FYI,
Here are my initial impressions of RH 7.1 vis-a-vis Mandrake 8.0:
N.B. My ratings are as follows: minus=negative comment, plus=positive comment,
(as a "newbie" / "non-techie"/ "Windows-convert" might view them).
Installation: I chose "Expert" and "Custom system", for better control
over selection of software packages.
Boot diskette: my superdisk drive is /dev/hdc
Created by RH 7.1 [plus]
Consiststently fails with Mandrake 8.0 (I/O error?) [minus]
Printer: Epson Stylus Color ESC/P2
Can only be configured after installing RH 7.1. [minus]
Can be configured/tested during installing Mandrake 8.0[plus]
Colour output is on par with Windows quality whether I use the
RH drivers or, CUPS / Gnome Print / Foomatic under Mandrake [plus]
"Clean /tmp":
Option available during Mandrake install [plus]
Cannot find this, or is _not an option_ with RH [minus]
"Automount":
Feature is an option during Mandrake install [plus]
Cannot be found, or _is not an option_ during RH install [minus]
Removable devices (KDE):
An icon is automatically installed "ls-120" under RH [plus]
A "floppy" and, in the *user account*, a "zip" icon (linked to a non-existent
/dev/zip) under Mandrake 8.0 [minus]
CD icons in KDE / Gnome:
Under RH will mount / eject / auto-run disks [plus]
Under Mandrake will only auto-run / eject under Gnome [minus]
*Both* distros: nice desktop icons linked to online help, etc. [plus]
Internet (cable-modem) connection:
RH assigns "cablemodem nnnn" which remains constant after each reboot [plus]
Mandrake assigns a dynamic "DHCP nnnn" causing complaints from Nautilus,
regardless whether I select cable, LAN, dhchcp, dhcp, dhcp-client [minus]
Post install of packages:
RH (Gnome) still obliged the user to hunt for dependencies [minus]
Mandrake (KDE) Software Package Manager finds and installs needed dependencies.
Both distros: nicely detect my NIC (SMC E-Z 10) card [plus]
CD Burning: I can run X-Cd-roast as user under both distros,]
whereas Gcombust and Eroaster must be run from a root console.
USB devices: My Logitech Optical Wheel mouse:
Detected as generic usb,
...the pointer inexplicably jumps to the top right corner of the screen
when I click on the wheel to test as "usb wheel" under Mandrale.
.. under RH, instead of generic USB, I select Logitech First Mouse usb.
Scanner: Epson Perfection 610
Shows up in usbview, xsane still has to be selectivey installed with
or after the SANE package. I have to edit my /etc/sane.d/epson.conf and
/etc/rc.d/rc.local files as well as set permissions for /dev/usb/scanner0,
before the device is detected by Gimp and Xsane. [minus]
Login console:
When logging out, I can select to reboot to dos (windows) - RH [plus]
Under Mandrake, I have to reboot to LILO or GRUB, then select the
dos partition. [minus]
Mandrake is getting there as the distro for new linux users for
simplicity of use and installation, but there is still a way to go.
I look forward to 8.1 (though I still haven't had any explanation WHY
the version went from 7.2 to 8.0, a rather large jump, IMHO..).
FWIW, just my two shekels / escudos / pfennig / centavos...
To the guys at Mandrake: keep up the good work!
Elton Woo ;-)
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