Mandrake Linux 8.0 Review

Mandrake Linux 8.0 is a version of the now famous Linux operating system, and is perhaps the most user-friendly distribution for new users. Mandrake Linux was originally a version of Red Hat Linux, containing the K Desktop Environment. Now that Red

Mandrake Linux 8.0 is a version of the now famous Linux operating system, and is perhaps the most user-friendly distribution for new users. Mandrake Linux was originally a version of Red Hat Linux, containing the K Desktop Environment. Now that Red Hat includes KDE, Mandrake Linux has made a name for itself as a distribution that is easy to install and use, while containing cutting-edge features. In addition, the entire distribution of Mandrake is Pentium optimised, which means any users of Pentium, AMD or Cyrix chips will obtain a significant performance boost. This applies not just to the kernel (the core operating system), but to every application – the tiniest command line editor to the most complicated web server.

The jump from Mandrake Linux 7.2 to 8.0 is much larger than that from 7.1 to 7.2. Mandrake Linux now includes the latest version of KDE, with significant improvements, as well as a host of new, easy to use tools for both local and remote administration. The main interface for most of these programs is DrakConf, which acts as the Windows Control Panel does, opening the selected applet from a list of categories.

Mandrake Linux also includes a new graphical version of LILO (the Linux boot loader, similar to the NT loader) and a newer version of Aurora, which is a graphical display screen of what's happening as your system boots up. For the security conscious, Mandrake Linux includes a firewall configuration utility – however, it is in no way a replacement for a dedicated firewall such as IPTables.

This version of Mandrake Linux ships with the 2.4.06 version of the Linux kernel, which has much better support for USB and also includes improved support for ATA 100 adaptors, which was a problem for people using 7.2.While not perfect, it should work on most people's systems. Mandrake Linux 8.0 also includes XFree86 4.1, which has improved speed and graphics card compatibility, although those using NVIDIA cards may have problems getting the NVIDIA drivers binaries operating correctly on some configurations.

As with all .0 releases this version of Mandrake Linux is not perfect; in fact, it includes more bugs than some of the beta versions of other Linux distributions. For those interested in learning about or playing around with Linux, this a good choice, although those with slow Internet connections may want to wait for the 8.1 release as it will have a reduced number of bugs and will not require such frequent updating.

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