PCLinuxOS is a distribution that you hear every once in a while, but you hear like 10x more about Ubuntu and you get 10x more reviews of Ubuntu for instance. Don't you think strange to see it #1 on Distrowatch? Is Distrowatch the default page of Konqueror in PCLinuxOS? Do you have an explanation for it to be way ahead of competitors?

The Distrowatch top ten does not show the number of downloads/users. It merely shows the number of times that someone has searched for a distro. I believe PCLos recently released a new version so it's likely that a number of syndicated feeds mentioned it and people went to Distrowatch to look at the info. No conspiracy at all.

The number of people who read news about a specific distro is closely related to the number of its users, although some people use it but don't read news, and vice versa. But all in all, they are related. PCLinuxOS has been #1 for several months now (on a 6-month span), and Ubuntu releases new versions quite often, it just released a new version this week...

I am a Linux newbie -- by accident.

About a month ago, I had a three year old Windows PC crap out. I had been getting "blue screen of death" crashes for months. I wrote down the error number -- looked it up. Microsoft was aware of the error but there were no known fixes. I have two other XP computers at home and use XP at work. I will admit the error I was experiencing on this machine were unique to my experience (though, I experience others).

Anyway, the computer finally breathed its last breath. While I generally back up to www.ibackup.com, I had some family photos that I had not. So, I looked for a Linux LiveCD that might be able to get to some of those JPEGS. I don't remember the website, but I found a list of LiveCDs. I tried Slax, Kunbuntu, Dream Linux and some others. Except for PC Linux, I had some type of issue with a peripheral (i.e., couldn't change screen resolution, couldn't configure printer, etc.).

PCLinux is a snap. Doing a full install was easy. And it works. While I don't have any benchmark measures, subjectively PCLinux is a lot faster on a 3 year old Compaq with 500 meg versus a new Compaq Vista computer I got which has 4 gig !!!!!! I had to upgrade the Vista to 4 gig just to not have it run unmercifully slow.

IMHO, most folks don't want to have to run anything from the console to get basic functionality. We have better things to do with our time. In the 1980s, my idea of a "fun" project was backing-up my DOS 286, doing a low level format, and reinstalling everything from scratch. That was before the days of defragging software. So, I know all about command line arguments. But at 47, I don't want to spend hours figuring out that stuff for the low hanging fruit.

I imagine all the hits are coming from people like me spreading the word to friends and family. I have written several e-mails to friends and family about PCLinux. Windows becomes bloated over time with all the service packs and crap. PCLinux is a great way to take your old box -- and get tuned up. In fact, at lunch yesterday I described to a friend about how to download and burn a PCLinux ISO.

If you want Linux to be successful, think about your audience. For the desktop, its not the techno-expert ---- its all of us. Keep in simple and *consistent*. While the repositories are cool, my one gripe with Linux is the various ways packages and installs are handled. Its about the application and not the OS. If it is a pain to get some cool software up and installed (that's not in my repository), that's not good.

I live in Ohio and provide computer support to my 77 year old mother down in Georgia over PC Anywhere. She has XP. As soon as I can figure out how to do remote support over Linux, she will be on PC Linux. That will save me both time and money. I won't have to pay PC Anywhere a monthly fee -- and there probably won't be anything to fix because of PC Linux. Last night I switched her e-mail client to Thunderbird because of the problems she was having with Outlook Express.

Last word -- I sent $20 to PC Linux by Pay Pal last week ($20 is what their contribution defaults to and I couldn't figure out how to make it more). Maybe I just send them a couple of more $20 contributions. They rock. And its so nice not to be in the middle of something and see a blue screen. Sorry for the long rant. But this is personal. It is no mystery to me why PC Linux is getting a bunch of hits.

Because it is really good, maybe..?
After trying maybe 20 distros over the last few years, it is now my favorite--now running at home and at the office.
It is the easiest to install and set up of any distro I have ever seen.

Then why isn't it more discussed in blogs, forums and news web sites? I mean Ubuntu is a lot more discussed...

Ubuntu is more promoted and at least **appears** to have more money behind it. Since "Texstar" is low-profile (Does anyone know who he is?), we don't know how much money is behind PCLOS.

Also, Ubuntu is now offered on Dell computers, further increasing publicity.

Hi All,

I just want to share with you that I have tried also a lot of different distros(Fedora,Suse,Ubuntu,Slackware). And the final decision was the PCLinuxOS2007. It works fine with my brand new dual core PC. It supports MP3 and DVD players by default out of box. Fast, easy to install. I use it on my home and office PC. And I put this distro to my parents and friend's PC as well. Of course the community is not so big as the Ubuntu has(PCLOS does not need so big. It is growing fast.
Finally I am not surprised why it is the first one in the distrowatch top list....

Could it be that Shuttleworth is paying for some PR people besides coders? Nothing wrong with that. He is a businessman and would like to see his venture grow.

Besides Ubuntu,the only other two distros you are likely to read about in mainstream media are Novell, Red Hat, and maybe Linspire. Commercial endeavors are going to actively seek free publicity and/or get free publicity from Steve Balmer.

When Balmer made his patent claims in the past few weeks, do you think the press called Texstar or Shuttleworth? Or perhaps Shuttleworth issued a press release.

Hey, if what was covered in the rags was the best OS, then Vista must rock!!! NOT.

What is better in PCLOS than openSUSE (beside the multimedia codecs)?
The problem for me with PCLOS is that it uses KDE (I dislike it).

PCLinux OS also has a release with the Gnome Desktop.

First of all openSuse is using also KDE. It is a very smart window manager. I used very much windows and KDE is very similar to it but better. I had a problem with openSuse and Mandriva also that they need payment to make them usable. Both distro was not working on my new pc. Ubuntu 7.04 was installed successfully but from 5 boots 3 were failed. So I decided to forget it. Ubuntu has also a very strange network setting method. It is using till now the command line to setup the ADSL, or Modem network. From my point of view the good distro is that it is usable from the beginning. PCLOS2007 does not need any hack to make it fully functionable. It just work radically simple
Best Regards,

I don't think that the PCLOS folks have this--I did find some "re-masters".

But.......You can install Gnome using the package manager.

Ok, I didn't know it offers a Gnome version. I thought one would have to install Gnome and Gtk applications separately (They always show KDE on their screenshots). Anyway, I prefer openSUSE/Gnome's look and feel
I think PCLOS should improve look and feel.

I just can't get into PCLinuxOS. It has always been slow for me, no matter what PC/Laptop I put it on. I also despise KDE. Like the poster above, I've never been able to find a Gnome version, and frankly, installing it, then going to the hassle of installing Gnome, doesn't make sense. If it wasn't so absurdly slow to begin with, I might consider it, but I won't go to the hassle when it cripples my hardware with a clean install.

I'm glad so many people like it. Just that many more folks who aren't supporting the crap coming out of Redmond.

One thing I've noticed though, with PCLinuxOS, I've logged on to its varioius IRC channels, and there's been, tops, 100 people in the room. I can go into almost any Ubuntu related channel, and there will be easily 1000-1200(and a good 60% of them are active, not just sleeping). Ubuntu seems to have more community support for some reason. Hopefully that changes for PCLOS users.

IGF