Tux Reports has published a review of VectorLinux 4.0 Download Edition. There is also a link to an interview with the originator of the project.
VectorLinux 4.0 Download Edition Review
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
Download Edition? This isnt GPL?
There is a Deluxe version available in their online store.
“Download Edition? This isnt GPL?”
It is not uncommon for Linux distributions to have a Download Edition which is the basics, and another which needs to be purchased that contains items with proprietary licenses such as Java, RealPlayer, etc. That is the way Mandrake and SUSE work as well.
Rather than whine about GPL I thought I would comment that I’ve also tried Vector 4.0 download edition and found that it is very incomplete. The only thing it encouraged me to do is to download Slackware 9.1 and convert to it.
Is it just me or is there a very recent interest in both Libranet and Vector? This is pretty cool, but somehow strange. It seems that either some people look at other’s reviews and think “Wow, I want to test that, too”, Libranet and Vector are sent out to everybody by users/marketing people or it’s a big coincidence.
Still, it’s kind of eerie…
BTW, I’m a more or less happy Vector user since a few months now.
Posts like yours used to piss me off. But your idea about challenging a review as a “coincidence” is as old as tuxreports .. errr.. I mean … killertux … err .. I mean linuxtests.org.
Years ago someone said that I just took newsgroup postings to do a Mandrake review. So, I started to go to newsgroups and make sure if it was said there then I wouldn’t include it.
I was then told that the site was just like PCLinuxOnline – even though we came before them. So, if it appeared there then I wouldn’t post it.
Heck, everytime I’ve turned, I’ve been accussed of something. It’s just getting too old. But nothing surprises me when it comes to unidentified posters. You turkeys will say anything to get your rocks off.
Sorta … but I have to laugh at your post and reply — if for no other reason than sweet satisfaction to know that I’ve had closure (uhm – a psych term – yikes !? )
So, do you work for MS, SCO, or another website? Guess, it’s my turn to ask the eerie questions. But that wouldn’t be fair – because you are an unknown.
But because of posts like yours, I’ve tossed away dozens (uhm , hundreds) of articles because others pubished before me. My daughters convinced me two years ago not to stop — and they wrote many many things. It’s because of them that the site exists. But they got tired of bs posters and stopped. I even stopped with writer’s block because I was too worried what other’s thought. Rather silly !
But then I realized that I do Tux Reports for myself. And you’ll see on my blog on http://journals.tuxreports.com/lph/archives/2003_10.html“>Octobe… that I declared Tux Reports a failed experiment. At that point I rearranged things so that I was comfortable. The site has changed a lot and hopefully it will continue to change.
I know can state with a clear mind that I enjoy Linux. Yep, I’m a Linux addict !
Besides, anyone who visits the tuxreports.com site regularly knows that I’ve been working on a VL review for about a month. So, does that mean since I’ve been working on Fedora we’ll see many reviews on it too? Oh, yep, a few on OSNews already. Well, then hopefully I’ll be the first to write about Mandrake Linux 9.2. OH no ! I’m too late! How about SuSE then? No? Peanut? No? Xandros? No? Darn !
Oh – then I suspect someone else will start an http://libranet.tuxreports.com“>Unofficial ? Maybe – maybe not. Oh, wait, what about using a <a href=”http://www.tuxreports.com/phpWiki.html“>wiki for posting information so that multiple people can write about their experiences? Drats, I’m too late.
Let’s get down to basics. What did you think of including the interview? the hardware specs? the lspci work? the links to all the other reviews? the different types of installs? The issues?
The only comment is that someone else wrote about VL too? ?? REALLY?? Guess that means you knew everything I wrote — except that one of the quotes from the devs came last night. Maybe it was common knowledge?
And here is the real kicker, did you know that I spent one month working with VL and writing that article? Yeah, one month. An average of two hours a day for almost 30 days. I think it was worth it.
And I think after four years of Tux Reports – I’ll keep going – at my own pace – and my own time schedule. When it’s done – it’s done.
Hope everyone who read this post is having a great day. I am 🙂
What does their “download edition” have to do with GPL??
The only things they add in the “paid edition” are KDE, an online installer for dropline gnome, and another app or two?
Bascially you pay to have KDE setup for you and the convenience of having the other packages on the CD.
If you want, you can download the “download edition” and install those things yourself. I don’t see how this has anything to do with GPL.
They need to cover costs somehow, and asking a few $$$ for a CD with KDE on it and such doesn’t seem like such a bad way to go about it.
I think people forget that putting together a Linux distro is a LOT of work, and we should be thankful that these people do work on these things for us. And if they want to sell some CDs to cover their costs, then I don’t see anything wrong with that.
Instead of complaining, you might want to buy their CD to help the project out.
If not, just download the “download edition” and install the extra stuff yourself.
If a Linux distro gets only one review and it’s a good one, then it’s hard to tell if the distro is just that good or if the reviewer just got lucky. Multiple good reviews, or a mix of praises and pans gives one a better feel for the distro.
We don’t really call it a “Download Edition”, just VL 4.0.
There is a “Deluxe” that we send to people for about $20 that includes things you can download from the ftp site. It is the same ISO with extra packages. They aren’t integrated, it just gives a fuller CD for your money.
Most of the people who buy are dialup users, so including the extra packages is just a nice thing to do.
We also do it to give some bonus to users who want to help us out by buying a CD.
Really, we aren’t evil!
Mutiny
Right. Forget that I was saying anything half off-topic.
Sorry for existing.
I also found the Vector 4.0 download edition to be incomplete, and required just a little too much mucking around. That’s why I’m waiting for my Gentoo CDs. That might seem to be a lot of work, too…but Portage seems worth the trouble. I just don’t see much about Slack/Vector to make it work the effort. The small footprint that Vector offers just isn’t enough for me.
But I agree that asking for some beer money for the CDs is not unreasonable.
(Hopefully soon-to-be former SuSE user)