I’ve been an Ubuntu user for about a year now, and goddamn it’s good. However, it is the first linux I’ve really used. I wanted to try others.
I have a collection of distro’s here to choose from, courtesy of my isp’s FTP service. SuSE 10.0(livecd/installer?), Mandriva 2006.0, FC5, Gentoo 2006.0(livecd/installer), Slackware 10.2 and FreeBSD 6.0.
I first tried running the SuSE livecd, and it went through a great proportion of the booting… then froze. After 3 attempts, I gave up. I have fairly generic hardware (not ati either), so theoretically, it should work. It didn’t.
Next stop, Mandriva.
I am currently writing this from Mandriva, and compared to the Ubuntu installation that I’ve grown to love, it is.. how to say it… a little confusing to install. Nothing like recompiling kernels or such, but confusing nonetheless.
I found the wording to be such that a newbie attempting his/her first linux installation could get confused. As an intermediate linux user, even I had to read things twice. This newbie would have to discern between numerous monitor, vid card and xorg options. As it was, I had accidentally not selected my video card driver – just thought I had.
Other than the installation, I found the menu less useful, and adding applications much more fiddly than Ubuntu. I find that Synaptic’s ‘all-in-one’ approach much easier to use than the 5-part system used in Mandriva, not to mention, a google search was needed to get even basic repositories other than the CD/DVD, which is all you get by default with Mandriva (Ubuntu’s default repo/source list at least has Security repos, even if they do need to be enabled first!).
No doubt, I am biased. I’m not saying Mandriva is bad, heck, it’s really pretty good and other than X/drivers configuration in the install, it’s pretty easy too. Other than the selection issues in install, my comments have really only been about what I miss between this and Ubuntu.
I’ve been running on Fedora Core versions for the past 18 months or so. Prior to that, I flip-flopped between Mandrake (is that related to Mandrive?) and the pre-Fedora Redhat installation. YEARS ago, in 95-96 time frame, I worked with slackware and Ygdrasil, and I recently installed a slackware setup on my laptop again. I gotta say I’m pretty happy with my Fedora Core 4 setup at the moment … no real issues that I can speak of. I’ve yet to try a SUSE or a Debian distro … but they will likely be the next try on my list.
“Prior to that, I flip-flopped between Mandrake (is that related to Mandrive?) and the pre-Fedora Redhat installation.”
Mandriva is the new name for Mandrake. I believe there was some form of merger involved, but I cannot remember exactly.
“I’ve yet to try a SUSE or a Debian distro … but they will likely be the next try on my list.”
I’m yet to really try SuSE too. I’ve only been able to get the LiveCD to work on my laptop, which I’d rather not mess around with experimenting on it, as I quite like Ubuntu’s ‘quickly usable’ nature. My desktop is where I mess around and experiment with other Distros.
One advantage that I have noticed with Debian varients, is that they are definately linux-newbie friendly. I’ve not played with plain debian yet, but it is on my ToDo list as well.
Hi!
What about the booting time? I heard Mandriva boots much faster than Ubuntu:
https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/optimize-boot
I use Mandriva, but it didn’t fill my expectations and I decided to switch to Ubuntu. But I couldn’t, because X wanted my monitor to refresh too faster, which it didn’t stand. Changing a few options (fortunately, a newbie-friendly help was provided) at the boot prompt didn’t work. No problem, just boot in text mode and edit xorg.conf!
Well, it isn’t possible to boot from the Desktop CD (both a LiveCD and an install CD) in text mode. Ok, a newbie isn’t supposed to know how to use the command line, but adding that option wouldn’t have done much harm.
I should have chosen the Alternate CD (the one which can boot in text mode) is the first place, but how is a newbie supposed to know that? I think Ubuntu has made a common mistake, over-simplificating itself to be newbie-friendly.
heyas all.
my 40 gig drive is going to good use now. I have installed UBUNTU and have ordered KUBUNTU.
I dont know how to install the driver for my ati radeon 9600xt.
Actually i dont know if i am meant to be downloading and installing XFREE86 or the XORG version of the driver. I am downloading them both but i dont know how to do anything in Linux really.
I dont know where I am meant to set up my modem or set up a net account. (no INETWIZ.EXE)
So yeah, can someone help me out with getting my ATI driver installed?
and does anyone know of a good long PDF file i can read and wrap my brain around.
I’m still a Windows user, but I want to use Linux as much as possible.
Thanks. :)
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…..why can’t everything work perfectly?!!!!!
I have a Dell inspiron 8200 with a 60gb hard drive…768 mb of memory…a 2.4ghz processor and the rest you all probably know…i guess what i want to know is… if i boot the cd how much death does it bring to my computer…will i go crazy trying to fix everyting…i just reformatted for the 3rd time on my new hard drive the second was shittty….but who knows any gurus out there with mad intelligence to tell a norse geek whats up? }:>
I installed Ubuntu, had many issues on my system (160Gb HD, 1Gb Ram), but at least if found my wireless AP. After many freezes and reboots, I installed Mandriva. Went thru hell getting wireless to work. I then decided to reinstall Ubuntu along side Mandriva. After using Ubuntu 2 days, I booted into Mandriva, and now cannot start X. Strange. So now I am in Ubuntu again. I have to say Ubuntu is nice. I was a Redhat user for many years, but I like Ubuntu. I also like Mandriva, and have to figure out why X won’t start.
Hello!
Well, as beeing one to grab everything from the hardest side, for my first Linux experience, i’ve downloaded Debian sarge, bought 2 books: Debian GNU/Linux Bible, and Linux Kernel Programming. Debian was surprisingly easy to install to get a (working) graphical environment, but i sure used the book a lot to set things manually, and couldn’t make debian see my lan card. (bought another card just to be able to test it.)
Than i was playing around with Mandrake, i had screen resolution and refresh rate issues. Right now i run Ubuntu for a week now, able to see my windows network, my NTFS drives (red/write), have all the software (or linux alternatives) to ALL the software i used, and i even have Internet Explorer 6 sp1 and Adobe Photoshop7 installed with Crossover Office, and i must say so far i love Ubuntu, and don’t miss windows a bit. Downloading Mandriva with the new 3D GUI for a test run right now, but i keep Ubuntu as my ‘tested and found good’ OS.
Csaba
Game/System programmer
I started with suse 10.0 liked it okay, decided to trx xandros but was disapointed with load time and compatibility. I am currently using mandriva 2007 I love it. But I just gotta give ubuntu a try now .
I tried installing Ubuntu, and later Kubuntu, and they both ran terribly slow, even less than a normal live CD. The installer literally took minutes to start, and each section took at least two minutes to load in. When I finally could get to the part where it actually install it without freezing, it gets stuck at 15%, no CD or HD activity or response from the cursor. As for Mandriva, I got the one CD distro. Its great! It includes a reasonable amount of bundled software, and its the only one that works with my wireless USB adapter.
Thanks for the help in choosing whether or not I should re-install Ubuntu or go to Mandriva after taking a Distro Chooser Test of sorts.
Sorry for resurrecting the dead, but I just have to say: what happened was that the makers of Mandrake the Magician sued Mandriva for using its name. When Mandriva got Brazilian distro Connectiva Linux, they decided to mush the names together. And thus, Mandriva.
PS – I’m trying to multiboot Linux and OS X
Having used both Mandriva and Ubuntu under all sorts of configurations:
Mandrivas benefits:
1) X will always work, even when you mess it up, learning curve is greater, but it works.
2) You will find all drivers for almost any configuration.
3) 3D effects will install nicely with out a problem.
4) Faster boot times and response time once its tweaked.
In short, this distribution is the most complete of them all, but you need to be a bit geeky, it will work nicely.
Ubuntu:
1) Easier to install if you have the right harder, otherwise you are in for a lot of pain.
2) Easier updates of new apps by default apt-get does a good job and the new graphical interface works good too. If Mandriva had this, Ubuntu would not be in the market at all.
3) Nice setup for configuring different parts of your computer, provided it worked to begin with. If it gets messed up, better get another computer to surf the net, as the command line browser doesnt work by default.
In short. Ubunto hardy heron has improved things, yet the shortcommings on drivers for Ubuntu leave it still as a second choice for a professional stand point.
You need stability and dependability and want to spend less time fixing things when they go bad, choose Mandriva. You want something simple to install and that works, choose Ubuntu Both have excellent documentation, but Ubuntu can be searched with a lot of ease.
Mandrivas short commings, need a better installer, improve the help notes.
Ubuntu’s short comings, try installing it on a HPV25xx or a Dell600, the wireless card on the first wont work and the video card on the second will drive you nuts, then go to a life book, Ubuntu works alright, but Mandriva was faster and had better resolution from the get go. Configure Ip addresses on Unbuntu or Drake, Drake works all the time, Ubuntu gets messed up with IPV6 need a tweak.
Other distributions:
Red Hat use it or Mandriva for a server
Suse, Novell you could have done a lot better job.
Peanut Linux — It works and its cool
TinyLinux — nice deal.
Caldera — I regret ever buying a copy from you, back in 1994. How could you deal with MS, Novell you are going done the same path of death.
Any company that aligns it self with MS dies.
I was for about an year a Mandriva user and for a long time i thought it’s the shit, but i can tell you only one thing now Ubuntu rules heh. Best distro around here.
Sorry for the double post, but I don’t want for somebody to get the wrong idea. Both distros are good somehow but i kinda prefer Ubuntu for several reason as following:
- first of all the Ubuntu 9 installation disk it’s about 700Mb while Mandriva’s 2009 disk it’s 4Gb. That’s quite a difference for two distros that mainly, after instalation are not that different.
-Ubuntu find automatically the X servers,from where you download your upgrades, that are nearest to your location using ur regional settings. In mandriva u have to set them up using the easy urpmi web page, via code, wich it’s not really that hard but takes much more time.
-Ubuntu desktop it’s a little bit faster
-in ubuntu u can install all the programs that are used in mandriva, too and even more (again please consider that Ubu inst disk it’s only 700mb while Mdv’s it’s 4GB)
-even if it’s rumoured that Mandriva it’s for beginners, I can tell u for sure Ubuntu it’s more automatic in instalation than Mandriva, and has Synapsis too wich it’s very handy
-it is sayed that the mandriva’s urpmi installing system it’s somehow more easy to use, but i don’t really see how that’s more superior than apt-get which it’s also very accessible and easy to understand
-Ubuntu 9.04 generally speaking runs faster than Mandriva 2009.1
-ubuntu’s desktop breaths with simplicity which i find it’s a plus. I don’t really like that mandriva somehow tries to imitate Vista (Bah vista it’s the worst Windows OS ever, with graphics that screams for attention that i really don’t find so attractive). Fortunately Mandriva still has some common decency left, in this matter, but i still like ubuntu ’cause it looks soo good in it’s simplicity.
-Flash player works a lot better under Ubuntu than Mandriva. I have used Ubuntu for quite a while and I’ve didn’t got any gray, dead screen yet while running some you tube videos.
-The only thing I think Mandriva it’s actually really superior to Ubuntu it’s at using the cross platform programs like Cedega, Wine, or Crossover. I’ve only tested Wine and Crossover but I bet Cedega runs pretty good too.
Hey just wanted to say great post, and the comments are really helpful too. I’ve been using Ubuntu for several months now and I decided to start looking at other Linux distros too (right now I’m looking at Fedora and Linux Mint), so yeah, this really helps.