OpenAddict ‘reviews PCLinuxOS 2007 Beta 2, and concludes: “In all honesty, any review of PCLOS will be lacking as the qualities that make PCLOS what it is are in the details. There is no one’ shining point regarding this distro. The whole PCLinuxOS distribution is the shining point.”
There’s no doubt PCLinuOS is the best distribution ever made. Simplicity, user-friendliness,powerfull hardware detection and great selection of available applications
are just couple attributes I would associate with PSLinuxOS.
As someone who use to mess around with various Linux distributions on daily basis and then to share my experience and knowledge with other people I do not hesitate, when asked for advice, to recommend PCLinuxOS over other distributions.
Following is latest example how PCLinuxOS helped resolve client’s problem (this time wireles connectivity).
“It works great.
I made a bootable CD of PClinuxOS, it boots up, prompts me for what ethernet connection I want to configure, I choose wireless, detects my Orinoco card, prompts me for the wireless access point, connects to my wireless access point, and I’m out on the web wirelessly. Thanks again for your help.”
http://tinyurl.com/2e6hb6
Edited 2007-03-09 16:49
There’s no doubt PCLinuOS is the best distribution ever made.
No doubt? I have enough doubts over this statement for three.
PCLinuxOS 2007 is looking good but they should drop the XP Luna window decoration.
It doesn’t have the XP Luna window decoration. Please have a look at the above screenshots.
Look at the program title bars.
Well, it is not exactly identical to Luna´s window decorators but I certainly can see the resemblance and it is disgusting indeed, but other than that, that´s a heck of a good looking KDE that they got in there. Thumbs up!
Look at the program title bars
Ok, hopefully you’ll see the difference now. Sharing the same color scheme doesn’t make it equal.
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/2255/lunavspclosva9.png
It still looks far too simular IMHO.
Whatever the case, I would replace the window decoration if I download and use the distro.
You must use Ubuntu.
Ubuntu users are the only ones I’ve seen that have a problem with a statement like this.
It’s funny because Texstar, the creator of PCLinuxOS, once had someone tell him in the forum that they were a Windows XP user looking to migrate to Linux. They considered PCLinuxOS and elected to go for Ubuntu and then listed the reasons why.
Tex thanked him for his input and welcomed him to the world of Linux.
That’s classy. He was truly happy the guy was using Linux. I’ve never seen that on any of the Linux forums I frequent…people are too distro-centric when they shouldn’t be.
?
I’ve actually used PCLinuxOS more than once, and to me, it’s just another distribution, just like Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora, but just with a smaller community. Like all the other millions of distributions out there.
Sorry, but I haven’t yet seen anything that makes this distribution stand out from the pack.
Guess you should look a bit harder. I’ve been using Linux since 1995 (Slacker in my heart) and I haven’t found its equal for desktop Linux computing.
Guess you should look a bit harder.
I have a better idea. Why don’t you just accept that whatever’s right for you, might not be right for others?
I’d accept it if you didn’t dismiss things without any rhyme or reason. That’s ignorance. Get specific in your reasoning…don’t sweep things under the rug. When I don’t like something or use something, I come up with real reasons I don’t use it…I don’t just say “distro X has no reason.
First off, it’s NOT just like any other distro. If it was, I’d just be using Slackware. It’s different in MANY aspects. If you can name me a few of those aspects, I’d leave this entire discussion alone…but I don’t think you can. I think you’re sweeping things aside being a nonchalant prat.
I don’t care what distro anyone uses…honestly, as long as they’re using Linux it is cool with me. But if someone says “My distro is the best” and you make a chide comment like “I have to disagree with that” then be prepared to reap what you sow…and then, don’t turn hypocrite and point the finger at those raising the BS flag at you with that “Why don’t you just accept…” crap. Why didn’t you just accept that fact in the beginning and save yourself from making a comment at all?
You would not get any comment from me if you had said: Ï *find* my distro the best”. Presenting one’s opinion as fact is kind of, well, nonsense. If you do that on a public forum about a very subjective matter, be prepared to take a beating.
At LinuxQuestions.org: http://shots.linuxquestions.org/?linux_distribution_sm=PCLinuxOS~*~…
“[Screenshots of latest PCLinuxOS beta] At LinuxQuestions.org: “
Surely my comment gets modded down very fast, but… why does PCLOS have to look as old fashioned and clumsy as “Windows XP”? Do users (also those who consider / are migrating) really expect this? Does it help them in any way? As far as I experienced, most users switch to Linux because they want to get rid of the ugly GUI of “Windows” (not to mention hardware support, better security, free software etc.).
BTW, the review does not tell anything about internationalisation. Is PCLOS available in german, too? Is translation quality and quantity acceptable?
After giving the comment that “The whole PCLinuxOS distribution IS the shining point”, he spends the next few sentences explaining why he won’t be using it.
well, i am not linux specialist, but i know one thing – i wanted to remove the XP from my PC, and in 2004 i started to give distros a try..suse, ubuntu, fedora, debian, mepis etc etc.., all ended with fdisk mbr. Till PCLinuxOS – its installed on my PC from 25.12.2005
Its the thing, that removed XP! And its getting better and better! Respects, its well done job.
@ Tom Holverda
All right,Tom, I do not like bold statements too , but I don’t like euphemisms neither!
I’m not distro-centric and I’m currently using PCLinuxOS
Vector 5.8, Xandros Desktop Business Edition, Dream Linux Multimedia and SUSE Enterprise Server 9.
Wonder where there are Ubuntu and Fedora, Mandrake and
OpenSUSE? They are all but not good enough to allow them to waste my precious CPU cycles.
Only Fedora project releases are close enough (to my tase) and I like to give it a try ( test runs and bug reports).
Edited 2007-03-09 19:26
Mandrake? It’s Mandriva!
And, BTW, if you like PCLinuxOS, you will like Mandriva. As PCLinuxOS is Mandriva with a different WinXP-like theme.
Um…No. It’s not.
It uses Ubuntu packages, Suse packages, Fedora packages, Mandriva packages, and used to use Yoper packages.
It’s not Mandriva rebranded. They share the drak installer and control center. That’s about it.
You know what,opkool?
if you can’t distinguish themes from what is behind
cool wallpapers and icons set you’d be better shut up!
…there’s no x86-64 bit version. 🙁 I’m a former PCLOS user and I absolutely LOVED it! It was one of the easiest distros to setup and one of easiest distro to use (and i’ve tried untold dozens over the years.) The Mandriva control center is excellent. Unfortunately, due to a severe bug with my new motherboard (ASUS K8V-X SE), i’m forced to use a 64 bit OS if I want AGP acceleration and AIGLX. This is my reason for moving to Ubuntu, which in my opinion is an excellent distribution as well. Still, if given the choice, I would move back to PCLOS in a heartbeat if I could.
If you like the Mandriva Control Center, why not use Mandriva x86-64?
“If you like the Mandriva Control Center, why not use Mandriva x86-64?”
Because PCLinuxOS is so much more than just the control center. Tex and crew have done an absolutely stunning job on the entire OS.
“Tex and crew have done an absolutely stunning job on the entire OS.”
Besides changing strings and using a XP theme, what other changes are in PCLinuxOS?
Try it an see for yourself, it is a live cd after all.
But, here is a hint. All codecs work after boot.
…but it would seem to be a more logical second choice than Ubuntu, is the point I was trying to make.
Because it’s extremely confusing? If a seasoned linux vet can’t figure out wtf he will need to subscribe to in order to have a complete and easily updatable system, the tiering structure needs to be re-examined – I see this complaint commonly, and recently when I was looking at possibly purchasing mandriva, I found myself completely confused.
Also, billing One as an installable live cd is somewhat strange considering the system you end up with after the install doesn’t even include man or man pages. Groff, sure, but not man. Strange.
Because the rest of Mandrake-Riva sucks, has sucked and will continue to suck until you get the rest of the distro to work as well as PCLinuxOS.
My comment which merely pointed out a contradiction in the article immediately got modded up to a 5, while comments that commented on the review or tried to help other users are staying at 1.
Doesn’t seem right, not to me at least…
PClinuxOS is one of the better distros around. It is a lot faster than Ubuntu Edgy on my old laptop especially with beryl. Currently tho it has some bugs that have me using XP again. my synaptics touchpad is working weird in it, when I scroll down using the touchpad in firefox, firefox frequently jumps to the previous web page I was viewing. its like it is pressing the browser’s back button automatically. also the zydas 1201 usb wifi driver is no working even with proper firmware installed. Compiz is broken too in my machine. Anyway if one is not using above hardware, this is the distro to use!
“my synaptics touchpad is working weird in it, when I scroll down using the touchpad in firefox, firefox frequently jumps to the previous web page I was viewing. its like it is pressing the browser’s back button automatically.”
That’s not a bug with PCLOS or any other specific distro. It’s just a funky default setting in Firefox. This is one of the first settings that I change after a fresh install.
Go to Firefox address bar and type about:config. Look for mousewheel.horizscroll.withnokey.action change the default value to 0.
Edited 2007-03-09 23:33
thanx!
how’s that work for opera ?
What’s with the 1980 inspired clock in the lower right corner? How tasteless is that on a scale of one to ten? PCLinuxOS looks like an even more toyish version of Windows XP.
http://www.dwellunderground.com/images/random/casio_calc.jpg
Endica, would you beleive it when I tell you PSLinuxOS has ugliest default desktop and icon theme I’ve ever came across but it’s still best desktop Linux ever made.
First thing I use to do with PCLinuxOS once I install it is to change destop theme,icon set, window style/decoration; everityng else is just best of breed.
I can’t care less if PCLinuxOS guys are trying to mimic Windows XP or Mac OS X because I’ll repaint my desktop anyway.
It’s rather what’s behind “look’n’feel” than what it looks like!
I wouldn’t really mind if Texstar decides to skin PCLinuxOS to look like Win 3.11 if it really acts as and “super-duper-infra-extra-user-friendly-radicaly_simle” OS
Endica, would you beleive it when I tell you PSLinuxOS has ugliest default desktop and icon theme I’ve ever came across but it’s still best desktop Linux ever made.
I believe you think that, yes. But I would possibly even agree if you could give me some examples of where PCLinuxOS gets it right where other distros such as Ubuntu gets it wrong.
I guess you’re right about changing it to suite your personal tastes, but to me, the default looks of a distro tells me whether or not the developers have a sense of good taste or not. And this is actually important because it also hints as to whether or not the developers will focus on things I care about, namely looks. I don’t want to recommend something that looks like a toy, even if I know you can skin it to look like Mac OS X if you prefer.
PCLinuxOS looks nice enough to eat … my only worry is how long Texstar and co can keep it going for before conking out from sheer overwork. Are they getting some kind of support – financial, too? – from Mandriva or someone else? I hope so. The great danger with distros like this is that things move on – life intervenes, whatever – and they start to run out of steam, especially if they have been running on a wing and a prayer to begin with.
That’s possible with any distro, really. Why not just enjoy it while its available and if it disappears, move on? I’ve really enjoyed a few distros that disappeared, but I’m glad I used them while I did.
Er…no. We don’t give PCLinuxOS money.
What possible reason would we have to do that?
Quite recently I tried a number of live CDs and other distributions on both an older desktop and laptop PC. PCLinuxOS was the only one that simply installed and worked on both systems, without requiring any online research and config file editing to get it up and running.
Hardly a scientific test I know, but it left me with a very good impression of PCLOS. For a number of reasons it’s still not a replacement for Windows on my PC, but it’s the one distribution I will keep on my hard drive.
I’ve used PCLinuxOS for about a year, and it is quite good, but after using Pardus a couple of days, it is clear that Pardus is better in terms of configuration tools, a nice clean look (without looking like windows), a great package manager, ease of network configuration like I’ve never seen from ANY distro.. it is quite quite impressive.. stability is good so far but time will tell on that. They have integrated KMPlayer into Konquerer for QT etc, which I have never seen before either, and it works. Pardus also boots VERY quickly, but is not quite as fast as PCLOS once in KDE..
My top 3 distros:
1. GRML (hard to want to use anything else after you’ve used this)
2. Pardus
3. PCLinuxOS
I’m personally just glad to see all these KDE based distros going strong. God bless the gnome devs for the work they do to make a fantastic desktop, but I’m 100% kde and either want to run something like arch or frugalware that allows be to build my own system, or want to run a well built kde-specific distro. Unfortunately Kubuntu is going in a direction I strongly dislike, so I can’t include that in this list.
Anyhow, I’ve been very impressed with PCLinuxOS (though that’s a seriously ungood name) and think the most recent builds look even nicer. Their homepage could use some help, though.
“Their homepage could use some help, though.”
Its homepage looked better before, but their previous host cancelled the PCLinuxOS account claiming the site “broke” their systems”, or something. After a blackout of a couple of weeks the site was back, now with another host, but with this new theme. I miss the previous looks, but I’m glad the site is back.
Edited 2007-03-10 11:01
Well, I just installed the latest beta of PCLinuxOS and I am extremely happy. I was able to perform everything I wanted. I needed a sound recorder so I just launched Synaptic and I typed “Audacity” and it installed. Within minutes I was able to record and play sounds. I changed the KDE style to Active Heart with Aqua-Brushed Metal window decoration and it looks awesome. The fonts are perfect! Very sharp and clear looking. I love the built in spell checker in Konqueror. As soon as I misspell something the word becomes red. I launched OpenOffice.org, it launched very quick on my Intel Core 2 Duo system with 2GB RAM and the GUI font for OOo is the same as the rest of the system. Well done. This is the best looking OOo-KDE-Look-A-Like wonna be so far. Seriously, you can’t really tell the difference between OOo and a NON KDE app. Looks the same! It even feels the same. The font spacing in OOo’s menus is the same as in the KDE apps. Normally the font spacing in OOo’s menus is more towards the right and it looks odd. Not with this one. Here the font spacing is the same as the KDE apps. Everything is super consistent. Even the Open/Save dialogs. Well Done PC Linux OS. I never say this but I honestly think PCLinuxOS can give Windows a bit of competition.
Edited 2007-03-10 12:12
why does osnews look exactly a gnome desktop– ugghhh all those shades of gray
I just want to say again that I am still using PCLinuxOS and I am very happy with it. (I had to reinstall it because I stuffed up my MBR, my fault). Everything simply works and looks good.
I can’t explain with writing how happy I am with this Linux distribution, seriously — hence, I am posting for a second time.
The super sharp fonts are a true bonus! So consistent everywhere! 100% Well Done again! I would recommend this distribution to anyone willing to switch. No, it’s not just another distro. It’s hard to explain until you use it. The way the OS feels, runs, looks is all 10/10. There is no negative. One thing I’d like to see is to KDE-fy their control panel. That’s it but even if they don’t do it, it’s ok. Well Done PCLinuxOS.
Edited 2007-03-11 11:23
..but the rest is just simply brilliant. Best distro I’ve ever used and is the only one I burn to give away.
Control Center is excellent. Apt-get/Synaptic is a must have. Compiz & Beryl are included by default. Updates come thick and fast. “Everything Just Works”. What more could you want?