Submitted by “Version 1.2 is the third official release of the Gentoo-based VidaLinux OS (VLOS). The changes and enhancements to this edition are significant, but not good enough to save this conceptually astute operating system from failure. VidaLinux 1.2 is nice to play with, but don’t expect a comfortable, complete desktop experience a la SUSE or Mandriva.” Linux.com has the details. My Take: Tested VLOS the other day, and while it may be not be perfect yet, it’s definitely on the way to being an attractive and usable system.
VLOS 1.2 Review
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Adam Scheinberg
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sucks.
I was an Avid user of VLOS 1.1 on my Athlon64, but when 1.2 came out, I saw that there was both free and a commercial version… I thought fine, only to see that they had moddified Porthole so that if you hadn’t paid you didn’t have access to the entire Portage Tree. To me that was disgusting, considering the portage tree is free to use to anybody.
And IIRC its $50 for the Commercial release, which works out at approximately £30, for that I can almost buy a proper Commercial Distro with proper dedicated support.
After the 1.2 release and a few days with it I quickly moved to Stock Gentoo.
Does VLOS acutally include any propertiary software? I can’t understand what are they charging for if they just modified GPLd stuff. Isn’t it time someone created free clone (like White Box for RHEL)?
There is absolutely no propriatory software in VLOS 1.2, and there isn’t even a dedicated support team, to justify a commercial release.
They haven’t even moddified any GPL app’s other than Porthole, so that it limits the Portage Tree you have access to if you haven’t paid.
Very similar feelings here, Andrew.
For $65 (as an existing user) I could buy Libranet 3.0, a supreme OS when compared to VidaLinux.
I have what used to be VLOS 1.1 on my desktop. After an “emerge system –update”, an “emerge -uD world” and replacing the VLOS kernel with a stock Gentoo kernel, I am now a Gentoo user.
So, did they disable access to portage via the Porthole tool, only? If so, I would think that you could just do your updates from the command line.
To me that was disgusting, considering the portage tree is free to use to anybody.
I completely have to agree with you. I feel the same way to a certain extent (though I somewhat understand a bit more) about Linspire’s Click-and-Run…
If they did not try to cripple porthole.
I mean a polished Gentoo without all that hella effort?
That would be nice.
You should make one.
The stage 3 package from Gentoo 2005.1 installs in no time flat. It makes a great server (secure, stable, fast).
Gentoo was not designed to be a quick and dirty install. It was designed to be highly customizable. If you want a quick and easy desktop, use Fedora or Mandrake.
Gentoo is even working on a Graphical installer. After that, tehre will be no market from VLOS.
Good objectiv article.
Although i personally prefer plain gentoo i see VLOS as an interesting option for some people who want the abundance of gentoo-options later on but haven’t the time to put that much time in it at this stage.They can postpone the learning curve a little.
Gentoo is by design really a power users distro and Vlos is marketed more towards the newb. As a newb if you don’t go through the complex install you really don’t learn how to properly administer your system.
I recommend one of the various Debian distros towards the newb, perhaps SimplyMepis.
Gentoo is just not designed to be used by people who can’t get through the install.
my $1.45