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Operating Systems Software Linux

PCLinuxOS 2009 Goes Gold 90

Posted by samzenpus from the a-hearty-handshake dept.
nerdyH writes "After nearly two years, the PCLinuxOS project has achieved a major new release, PCLinuxOS 2009. The project is notable for maintaining a Linux hardware compatibility database, publishing a freely downloadable monthly Linux magazine, and selling hardware pre-installed with Linux. It boasts a pretty vibrant community, too, and is used by 3.2 percent of DesktopLinux readers, according to an ongoing reader survey there."
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PCLinuxOS 2009 Goes Gold More

PCLinuxOS 2009 Goes Gold

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    • Re:Fast download (Score:4, Insightful)

      by anagama ( 611277 ) <obamaisaneocon@nothingchanged.org> on Wednesday March 11, 2009 @09:41PM (#27161337) Homepage
      Why should I download? I've checked out the main site, at least the top pages on the site, and it doesn't say why I should care about pclinux. Compare with Debian, Ubuntu, or Gentoo -- these suggest a reason for using any of those right off the bat. Fedora is a little more vague, but then Red Hat can be a little more coy than others.

      This is the first thing said about PCLinuxOS [pclinuxos.com]:

      The Ripper Gang is pleased to announce the final public ISO release of PCLinuxOS 2009.1. This release features kernel 2.6.26.8.tex3, KDE 3.5.10, Open Office 3.0, Firefox 3.0.7, Thunderbird 2.0.0.14, Ktorrent, Frostwire, Amarok, Flash, Java JRE, Compiz-Fusion 3D and much more. We decided to use kde3-5-10 as our default desktop as the we could not achieve a similar functionality from kde4. We will however offer kde4 as an alternative desktop environment available from the repo once we stabilize it.

      That alphabet soup doesn't really inspire at all. Now, I actually know that I don't want to use Gentoo, but the first thing from the site makes it seem tempting [gentoo.org]:

      We produce Gentoo Linux, a special flavor of Linux that can be automatically optimized and customized for just about any application or need. Extreme performance, configurability and a top-notch user and developer community are all hallmarks of the Gentoo experience. To learn more, read our about page.

      • TFA (Score:2, Informative)

        by Anna Merikin ( 529843 )

        ...said the download was slow and that KDE-3.5.10 was the desktop. I corrected both misstatements in my post. I did not recommend PCLinuxOS. I said I was downloading the Gnome version...to test it out.

        If you want to check out PCLinuxOS and want a fast link, my post should be of value.

        If you know you won't like it or don't need it, don't download it from my fast link.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by iYk6 ( 1425255 )

          I don't think anagama was actually responding to you. I think he had a legitimate comment, and he just "replied" to your post because he wanted to get near the top.

          Too many websites and online services don't specify what they are, and why you should care about them. That sort of information should be on the home page.

      • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

        by Joe Snipe ( 224958 )

        I actually know that I don't want to use Gentoo

        No worries, with all the configuring and compiling, you'll never have to. Welcome to the fold!

        • Moore's law and Gentoo (Score:3, Interesting)

          by mcrbids ( 148650 )

          I first tried Gentoo on an AMD K62 with 96 MB RAM. Back then, a usable system took at least a week if there were no compiler errors. Which there were, I never got it working because I gave up after the first week or so.

          But now, Moore's law has largely mitigated this nightmare - you can have a working system in a few hours! Of course, the faster systems also obviate a primary need for Gentoo (performance) but...

          I'm sticking with Fedora, thanks!

          • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

            by GMFTatsujin ( 239569 )

            With today's PCs, Gentoo compilations also fail much faster, so you can tear your hair out sooner. I suppose that's progress...

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Dan Ost ( 415913 )

            I got a Dell D630 a short while ago. It took about 15 minutes to wipe windows and get up and running in Gentoo. It took longer than that to get all the apps I wanted installed, but the apps I *needed* (fvwm, ssh, xterm, vim, firefox) were usable within the first 15 minutes.

            I started using Gentoo maybe 5 years ago. I do remember having to set aside an afternoon whenever I got a new machine, but those days are long gone.

      • Re: (Score:1, Redundant)

        by Architect_sasyr ( 938685 )
        Oblig XKCD: http://xkcd.com/125/ [xkcd.com]

        If you're going to the site, chances are this applies.

      • PCLOS is done by TexStar, who was famous for his Mandrake specific packages, back in the day.

        Knowing what I do about those, I'm going to give PCLOS a shot.

        • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

          by ciderVisor ( 1318765 )

          Knowing what I do about those, I'm going to give PCLOS a shot.

          Great, cos what the world needs is one more PCLOSer.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by tibman ( 623933 )

        Gentoo is still my fav distro. I think it's the fact that you grow the install from the tiniest of seeds and touch every config to get it all just right.

        Normal distro's just don't do it for me anymore.. a fresh kubuntu install feels stillborn.. where's the love? the commitment? Gentoo has always felt like an extension of my psyche. There's something very satisfying in compiling your Kernel for ONLY the bits of hardware in your box. To know that every port open and service running is because you commande

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by tenco ( 773732 )
          I'm using unix-like OSs since a good decade now (IIRC it started with a SUSE 5.2 or 5.3) and being forced to configure every bit of configuration yourself gets pretty meh after a while. Including rolling your own custom kernels especially when there's no good reason (kernel modules) to do so in 99% of the cases.

          I tried a lot of different linux distributions during these years but I always come back to Debian for a reason I don't know. I wonder if this is some psychological kind of thing, like, I am more the

        • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

          by sgbett ( 739519 )

          I have to agree I just can't get away from it. The initial build is incredibly painful, doubly so atm because upgrading the default GCC in 2008.1 (4.1.2) to 4.3.3 so you can set your march to core2!

          I realise this makes me sound like your typical ricer, but make no mistake I *know* it aint gonna be (noticably) faster, but as parent said - its knowing that its right is what counts. If you can maximise how well your OS is tailored to your box, and minimise cruft it makes it far easier to figure out problems (i

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by aurispector ( 530273 )

        Ok, so your criticism is that the website isn't shiny enough? God, I'd hate to be your waiter. If you haven't tried the distro itself, it's hard to give your attitude any credibility.

        That being said, I spent part of yesterday playing around with the gnome version and came away extremely impressed. The 2007 version was very good, and these guys spent a lot of time ironing out bugs and making it simple to set up and use. Everything worked for me right out of the box, the package system is excellent and if y

        • not lack of shine, lack of any compelling reason to try a Mandrake/Mandriva forked distro...what's this going to do that Mandriva won't? Hardware compatibility list, pfft, there's piles of those out there.

        • Ok, so your criticism is that the website isn't shiny enough?

          His point was that PCLinuxOS does a poor job of advertising it self, and enticing a potential user to try it out. If you're trying to get people to download something, your first priority is to convince them that would want to download it. The Gentoo example he gives is a good example. In a few words, it tells you that Gentoo is custimizable and speedy. Yes, there is more under the hood than that, but you suddenly have a feeling of if Gentoo is interesting for you to try out or not.

          The parent compares this

          • I got his point the first time. AFAIK this distro is produced on a shoestring and I'm sure they have little time and less money to worry too much about this sort of thing. From what I've seen of the distro they chose to spend their very limited resources polishing the actual product, which is very shiny indeed, among other nice things.

            That being said, I happen to agree re: the website's front page, but there are other ways of communicating. A plug on Slashdot is probably better than a nice website anyway.

  • Does it run Antivirus 2009?

    • Re: (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Don't you mean PCAntivirusAV 2009?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Barny ( 103770 )

      Hrmm, just had a new one pop up on a customers machine, "Antivirus 360", they are not very creative with their names :/

  • The Problem with Linux/Opensource (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Dear Linux,

    For the Love of God(For emphasis only)stop fragmenting!

    • Do you consider linux to be perfect? I doubt it, otherwise you wouldn't have complained. THAT is why forking is necessary, because different ideas have ideas of how things should be done, and no one has the perfect idea. Eventually, out of all the experimentation, we will come up with something that works, and everyone will get behind it and it will become standardized (except those who are doing something specialized, for example, embedded linux).

      If you think you can make the linux distro that is perf

      • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Don't feed the trolls. Fragmentation is so minor a problem for Linux filesystems there is only one distro -- Debian -- that even bothers to offer a defragmentation utility.

        FUD does not need a defensive reply. Just tell the truth and let it fall where it will.

        • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

          by master5o1 ( 1068594 )
          Sure, Linux file systems don't need defragmentation, but there are a hell of a lot of distributions to choose from.

        • ?? Debian as in Ubuntu?
          Pray, tell me where can i find this "defragmentation" tool in my Ubuntu AM64 distro?
          Because the damn swap file takes so much time to create each time that iam sick.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by ais523 ( 1172701 )
          Actually, the "standard" defragmentation utility on Linux is tar, although it rarely needs to be used. If for some reason you want a defragmented filesystem (say you want to send the entire filesystem to someone for some reason and want the resulting file size to be as small as possible when compressed), you can do it by tarballing the system up and untarring it again (although that isn't an in-place defragment, so takes twice as long and requires the system to be no more than half full). A separate defragm

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by pmarini ( 989354 )
          who cares about fragmentation anymore, given that file allocation on USB drives and SSD is done at hardware level anyway... ?
          • Pfft! Our webserver is using C90 cassette tapes as it's primary storage. I started re-booting it in July, and I swear the first thing I'm going to do is defragment those frickin tapes when it's done....

  • is used by 3.2 percent of DesktopLinux readers... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bearhouse ( 1034238 ) on Wednesday March 11, 2009 @08:54PM (#27160969)

    Who presumably like' kde 3.5 *slashes wrists*

    In other news today, (and I'm not joking), Bill Gates once again became the world's richest man *shoots self in head just to make sure*

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mjwx ( 966435 )

      In other news today, (and I'm not joking), Bill Gates once again became the world's richest man *shoots self in head just to make sure*

      Not true, the richest men in the world are still the Arabian oil sheiks, most notably the Saudi king and royal family. But Forbes does not count these people as "men", claiming that they are states. The forbes "rich list" is BS as they go to extreme lengths to discount anyone who isn't from the US (the Queen of England cant even make the list as the richest land owner in t

      • Re: (Score:1, Interesting)

        by Anonymous Coward

        (the Queen of England cant even make the list as the richest land owner in the UK)

        Being pedantic, the Queen is the only land owner in the UK. When you buy a house here you don't buy the land, you buy the "freehold". This isn't just archaic legal mumbo jumbo. It reflects the fact that you don't own the land (the Queen does), just the right to live on it rent free.

  • Lies, Damned Lies... (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    It boasts a pretty vibrant community, too, and is used by 3.2 percent of DesktopLinux readers, according to an ongoing reader survey there."

    And self-selecting surveys are always accurate...

    • I think that you're being sarcastic, but I recently ran a survey in Pollster's Quarterly that supports this conclusion!

      -Peter

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by tenco ( 773732 )

        (...) DesktopLinux (...) Pollster's Quarterly (...)

        I never heard of any of this magazines(?) before now. Do they have a representative readership?

  • why is this news? (Score:1, Offtopic)

    by sofar ( 317980 )

    This story gets accepted but the xfce 4.6 release isn't? slashdot has lost it's purpose... oh wait, never had any :/

  • Does anyone else think the name PCLinuxOS is dumb? I guess it's the generic terminology crammed into a single word, but it makes me think 'first day in a community college computer class'.

  • The best desktop linux available.

  • People generally use an OS they feel is better for the purpose they intend to use it for. So an OS has to have a target of users that they want to reach. They need to offer something that will make people see something rich in their OS.

    What does PCLinixOS have? Who actually benefits from using PCLinuxOS as opposed to using any top quality Linux OS or even a Windows or a Mac?

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