Well, that's it. No more Mandrake. Linux Format provided 9.0 on DVD
this month, so I gave it a go. Installation on my old Pentium III was
totally painless, and DVDs are definitely the way to go. Then up came
the user interface and what a nasty shock that was! I had seen
complaints on the list about Nautilus and MetaCity but I had not
imagined how bad Gnome 2 was. A giant leap backwards. All the
freedom and functionality that I had been enjoying for six years
suddenly gone. Simply put, I cannot live with that interface. My
needs are few, but I insist on having control over my own desktop.
The Gnome developers have completely lost the plot. For people who
must have a Windows style environment KDE was designed for them. I
would never use it, have never liked Windows.
This is what I found:
Double-clicks all over the place - I HATE doubleclicking.
No sloppy-focus aka focus-follows-mouse.
User cannot place images on the root window without going
through Nautilus/MetaCity. They get hidden by the window
manager's own backgrounds. Now, for years I have been
compiling a collection of scanned calendar images (landscapes)
and astronomical vistas which I have been able to use as
wallpaper at whim, using my own little menu program. I resent
being forced to jump through hoops to do something simple - it
is so Redmond don't you agree.
The font rendering leaves a lot to be desired. This is the
first time fonts have ever been a problem, always crisp and
clear in both RedHat and Mandrake. No doubt one can improve
them.
Icons all over the desktop. I dislike floating icons and
usually remove them immediately, preferring to invoke applications
from the panel (with a single click!). And, this is the worst
bit. The icons are all owned by root! A user cannot edit the
preferences, or delete the icon. For pity's sake, what are the
Gnome developers smoking?
There appears to be no way to specify the number of workspaces;
I normally have 6, the default is 4. I suspect that there is
somewhere that this can be done, as root no doubt.
What this means is that Mandrake has lost a customer, and others will
vote with their feet as well unless Mandrake or somebody influential
applies pressure on the Gnomes to change their heading. By my calculation
they are at least 90 degrees off course.
I shall buy the 8.2 Power Pack, as a last gesture of support for Mandrake.
But that is the end, finish, no more.
Sorry for the rant - hope I have not offended anyone.
--
Len Lawrence
Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft?
Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com
