Hi fellow newbies!,

I've been using Linux for about a year now but am still very much a newbie.
I've tried many distro SuSE 8.2, 9.0 & 9.1 Mandrake, Red Hat, Fedora, Jamd, etc etc.
I've got certain things working well with one distro but not another and vice versa (Hardware, Software etc)

I've just installed Mandrake 10 and WOW! what a distro! It looks like I can now finally say goodbye to Windows. I've got everthing working really well, soundcard network even the favorite old problem of the nvidia drive installed without a hitch! UT2004 installed and works a treat!

The point of my rambling on (no Led Zeplin pun inteneded!) is, newbies try this distro then help support the hardwork Mandrake do by purchasing a copy as I am doing! Top distro well done Mandrakesoft.

Ladies and Gentlemen... we finally have a Windows killer

Please let me know your thoughts and comments!

Steve


PS I do not work for Mandrakes P.R. department.

I have considered trying mandrake, but never wanted to amek the jump. I've only been using linux for ~10 months, I started with Fedora Core 1 (Very nice, came up to speed quickly, no major probs that LQ couldn't get me through) and recently "upgraded" to FC2. I really wish I hadn't upgraded! Everything was so nice in FC1, and FC2 has been nothing but a headache

Now, I'm not ripping FC2. I am a total newbie, and I'm sure most of the problems are my fault, I jsut wish it would have gone more smoothly.

So, I was thinking about trying mandrake, because I'm so sick of trying to troubleshoot FC2 that I was going to re-install FC1.

My question is this: How does one go about switching from FC2 to Mandrake 10? I am a VERY broke person, and simply don't have the money right now to go purchase it on disk. I am more than happy to support any linux org, simply becasue of my disdain for M$ Winblows, I just can't contribute right now. I read somewhere about an internet installation of Mandrake 10, and would REALLY love a link AND a walkthrough for this option.

Also, I have been running a webserver on Fedora, and want to understand if copying all the contents of my /var/www/html directory to the newly installed web directory on Mandrake will require any special direction.

It's nice to hear such a glowing review of Mandrake, as I now REALLY want to try it.

Please, somebody toss me some info on the internet install. I'm really curious now!

jeffrey, please try it, its ace!

I've used Mandrake before and although I'm still a newbie I know my way around their Configuration GUI pretty well. Not that it need a brain surgeon 'cause its so easy anyway.

Try it, everything just seems to work so well. If you get stuck anywhere, I'll try and help.

Thanks for your reply.

Steve

I'll second that - I'm running Mandrake 10 and it's excellent. KDE looks very cool and it has so far done everything very easily.

You can download the ISOs anywhere - this is the official Mandrake mirror link:
http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/ftp.php3

Moved: This thread is more suitable in Distributions Forum and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

Cool

I'm convinced. I'm downloading them as we speak.

I'll try to get back and let everybody know how it went.

Thanks for the tip...

Okay, Mandrake 10 official is installed.

I admit, it is quite sleek, and the install went perfectly. So far so good, even got the nvidia drivers installed.

However, Steve, I'd like your assistance with a couple things, if you're able. They are:

1) Java. Please post a link to where you got your java package downloaded from. If there was anything unusual about the install, please let me know as well.

2) Digital Camera. I was really spoiled by Fedora's digital camera tool, which was both easy to find in the menus, and also worked for my camera on the first try, with little or no configuration. All I can find in Mandrake is the digital camera configuration utility program, which doesn't do anythign that I can tell. It sees my camera, but there's really nothing you can do with it.

3) Also, are there any "system event" sounds for this as there were in Gnome on Fedora? Just curious on this one.

I think there were other curiosities, but I can't remember them now. I'll repost if I think of them.

Please help with what you can here. Greatly appreciate it!

I'm having my brother download MDK10 for me as we speak (he: Cable, I: 56kb modem )

So why do I tell you? Is there a better way to subscribe to a promising thread?

Okey, I do have a question now. There are 3 iso's at the official mandrake ftp servers, but my bro. tells me he has seen four iso's on filemirrors. How many cd's are thre in the official package? (nad how much did it cost you?)

I DL'd only three. It did not make mention of a forth, and I installed most of the packages available on the three that I have...

So, don't know what to tell ya...you should be okay with the three...

correction...

I jsut tried to install extra packages, like games and the such, and it asked my for disk 4...

bummer...

Let us know if you find it...I'lll look later...

I *think* that the MDK 10 CD 4 was only given to members of the MandrakeClub, but I'm not too sure.

As far as the camera is concerned, I have a CF reader that is automounted when I put a card in it. Does your camera show up in /mnt? If not, have you tried mounting it?

Try http://www.filemirrors.com/ and search for the 4th CD using part of the path or name of CD1-3

Wow, excellent resource!!

THanks for the info!

update...

I found the program I needed for the digital camera. It's gtkam, and it does indeed come on the CDs. Works great...

Java...got the j2re package from Sun's website, installed fine, symlinked it into my plugins directory, all is well. Did this with the flash plugin as well, no problems.

Sounds...the "system event" I was asking about is strictly a gnome thing, and when using the gnome desktop they are there and work fine. Good deal, but I'm sticking to KDE anyways...

All in all, this Mandrake is very nice. It'll take some time getting used to the different menus and styles, but I think I can make it ;-)

Thanks again for the tip...