Linux Mandrake 9.1 из первых рук
От автора: сам я большой экспериментатор и однажды попробовал совместить на одном компьютере Windows XP, FreeBSD и Linux Mandrake. Последним устанавливался Mandrake. Должен сказать, что Windows XP после этого функционировала вполне корректно, более того — приятное красивое меню в начале загрузки радовало глаз. А вот FreeBSD больше не загружалось… Видимо, мне стоило воспользоваться BootMagic (от Power Quest) или устанавливать FreeBSD самой последней. В любом случае, хотелось проверить, что ответит Гаэль на мой вопрос :).
От автора: думаю, вы заметили, что и на свободное ПО существуют цены. Не пугайтесь — вы можете переписать дистрибутив Mandrake Linux и в Интернет, и никому и ничего платить будет не надо (разве что за сетевой траффик). Но если вы захотите получить коробочный вариант (это не только CD, но и документация и поддержка), то тогда придется заплатить.
От автора: вы можете без труда проделать такой же тест самостоятельно. Под Windows создайте файл 1.bat и запишите в него такой текст:
call 1.bat
call 1.bat
call 1.bat
call 1.bat
call 1.bat
call 1.batМожно правда и без call, но так надежнее. Теперь запустите его. Должен сказать, что моя Windows XP закрыла это окно через несколько секунд после запуска. То есть повела себя, как и подобает надежной системе. Должен признать, что в Windows 98 была возможность работать с чистым командным интерпретатором (режим эмуляции MS-DOS или Command Promt), там окно закрыть было нельзя. Поэтому ОС и висла. А в Linux (любом) связь командной оболочки со всей системой очень велика, поэтому такой скрипт мог вызвать потерю всей несохраненной информации и новый вход в систему.
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What is linux mandrake
Screenshots 1: A GNOME application — gFTP
This is a matter of taste and habit, it is not a choice based on a detailed comparison between KDE and GNOME and their equivalent applications (BTW this is another reason why I avoid comparing GUIs, Operating Systems, distributions, etc: such comparisons can easily become too subjective to have any value). So, what works for me might not work for a large number of Linux users, and vice-versa. I hope the pictures speak for themselves, though.
Screenshots 2 & 3: A KDE application — KGet
Screenshot 4 & 5: Mandrake 9.1 installation — partitioning and package selection
I did not time the installation but it must have taken about 50 minutes total, including two small pauses for drinking a cup of tea, and watching the news. Most of the time during installation was spent by DrakX automatically installing the selected packages, and this ran unattended. This time I had reserved 10GB of free disk space for my Mandrake Linux 9.1 installation, which I partitioned as follows:
| Partition | Mount point | Size | Filesystem |
| hda1 | /boot | 32MB | ext2 |
| hda5 | / | 4GB | reiserFS |
| hda6 | swap | 250MB | |
| hda7 | /tmp | 500MB | reiserFS |
| hda8 | /var | 500MB | reiserFS |
| hda9 | /home | 4.6GB | reiserFS |
Table 1: Partitioning example for Mandrake Linux 9.1
For all my previous reviews I had used a single 5GB partition, but this is more of a final «production» installation and I feel more comfortable with this partitioning scheme.
Screenshot 6: Mandrake 9.1 installation — hardware configuration
After installing all the packages DrakX still needs a few simple steps to configure the system before rebooting. The many choices may seem daunting at first but there is no reason to be scared. Each step is accompanied by extensive Help instructions, and the defaults are in most cases adequate and can be changed later.
1. From the console command line or a terminal, use urpmi to install the KDM package:
urpmi kdebase-kdm
2. Select your favorite Display Manager with drakdm
drakdm
3. On your next boot, you will be presented with KDM’s fully customizable login.
4. Open the KDE Control Center, find the Configuration / KDE / System / Login Manager option and configure KDM to your taste.
Screenshot 7 & 8: Mandrake 9.1 — login and menudrake configuration
Another small issue I have with the default setup is that the KDE Calculator was not included in the Office / Accessories menu. I found KCalc under the Applications / Sciences / Mathematics menu. Again, this is easily changed using the Menudrake tool (found under Configuration / Other). I already discussed in my previous articles some of the more common Linux desktop customizations, so here is a typical screenshot, showing how I prefer to work:
Screenshot 9: Mandrake 9.1 — a desktop example
And here is a short description of some visual elements that have been customized:
- The main customization which is usually performed at installation is the choice of XFree86 driver, resolution and color depth. As obvious from the picture above, I am using the Xinerama extension which allows the use of two or more monitors. Users with a single monitor can rely on DrakX and not worry.
- The second choice is the choice of GUI. Both GNOME and KDE offer excellent usability, but I find KDE’s operation simpler to grasp for beginners. Mandrake Linux 9.1 includes a few other window managers but they are more suited to specific user tastes or needs.
- KDE 3.1’s Keramik theme with a slightly modified Keramik Emerald color scheme (I call it Galaxy Bronze, because it also works well with Galaxy).
- Verdana font and variations, with anti-aliasing turned on.
- A background pixmap with a slight gradient for the KDE Panel.
Screenshot 10: Mandrake 9.1 — KDE’s kicker
- Four customized Virtual Desktops with distinct names.
- Custom background color (pale green) for the Digital Clock.
- Personalized simple background, tiled.
- Sounds can be configured using the Configuration / KDE / LookNFeel / System Notifications control panel. Note that each KDE applications can have its own set of sounds.
- Mouse and keyboard can be configured using the respective controls panels in Configuration / KDE / Peripherals.
Screenshot 11 & 12: Sounds and mouse configuration panel; note the various tabs allowing total customization of the mouse device
If this smorgasbord of customization options seems daunting at first, I consider it a plus, specially since Mandrake Linux 9.1 provides extremely good defaults to start with. The Galaxy theme and default font rendering setup provide a pleasing desktop out-of-the-box.
Did I mention that networking was configured automatically by DrakX (I use DHCP)? It seems that I am beginning to take things for granted with this new release, but really I didn’t even worry about checking the settings for my network configuration. Network configuration is done (as root) through the Mandrake Control Center. Similarly, my network printer was perfectly detected and configured without any input on my part. I just had to launch the printer installation option in the Mandrake Control Center:
Screenshot 13 & 14: Network and printer configuration panel
Picture 1: These connectors have become a standard on PCs
The latest standard basic PC specifications consist of the PC 2001 System Design Guide (check www.pcdesguide.org) and many related documents. One can also add the USB 1.1 and 2.0 specifications, the ATA specifications, the IEEE1394 specifications and many others. All these are published standards which are freely available to the public and provide a wealth of information to Linux developers.
System Design Guide
It can be said that the role of a Linux distribution vendor is to integrate all these different layers, but the stumbling block in this process is hardware compatibility. From that point of view Mandrake Linux 9.1 does quite well: it manages to handle the widest range of hardware of any Linux distribution I have yet to try.
So let’s take a look at what makes a Mandrake Linux 9.1 PC tick and whether there are any issues with currently available hardware.
Picture 2: The iMac
Presently I would say that any 800MHz or faster x86 CPU is adequate for a Mandrake Linux 9.1 personal workstation. So, even an inexpensive AMD Athlon XP 1700 (which runs @ 1.47GHz, by the way) or Intel Celeron 1.7GHz is overkill. I have not tested the latest VIA CPUs but I have some reason to believe that their latest C3 Nehemiah running @ 1GHz would also provide satisfactory performance, although it is no match for the other two CPUs for heavy processing. Historical detail: Linus Torvalds developed the first kernel on a 386DX 33MHz machine circa 1991. CPUs and Linux have come a long way since.
Screenshot 15: KDE control module displaying CPU information
The mainboard is the next component that determines the performance and reliability of a computer, but here too enormous progress has been done in terms of integrating features and quality and lowering costs. Most OEMs or do-it-yourself mainboards are fully compatible with the latest Linux kernel included with Mandrake Linux 9.1.
Another common issue is that of RAM; given the low prices of RAM these days I would recommend any Linux Mandrake 9.1 user to add or upgrade to a 256MB stick of RAM in his machine and stop worrying.
Screenshot 16: KDE control module displaying memory information
Then there is the issue of video card choice. Unfortunately the XFree86 project tends to lag behind significantly in terms of support for the latest video chipsets and 3D features. My recommendation is to use a video card one or two generations older than the state-of-the-art. These are inexpensive and usually will still provide plenty of service under Linux. Practically all the AGP cards commonly available on the market are supported by XFree86 4.3. NVidia cards have the additional advantage of being supported by nVidia drivers, developed independently of the XFree86 group. Also, ATI is offering its own Linux drivers for the Radeon 8500 and above cards. Integrated video is usually not a good choice, due to poor performance and precarious driver support (with the exception of the latest nVidia chipsets with integrated GeForce 4 MX video).
Similarly, when it comes to notebooks the latest Linux kernel seems to have incorporated most of the advances in chipsets and power management, and due to thermal dissipation requirements notebooks tend to use slightly simpler video hardware, which is usually well-supported under XFree86. Regarding disk space, as mentioned above I would consider 10GB adequate for Mandrake Linux 9.1, with some room left for future expansion. Performance is not issue with most modern IDE hard disks.
An accessory that has become indispensable is the CD-RW drive, which nowadays costs little more than its read-only CD-ROM counterparts. Some models are coupled with a DVD drive and more recently with DVD-R and DVD-RW capabilities, but these are not mainstream yet.
The rest of the system is non-critical but I would note the following:
- A wheel mouse is a good choice for general Linux desktop use, and wheel mice are cheap.
- Some sound cards are difficult to configure or not fully supported, but even an inexpensive CMI 8738 PCI sound card provides good sound support under Linux. Mandrake Linux 9.1 uses the ALSA drivers and as far as I could test these drivers support the vast majority of sound cards and chips on the market. And the best part is that DrakX is able to identify the sound chips and configure modules and sound settings automatically.
- A good monitor is a must for extended usage periods. And a resolution of 1024×768, the standard for the last few years, falls slightly short of the ideal resolution for Linux Mandrake 9.1 desktop use. The next step is 1280×1024, available with most 17″ monitors and LCD screens. Notebooks are now available with resolutions of 1400×1050 and above, a big plus for Linux users.
Below is a table describing hardware that I would consider adequate for Mandrake Linux 9.1 desktop use. By no means is this a selection of the «best» possible hardware for GNU/Linux, but rather some recommendations on inexpensive hardware that is currently available and easy to purchase.
| Hardware component | Adequate performance level | Available off the shelf |
| CPU | > 800MHz x86 | Athlon XP 1700+ or Celeron 1.8GHz |
| Mainboard | Any | Any with the following chipsets: — SiS 745 — SiS 648 — SiS 746 — SiS 65x — KT266A — i845 (all) — KT333 — KT400 — nVidia nForce2 |
| RAM | > 256 MB | 2 x 128MB or 1 x 256MB |
| Video | Any TnT2 or Radeon card | Any of the following types: — Radeon 7000 — nVidia (all) — Radeon 7500 — Radeon 8500 — Radeon 9000 |
| Hard Disk | > 10GB free space | Any > 20GB, Maxtor, Hitachi, WD |
| Optical drive | > 12x CD-RW or «combo» drive | 48x CD-RWs are commonplace |
| Monitor | 1280×1024 or better @ 75Hz | 17″ monitor or LCD |
| Network | Any Fast Ethernet (100BaseTx) | Commodity item |
| Other | Wheel mouse, PCI sound card, etc | Commodity items |
Table 2: An adequate configuration for Mandrake Linux 9.1 is easily put together
The above components put together, either in a homemade computer or in a commercial product, would constitute a reasonably fast and very usable Mandrake Linux 9.1 Workstation. The only thing missing would be a «Linux Certified» (or «Mandrake Linux 9.1 Inside») label to glue on the front of the case! Similarly, a good many modern notebooks are perfectly usable with Mandrake Linux 9.1.
My advice here would be to take it case by case. Here are some more common peripherals and the kind of support that can be expected in this new Mandrake Linux 9.1 release:
| Peripheral | Linux support | Mandrake Linux 9.1 |
| Digital cameras | Good | Open GTKam; check the Camera /Add camera menu option |
| Scanners | Good | Depends on SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) |
| USB peripherals | Good | Most common peripherals supported; check Linux USB overview |
| Printers | Average | Support is OK for B/W, but color is a notch below commercial drivers |
| Wi-Fi, Gigabit | Good | Known brands well supported |
| Graphics tablets | Poor | Few applications, lack of drivers |
| Webcams | Average | Some work, some don’t; low image quality |
| TV Cards | Excellent | DrakX recognizes and configures many TV cards |
| One-of-a-kind gadgets | ? | Depends. |
Table 3: Peripheral support under Mandrake Linux 9.1
One last note is that for GNU/Linux users, it is safer to buy a mainstream peripheral than a state-of-the-art one. Mainstream hardware is usually better tested and most kinks have been worked out. and one can check beforehand if a Linux driver is available for it!
MandrakeClub is a membership-based service from MandrakeSoft that is entirely available over the Internet. Not only do they provide a good level of support, but MandrakeClub members have access to even more pre-compiled packages for Mandrake Linux 9.1 — for free! Let’s call it the topping on the cake.
Screenshot 17: The Mandrake Galaxy tips and links helps beginners get started
There is a growing feeling among I.T. professionals and particularly among Linux people that Linux is finally coming of age. I certainly feel that way when it comes to Mandrake Linux 9.1. This is the first of a wave of GNU/Linux distributions that have the potential to gain a considerable market and mind share among new users with no previous experience in Linux. And for those that have already been using Linux for some time, it probably means that the disk partition(s) holding other commercial operating systems can be erased and put to good use, at last!
Note: I recently browsed through a rather nice website for Linux beginners: www.tinyminds.org. They have good practical tips for Linux users in their Cheat Sheets section. Certainly worth a check.
* But the forthcoming launch of a 64-bit architecture on top of x86, as AMD has recently demonstrated (the processor will initially be called Opteron), could lead to exciting developments in the GNU/Linux world. MandrakeSoft is ready, having announced the immediate availability of Mandrake Linux 9.0 for x86/64. I suppose that before the Opteron launch in April, MandrakeSoft will have ported its Mandrake Linux 9.1 release to this new architecture.
** I am not an employee of MandrakeSoft or of DistroWatch and my reviews are written completely independently, on my own not-so-free time.
*** This article also concludes my series on Mandrake Linux 9.1; my next distribution review is in the works, so stay tuned @ DistroWatch!
Verbatim copying and distribution of this article is permitted in any medium, provided this copyright notice is preserved.
| Review Notes |
|---|
| Date |
| 30 March 2003 |
| Author |
| Andrew D. Balsa |
| About the Author |
| Andrew D. Balsa is a Linux software developer and I.T. consultant based in Hong Kong. He is also the author of the Linux Benchmarking HOWTO. |
| Test Configuration (Desktop) |
|---|
| Processor |
| Celeron 800 MHz |
| Motherboard |
| Abit BE-6 BX mainboard |
| Graphics Card |
| nVidia TNT64 Video card with 16MB SDRAM |
| Memory |
| 256MB PC-100 SDRAM |
| Hard Disk |
| IBM 10GB DTTA-371010 (5GB used by NTFS filesystem) |
| Other Storage |
| 5x DVD-ROM drive Panasonic SR-8583A |
| Network Card |
| Digital 21143 |
| Monitor |
| KDS 21″ CRT monitor 1280 x 1024 @ 75Hz |
| Sound Card |
| Generic CMedia 8738 PCI |
| Other |
| 33.6K ISA Fax Modem (hardware), BT848 PCI TV Card, Acer Prisa 310U USB scanner, generic USB graphics tablet, Microsoft PS/2 IntelliMouse Web |
| Mandrake Specifications |
|---|
| Version |
| 9.1 |
| Release Date |
| 25 February 2003 |
| Kernel |
| 2.4.21-pre |
| GUI |
| XFree86 4.3.0 |
| File Systems |
| ReiserFS ext3 ext2 JFS FAT ISO9660 XFS |
| Minimum Requirements |
| • i586 processor • 64MB RAM recommended, 32MB RAM for text install • 800MB recommended, minimum 500MB hard disk space • CD-ROM or floppy drive |
| Platforms |
| Pentium and compatible processors, AMD processorss |
| Features |
| • Mandrake Control Center • NTFS partition resizer • 100% Free Software |
| Bundled Software |
| • Apache 2.0.44 • GCC 3.2.2 • Gimp 1.2.3 • glibc 2.3.1 • GNOME 2.2 • GTK+ 2.2.2 • KDE 3.1 • Mozilla 1.3 • Perl 5.8.0 • Python 2.2.2 • Samba 2.2.7a • XFree86 4.3.0 • Xmms 1.2.7 |
| Price |
| • Standard Edition (US$39.00) • PowerPack Edition (US$69.00) • ProSuite Edition (US$199.00) Available from Mandrake Store |
| Resources |
|---|
| Home Page |
| www.mandrakelinux.com |
| Quick Links |
| MandrakeSoft MandrakeStore MandrakeClub MandrakeExpert MandrakeBizCases MandrakeForum MandrakeUser MandrakeSecure MandrakeOnline |
| Mailing Lists |
| Mandrake lists Archives — newbie Archives — expert Archives — cooker |
| Download Links |
| Download mirrors |
| Documentation |
| Mandrake 9.0 Documentation |
| External Resources |
| DistroWatch: Mandrake page Desktop Mandrake Mandrake Users Board Penguin Liberation Front lair Texstar’s RPMs Buchan Milne’s RPMs |
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