Your Computer icon on the panel. Type in your root password then click the Security link after the PCLinuxOSControlCenter. From there choose Parental Controls.
You can blacklist or whitelist sites and you can also set time limits on use. You’ll have to type in each site you want blocked in the controls though, there doesn’t seem to be a list you can easily import into the parental controls to block known nasty sites automatically.
After booting into the Live CD desktop, you can explore or start the install.
(17 votes, average: 4.12 out of 5)
Loading ...Related Posts:
Enjoy the blog? Feel free to leave a tip by buying me a cup of coffee. Thanks!
(4.75 out of 5)
Nice review, although the giant popup ads for Duracell batteries are a bit annoying. Takes over the screen for about 10 seconds or so. Also does not fully display the ad for some reason. Only the left side of the ad is visible. I am not running any ad or flash blockers in the Chromium browser, so I do not know what could be up with that. It also only pops up on the first 4 pages of the review.
The automatic page refresh has also gotten more interesting. Instead of just refreshing in the middle of typing a reply, it now totally wipes out anything you had typed. I wound up typing this up in Gedit, then pasting it over. You still have to be quick while typing in your name and e-mail though. Just thought I’d mention it.
At any rate, with KDE 4 and the upcoming Gnome 3, you will have to say goodbye to preinstalled Open Office on CD sized distros. It just will not fit. Even if they strip out all the little nothing programs they do include, it will still be a no go. Just the law of physics and bloated programming. This is not an issue for me, as I no longer use Open Office. I only use the Gnumeric spreadsheet app these days. The “get Open Office” icon is a nice
touch though for those who need it.
The main thing I did with my machine was to download an alternate kernel from the repositories. I changed to the one optimized for AMD processors. Specifically, I switched to 2.6.32.11-pclos2.a64. It is noticeably faster on my laptop which uses an AMD 2650e CPU. They have yet another kernel that fully takes advantage of 4 to 64gb of memory. This kernel ends with a .pae extension.
Installing these alternate kernels is no different than installing any other program. Afterwards, you simply select it during the boot process, or you can edit the Grub menu to make it boot as the default. This can be done through the Control Center in the Boot section.
This isn’t going to happen. Why? Because Synaptic for RPM is no longer being developed upstream. PCLinuxOS is going to have to either lock themselves at their current RPM version forever going forward or they’re going to have to select a different package management system as apt is dying for rpm.
The reason OpenOffice was not installed by default was there was simply no room for it on the live CD. The live CD only holds 800 megs top and the iso file is right at 700 megs. As far as the complaint of giving your root password and setting up the user account at the end of the install is rather petty at best.
I wrote my main comments on PCLinuxOS and where I place it over at the forum. Generally speaking, I rate this as a top three user friendly system for basic and general desktop use, with focus on simplicity and stability. You can get distributions that are better fits for other activities, but the relative novice will do as well with this distribution as any other – I’d put it in a virtual tie with Mint and SimplyMEPIS (though I personally like SimplyMEPIS best).
PCLinuxos2010 is an improvement over previous releases, but the KDE version of 2010 has bugs that need to be fixed. First, while the network connection works for wireless, it doesn’t always connect to wired using Firefox. Also, the widgets have bugs that cause random freezes and missing widgets, etc…I’m wondering if this distro was tested thoroughly before the final was released ?
Where PCLinuxOS stands out is the LDXE version of the distro. Compared to it’s KDE cousin, LDXE is fast and uses far fewer resources. If I were going to recommend any of the PCLinuxos versions, the LXDE version would be the one.
As for the comments regarding PCLOS being the easiest for beginners, I disagree. While I’m not saying PCLOS is overly difficult, it cannot be compared to Ubuntu regarding the installation, the firewall setup, or the confusing decision a beginner needs to make regarding logging into root vs. user. Configuring the firewall gui on PCLOS/Mandriva is NOT for beginners, trust me. And until PCLOS trades the current drake-install gui for something similar to the one found on Ubuntu, the claim that it is radically simple is more radical…while less simple.
Having said that, the PCLOS forum is an excellent place to gain information, and this is one area where is shines above Ubuntu.
That should be LXDE…sorry for the spelling.
There is no perfect OS but I absolutely love the KDE version. It boots quick and I’ve never seen KDE 4 perform so well. The widget bug was resolved in an update yesterday. It affected a small number of widgets that use python scripting. I had no problems with my network connection. Overall I find it to be very solid release.
Alex wrote:
You can find updated apt/synaptic packages for rpm >= 4.6.x on any Fedora Mirror.
Tried out the KDE version and it was generally a good distro, easy to use, good community. The two biggest problem I have is the rolling release updates and that there is no 64bit versions. People will say you don’t need 64bit, it doesn’t help, most computers are not 64bit, etc. That’s just making excuses. I do need 64bit, I have compared and 32bit won’t cut it. There is no excuse for not having a 64bit version. To me that shows a lack of motivation and of living in the past, but it has been stated that a 64bit version is in the works. All in all it is a good distro for a new user. I would still recommend Mepis mainly because of its Debain base. (I’m not a RPM person) Nothing really stood out for me but that may be my fault. I’m not a KDE person so maybe I should have tried the Gnome version. I think I will still check out the Gnome version. I would like to see someone do a review on that one.
Thanks
Nice job Jim. KDE users who prefer a stable, solid no-fuss system clearly have two good choices in the recently released Mepis and now PCLOS. Both impress me as being really good and both have excellent forums for both new and experienced users.
I agree with downloading big apps such as Open Office or GIMP. It is easily done and it allows developers to include a greater set of drivers for devices such as wireless cards. It seems to me we either do something such as PCLOS has done or just go on over to DVDs, which would not be a bad choice provided users have speedy net connections with no download fees per megabyte.