Mandriva Linux 2008 Now Available

AdamWill writes "Mandriva Linux 2008 is now available for download on the official site and on the network of public mirror servers. In 2008 you will find KDE 3.5.7 and the new GNOME 2.20 already integrated, a solid kernel 2.6.22.9 with fair scheduling support, OpenOffice.org 2.2.1, cutting-edge 3D-accelerated desktop courtesy of Compiz Fusion 0.5.2, Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6, and everything else you've come to expect. We have integrated a reworked hardware detection sub-system, with support for a lot of new devices (particularly graphics cards, sound cards, and wireless chips). There is a wizard to import Windows documents and settings, a new network configuration center, and a set of improvements to the Mandriva software management tools. Read about the new features in depth in the release tour, or view the release notes. The One installation CD is the recommended download: it comes with a full KDE desktop and application suite, NVIDIA and ATI proprietary video card drivers, Intel wireless firmware, Adobe Flash and Sun Java browser plugins, all included."

Ubuntu

[Virgil Tibbs]

Ubuntu has basically stolen all the hype mandriva used to have hasn't it?
Mandriva used to be one of the only 'gratuis' distros which had a nice desktop by default
didn't it pioneer the way towards 'point and click', 'just working'?

Re: bells and whistles

[bondjamesbond]

Gosh, ask Steve Jobs. He's made quite a good living selling shiny things with bells and whistles.

2007, 2008?

[mrslacker]

Someone tell them that it's not 2008 for another 12 weeks. Is this going to be like cars, where the "2008" models were actually made in early 2007 - and when you sell it, it looks a year newer than it actually is?

Sorry, car analogy.

Re:Non-Free

[jackharrer]

That's the true spirit of GNULinux - choice. That's why GNU/Linux is for everybody - you can have it in whatever flavour you like!

Re:Default desktop is extremely ugly

[jsight]

Despite their reputation for being desktop oriented and polished, they have always had a tendancy to do this. I'll never forget the early versions with stars as checkboxes. And colors selected such that it was never obvious whether the star meant that it was selected or was not.

Ubuntu took their market share easily thanks to tremendously foolish management mistakes with the Mandrake/Mandriva distro. I think the gap is just widening even more now.

Re:What happened to Matisse?

[Ant P.]

I'm going to point out all the UI stuff in linux that is clearly lifted from mac osx and windows.

OK, go ahead. We're all waiting in anticipation.

Before you reply, bear in mind Compiz was around months before Vista.

Re:What happened to Matisse?

[Hatta]

Brain dead desktop users value familiarity above all else. Linux desktop apps get criticized for their GUI every time they do something different. Look at the GIMP for instance. Or all the bitching about cut+paste.

IMO, the linux GUI has been ahead of windows for a long time. Look at X-forwarding, virtual desktops, window shading, always-on-top. None of these things work in windows.

Re:What's in a Name

[Anonymous Coward]

I noticed all the informative posts from you in this thread and figured you were involved in Mandriva development. So, since no one else has said it, congratulations on the release!

Re:Package repositories?

[flyingfsck]

Well, all I can think is that your fear of RPM is still rooted in Redhat 3. Things have come a long way since 1997! I always thought that Synaptic is merely a clone of Mandriva's Software Manager.

I Like Mandriva

[RudyHartmann]

There isn't a perfect distro out there. I install and fiddle with them as a hobby of sorts. Also as a business aside. There are some that are rock solid, but conservative and not appealing. There are other bleeding edge distros that just don't work. I tend towards the pretty distros with lots of features. There are a few that I had to spend a great deal of time finding pieces to make everything work. You know, codecs, plugins, yadda yadda. Ubuntu takes alot of time making me do this stuff. I prefer KDE anyway. So....Mandriva by default supports KDE. They also are pretty close to the edge, but their stuff works. I thought Sabayon had alot of sex appeal, but it locked up alot. One thing though, their inclusion on LinDVD is limited. I use the SPDIF on my machine for digital audio output, and LinDVD doesn't support changing your audio settings. That is kinda lame. 2008 is the best distro I have ever used. I'm going to have to get all those unspeakable codecs for Xine again to play DVD's. But....Mandriva 2008 is a keeper. Rudeman

Re:Several things...

[AdamWill]

Sheesh, take a pill.

First, as has been explained several times in this thread, there is absolutely zero point in including Firefox 2.0.0.7, as the only change in 2.0.0.7 is a fix which is entirely irrelevant to Linux.

OpenOffice.org 2.3.0 was released on September 18th. That is not 'a while'. We were already in the Release Candidate stage at that point. Would you expect Microsoft to do a major version update of, say, Windows Media Player or Internet Explorer between Vista RC2 and Vista final? Of course not.

"The few pieces of software that have pre-compiled downloadable Linux versions still need at least three different types of packages just to cover "most" of the popular Linux distros"

This is because the idea of having pre-compiled downloadable Linux versions is, frankly, silly. The package management system works best when people understand it, and worst when they try to do end runs around it. This is not surprising. Software writers should write, and packagers (who work for individual distros) should package. That system works great. It's when people start messing with it that you get problems.

"And then we wonder why nobody bothers to develop for "Linux""

We do? Can't say I find myself kept up at night wondering about that. Maybe because lots of people *do* develop for Linux. It's simple - release source code.

"And there is no single clear-cut procedure for installing software completely outside of the native package management system in a way that neither will ever interfere with the other."

Why do you want one? What's wrong with the package management system?

"Good God, when I think of all the man-hours that are being wasted with all this idiotic redundancy, and all the time spent by users complaining in forums that their distro-of-choice doesn't have the latest version of package X yet because the package maintainer is on vacation, it makes my head hurt."

Then go think about something else and quit trolling Linux threads. Good lord, if anyone's wasting their time around here it's you.