Date: 2008-11-02 11:52:02 Created: null
The third Linux distribution I've ever tried to install and use, and I think it's a favourite already. Ease of use is a wonderful thing, and nice graphical installation programs that do all the hard stuff like graphics configuration behind you back, and do it right too, are wonderful examples of ease of use. Mandrake has that, in case you were wondering, and that's just the start. When things work this well you start wondering why you stick with Windows so much all the time. Haven't done any internet connectivity yet since I'm still at Robert's place when writing this, but connecting to this computer and browsing shared directories was laughably simple. Open the graphical configuration application, find all the shared folders already listed, check a few boxes and presto! Works without a hitch. As do the sound, graphics, USB mouse (including wheel) and webcam (or it's detected anyway, haven't tried any more than that).
Installing Mandrake is also my first try of KDE (the K desktop environment), and that too has been very pleasant so far. Everything feels smooth and stylish, but still configurable and un-windowsy (like, stable and stuff), and I've put my home made penguin in the middle of the desktop already :-) ...
Okay, not everything is totally perfect yet. Choosing to install the latest version of X available on the CDs seems to have left me unable to run OpenGL apps. That's just like the installation program warned though, so I can't really complain much. Warnings beforehand that are completely spot on the problem, how common is that on any system? Can't wait to play around more. Getting this site running on that box is high on the wishlist for example. So much to do, so much to try, so much to see ...
Update on 4/4 2002
Progress continues! This site is now happily served from Mandrake, which means I can put up a nice "powered by Linux" logo or something! Yay! Also a combination of a driver update and monitor experimentation has enabled me to run OpenGL and other nice stuff. Time to install Unreal Tournament ...
Update on 6/6 2002
Aha, now I've finally messed things up a bit! Happily tried to upgrade to KDE 3.0.1 from my old 2.2.2, but fate wouldn't let that pass too easily. No KDE for me, no way.
"Me" in that case means my normal user, and not the physical me. Fortunately the root login boots 2.2.2 as it always has, so I've been able to get by and try to hammer on the problem. Just now I've posted asking for help on Mandrake Forum, which will hopefully be a bit more effective than my own more or less random attempts to make sense of things :-) ... The error messages I get make me think something's wrong with the PATH settings (where KDE looks for its own files), but all PATH additions for KDE I've found so far look good. Ah well, more to come on this subject ...
Update on 19/6 2002
And now we're back in standard gravity again, thanks to the Mandrake discussion boards. Needlessly upgrading QT libraries didn't do me any good, done in good faith or not, putting older ones back did though. Also removed and reinstalled without devel packages at the same time, so I'm not completely sure if it was a combined effort or one of the things that did it on its own.
Forgot to mention, we're running KDE 3.0.1 as well. So something good actually came through all this messing. Feels like that doesn't happen everyday ...
Update on 22/8 2002
Finally got the FTP server up and running. Or rather, got the FTP server to allow me, or anyone else with permission, to log in :-) ... Some configuration now, and I might start allowing a few more trusted people to log in and upload stuff if they like ... Turned out some settings were wrong, causing Xinted to take charge of port 21 when I really wanted that control handed over to the standalone Proftpd version. So now it suddenly works, one of the most long running annoyances I've had in all the time with Mandrake. What can possibly stop me now?