1. New design for the installer.
2. Live upgrade
3. Moblin desktop
4. Guest accounts
5. 3G features request
6. Better wireless support
7. Easier wifi key setup
8. Better boot time
9. Better rpmdrake start up speed
10. Urpmi media auto configuration
11. Better user information in rpmdrake
12. Better Drakguard
13. Better krandr
14. OpenOffice.org 3.1 and KDE 4 integration
15. gcc 4.4
16. Improved diskdrake
17. GNOME 2.28
18. KDE 4.3.2
19. Nepomuk integration
20. Plymouth boot splash

I really liked it that the installer of Mandrake give us users the freedom to choose the kind of desktop environment we want. Looks like they still give users the option and they even included Moblin for good measure, to keep up with netbook users. I think this will be interesting to test eventually. Moblin offers users an interesting layout for netbook users so that the space is maximized. There’s also the improvement of the tools users use to manage things like disk partitioning. After all, this is one of the things which would be tedious on the command line and could be tricky and scary for users who are not used to the command line interface.

All in all, it does look like Mandriva is going to improve everything to make it usable to users. If you’re a user who’d like the fancy stuff of KDE, it might be an advantage too since there are improvements in krandr (for easy management of the resolution of your monitor, etc.) and then there’s also the OpenOffice.org integration with KDE. GNOME fans also have something to look forward to because GNOME 2.28 is the basis of GNOME 3.0!

Mandriva is looking mighty tempting. But I am really thinking about this well because of the comfort level I currently have with Ubuntu. Ah well, who knows? I might go back to where I started if things keep looking this good. : )

Post from: New Linux User

Sounds like an infomercial, doesn’t it? ;  )  But thinking about what defaults you might possibly have, there’s gotta be something better.  And I might be biased but there really are other things better on netbooks compared to Windows.  Whether you believe it or not, that’s what I personally think.  Windows looks too cluttered for me even though it’s not as sluggish as I thought it would be.

Anyway, no need to freak out that your netbook isn’t quite as fantastic as you thought it should be. Some changes in the latest version of Easy Peasy:

• It has a new look!
• It uses kernel 2.6.30 that’s been optimized for netbooks so that startup’s faster.
• Support for more netbooks! Hooray!
• An image which could possibly be installed from a Mac.
• Upgraded software like Picasa and OpenOffice.org.
• It uses Ext4 as a file system by default.

Easy Peasy. Logo from the Easy Peasy website.

I am waiting for my download of EasyPeasy to get done so I could blog about my first impressions too. As much as I am excited to try it out because of Ext4 and the latest kernel that’s optimized for netbooks, Ubuntu Karmic Koala’s just around the corner. Hrmm. I don’t know.

But yeah, those who are new netbook owners could benefit from distros whose teams are always seeking ways to make it easier for newbies to use Linux. They make sure that the applications that users will look for are there. Like Picasa or Skype.

And it’s really great that the Easy Peasy team has gone beyond supporting Asus EEE PC so other netbook owners could enjoy the benefits of this distro.

Just wait for me to check it out and I’d post my screenshots and write my impressions of this version of Easy Peasy. I already have the image and so I just need to put it on a USB flashdrive for a review later.

Post from: New Linux User

Among the list of distributions worthy of checking out are:

• GoboLinux
• Draco
• Blag
• Enlisy
• Protech

Blag has a very interesting name. This distro is fascinating because it shows what free software can do. A problem, though, is that the hardware support on this one isn’t as good as what new users might be used to and could be daunting. Not for the faint of heart, I guess. But it doesn’t mean you can’t try.

Enlisy might be interesting to those who want to really try hacking it because its tools are written in Python. However this has no live CD, so you have to really install it first. Looks like a good thing for those who want to have a minimal system that’s meant to be tweaked to convenience or one’s needs/wants.

Someone mentioned INX too. It’s a Live CD which is meant to be used by newbies to the console. The name itself says so: “INX is not X” which implies that it’s all about the console. Various tools are available on INX that help you deal with various tasks on the command line. Don’t worry because on the menu, you could actually get to learn more about it because you get access some basic tutorials as well as a tour of GNU screen. Hopefully you won’t get lost around it.

Excited to try out new distros? Then you probably share my sentiments on this matter.

Post from: New Linux User

Some people I know stay as Linux users for the same reason they switched. It could be any of the following:

• Cost. The fact that is free and you just have to download it makes it easy for people who are on a budget to use it. Now that there’s recession, a lot of us could relate with this reason.
• Freedom to tinker with it. As a Linux user, you could develop your own patches to the kernel or whatever part of the distro you need/want to fix. For some users, they are not happy with the stock kernel and so they compile their own. Some get patches from other kernel developers then they compile the Linux kernel to suit their needs.
• Work. Some people have to work with Linux environments and so working with Linux becomes a habit or becomes something natural. Or at the very least, one could feel neutral towards Linux.

Others stay because they feel welcome to the Linux community. As some people say, who your friends are make a big difference in staying within any community or organization. Some people who aren’t really into Linux except for work might not feel that the community is an important aspect. But for others, it is. Aside from the fact the community is a rich source of information for sharing and studying, the community is also the place where one can share his/her ideas about the Linux distro he/she uses. It matters especially you’re someone who loves participating in your hobbies then this is something that will encourage you to stay within the community of Linux users.

Post from: New Linux User

My co-worker now uses Arch Linux. He had problems using the RT kernel of Open SUSE. He’s had too many issues with it so he looked for something else that would answer his needs when it comes to the RT kernel and a look-and-feel that he wanted. He found out about Arch Linux, a simple and lightweight distribution. This distro is known for:

• using BSD style init scripts
• its binary installation
• high level customization
• its nice package manager: pacman
• text-based installer
• being more lenient, compared to something like Debian, when it comes to non-free packages

Newbies might feel that Arch Linux could be daunting because it’s more for people who would like to tinker around with stuff. I suppose that it takes some getting used to and an inclination for this.

TIny Core Linux

Yet another minimalist live distro, Tiny Core Linux is also capable of running from a CD or USB device or installed to a hard drive. Users can boot from this and then be configured so that users will have a fully functional desktop system of his/her choice. Tiny Core Linux is said to be more than just a rescue system because it’s designed to become your main system. Interestingly tiny, this distribution has an ISO which is only 11MB. I am curious so I might try it out soon too.

Kim Cascone switches from the Mac OSX to Ubuntu Linux

A lot of Mac users I know are very loyal and wouldn’t dream of switching to something else whether it’s Linux or Windows. But lo and behold! There’s a story on createddigitalmusic.com that talks about switching from Mac OSX to Ubuntu. The switching was triggered by problems with his Powerbook G4 showing signs of age and te possibility of upgrading to a MacBook Pro but at the cost of $3,000 — aiya! That is a whole lot of money and then the cost of time to tweak his set up and software to fit his needs. Read his story as he tells you about using a refurbished Dell Inspiron Mini 9 with Ubuntu pre-installed and how it wasn’t just about the cost, but it’s also about the software he uses now.

Post from: New Linux User

How to install *.deb, *.rpm and Source Code Files

*.deb files and *rpm files are commonly available to us users when we search for installers of applications on the internet. If you have never encountered these files before it’s best to know which ones are applicable for the Linux distribution. Both packages apply to different distributions. There are different methods you could use to install them on the respective distros where they apply. On the other hand, source code files are applicable to any system.

When learning about installing applications, it’s best if you’re familiar with using repositories. Repositories contain the packages of the application/s you might need. Repositories could be added to your package manager as needed.

How to Install an RPM Package on a Debian Box

There are times when you cannot see a specific package you are looking for in the repositories for the distribution you are using. There are times I personally see rpm files of applications I want to use but no *deb packages. What does when do when this happens? Install the rpm package! Alien will do the trick.

HOWTO: Use dpkg to Install .deb Files

If you have downloaded deb files of the application you want, you could install them using the dpkg command. This will solve your dilemma of what to do with the file. However, dpkg actually has other uses. You could simply unpack the package, show the options available and you could also remove the application via the dpkg command.

Being a new Linux user might not appear to be easy but if you give it time you will see for yourself that it’s not as bad you might think it could be. You need time to familiarize yourself with Linux as well as the whole free and open source community as a whole. And if ever you find it difficult to do any of those and yet you already need something done, you could look all over the internet there are many ways to work on Linux, as well as open source projects too, so you don’t feel too burdened at the end of the day.

Post from: New Linux User

• Lite ISO: Small CD image (700MB)
  
  This has games suitable for children and older computers. You just burn it on a CD with your favorite CD-writing tool.
• Lite USB
  
  This has the same games as the Lite ISO version but it is made for USB keys and USB sticks (requires minimum of 1GB USB device).
  
  You could use:
  sudo dd bs=8M if=/path/to/lg-live-0.9.5-i686-lite.usb of=/dev/your_usb_device

  
  Or: use the Flashnul utility. You could also refer to this guide to using Flashnul.
• Big ISO
  
  Big DVD image (4.7GB) with the full games selection for adults and more recent computers.
• Big USB
  
  This has the same contents as the Big ISO but this is meant for USB drives. So yes, your USB drive must have as much capacity or you can’t write this on it. Writing method could be the same as the Lite USB version.

For the complete list of games, check this page.

I would probably get a copy of the lite versions so that I could give it to my co-workers who have children. Some of them do allow their children to use their computers but having the USB with a distro with games will probably limit their young ones so that they won’t be able to just click on anything just because it’s on the browser. I see that a lot of their children go online to play games so this will give them another option.

Post from: New Linux User

rpm -ivh <package-name>

You could also install Chromium via Yum and with that method, updates are automatic.

I tried installing the debs of Chromium before and it was really just too slow so I didn’t really use it. Also, I am not a developer so I can’t really push back any improvements to the application even if I wanted to change some things. In any case, it wouldn’t hurt for you to try it. Why not see for yourself what it’s like to have Chromium on Fedora 10 or 11? It would be the best way to find out.

For more details about the guide to installing Chromium on Fedora, head to How to Install Chrome Browser on Fedora Linux that Works!

For more details about Google Chrome, check out Google Chrome’s project page.

Post from: New Linux User

Nifty features:

• 20-second boot-up. How much faster could boot-up times go? But a 20-second boot-up would be nice.
• Automatic fonts and Mime installer. If you’re not familiar with the file format, it’s ok. You could try opening it and you will be prompted if you want to search for the application that will open it. If you’re opening a file in a word processor or something, you will be prompted that the application will install the appropriate fonts.
• GNOME 2.26 – You could get the latest version of GNOME with Fedora 11. And if you’re not a GNOME user, there’s always…
• KDE 4.2 which has PolicyKit-KDE, Network Manager plasma applet among others.
• Invidia graphics cards will use Nouveau as the default driver.
• Access your Microsoft Exchange inbox using OpenChange. You could use Evolution or kdepim with Exchange using OpenChange.

All those features and more are available in Fedora 11. If you’re dying to see some screenshots, you could view h-online.com’s slideshow of Fedora 11 screenshots.

Post from: New Linux User

What is interesting about Crunch Bang?

• It happened to be based on Ubuntu so you have access to repositories. And the forums, as well. But of course there might be things that won’t apply to Crunch Bang because it is not an official fork of Ubuntu. At least you’ve got access to more applications.
• The Crunch Bang site also claims that you should be able to play various kinds of media right away. That includes mp3s, DVDs and Flash videos. This is something a lot of users might be wondering about because not all distros support these media due to legal issues related to the proprietary formats.
• Lightweight apps by default. It uses some lightweight apps by default which makes it feel faster than your regular Ubuntu install. For one thing it does not use the GNOME desktop environment by default, nor is it using KDE. It uses Openbox as a window manager and if you’re wondering if it has a file manager, there’s the nifty PCManFM.
• You might miss OpenOffice.org but you’ve got Gnumeric and Abiword. However, if you have to make presentations, looks like you’ve got no other choice but to install OOo anyway.
• Crunch Bang has a Lite edition and an Asus EEE edition. I think that the main difference lies in the applications each of them has by default. CrunchBang Lite seems to have a lot of command line interface apps such as irssi and newsbeuter. The ones in the EEE edition are graphical.

I might download the EEE edition just to see if it would be alright on my Aspire One. Why not, right?

Post from: New Linux User