MandrakeMove: Linux for everyone (and anywhere)

vibe666

I have to say, on first impressions it's pretty damn good considering.

i never got round to trying Koppix which apparently was more or less along the same lines apart from the built in flash drive setup/config thingy that saves all your stuff on a usb stick for you.

you might already know that i'm a real linux n00b, but i've tried redhat 9 and suse before and while i'm not saying that in real terms this is better than either of them (but it might be once i get to know it) it has one distinct advantage over any other linux distro (even it's big brother mandrake 9.2). you can take it anywhere and load it onto any pc and it will be like you're sitting in front of your own pc.

the problem with getting to know linux is that whatever way you want to slice it there's a fairly steep learning curve when you're getting away from using windows instead of starting from scratch. you need to un-learn all those bad M$ habits you've learned over the years, but it all takes time, which means you need to spend time doing everyday things you would normally do in windows in linux instead. but it takes time.

now i should say at this point, i do have a laptop, and it has redhat 9 on it as well as xp (and 98, but that's neither here nor there) but to be frank it's a real pain in the hole dragging it round with me everywhere, which i really needed to be doing to be able to play with linux so i had a better idea of what i was doing.

now all i do is take my usb memory stick around with me (which i was doing anyway) and the MandrakeMove CD and that's it. any time i want to do something, i just boot from the cd with my memory stick plugged in and that's it, i'm booted into mandrake in about the same time it would take windows to load, and all my email settings, favourites, doc, spreadsheets etc. all come with me. it's great!

now i can spend the time i need to get to know linux without having to worry about installing anything. it's a godsend.

anyone out there who has tried linux in the past but didn't get anywhere, really should try this, i think you'll find that MandrakeMove has finally hit that elusive gap in the mainstream Linux market. 2004 WILL be The Year of the Penguin. <- Possible T-Shirt idea.

tomk

Glad you're happy with it, vibe. Personally, I've found that I've learnt most about Debian by installing it on various machines, and I also do all my Linux work in one place, so my situation is different. The USB Memory idea is good, though - I must post it on the Knoppix board (if someone there hasn't thought of it already).

I also don't believe in paying for Linux - you had to buy this from Mandrake, right?

dahamsta

Crapped out on me while trying to install drivers for my USB hp5550 printer, which struck me as kind of stupid. That being said, Mandrake has /never/ installed clean on this system for some reason.

Tomk, is this on principle or because you can't afford to or because you don't want to? Do you make donations instead of paying direct? I can't see Linux surviving unless someone pays for development somehow -- be interested to hear your logic behind this.

adam

echomadman

€129 for a copy with a 256Mb usb memory stick isnt too bad, I wonder what their stance on using a few copies of your purchased disk simultaneously is.

dahamsta

It didn't work with my (Disgo) USB key, so if it's tied to theirs I imagine they wouldn't give a toss.

adam

tomk

Originally posted by dahamsta
Tomk, is this on principle or because you can't afford to or because you don't want to? Do you make donations instead of paying direct? I can't see Linux surviving unless someone pays for development somehow -- be interested to hear your logic behind this.

adam

I am strictly a personal GNU/Linux user, adam, and I have no intention of profiting from it. I donate - money occasionally, and as my knowledge grows, help/advice to others. I hope to move on to other activities in the community as I develop the know-how.

I support the ethos behind FOSS, and I use Debian as my distro of choice, as many of the others exhibit varying degrees of commercialisation. I do not buy commercial versions of GNU/Linux because the community makes the software available free of charge. I also learn more by doing more of the work myself, which feeds back into my community-related activities.

I don't believe that my use of GNU/Linux is any threat to the survival of the OS, and It seems to me that there are, and will be, a growing number of commercial and governmental organisations worldwide who regard the funding of GNU/Linux development as a very attractive alternative to expensive closed-source proprietary software, and the associated recurring licence charges.

I'd welcome any comments/arguments etc, if anyone has them.

dahamsta

It was just the way you said it tomk: "I also don't believe in paying for Linux". I don't really have a lot of time for people that use Linux and don't give something back in /some/ format. Giving support to the community where you can and making donations are a form of "paying for Linux" though. Don't see yourself short.

adam

tomk

<rephrase>
I don't believe in buying Linux.......
</rephrase>

Typedef

I'll probably go and buy Gentoo Linux at some stage.

<insert plug for Gentoo>

Basically.

tomk

Originally posted by tomk
I must post it on the Knoppix board (if someone there hasn't thought of it already).

As I expected, someone's already worked this out for Knoppix.

Originally posted by Typedef
I'll probably go and buy Gentoo Linux at some stage.

I have the Gentoo coverdisc from LXF if you want it - I think it was October's edition last year.

Typedef

Nah, yeah thanks, I have the same disc.

It's more about putting some money into the project, to keep it afloat and to allow the guys who developed it, to get something back for their hard work.

Kid Icarus

Can anyone tell me does it support a portable HD? Have a 30 GB USB drive, and I'd like to know if I could partition part of that hard drive to use with MandrakeMove.

Otherwise I'll just buy the pack with the USB key.

vibe666

well, i already had a 256mb usb drive i got for €70 when i was on me holiers in thailand, so i just downloaded it from one of mandrake's mirrors.

they have a thing there for the mandrake club which cost from 5 a month, but it gives you two options, the first is 'i'm not a member, sign me up' or similar, and the other one is, i'm a member or i'm going to sign up soon.

choos that one, and it takes you to the mirrors page which has a list of open mirrors, and most of them have 3 iso's of mandrake 9.2 and the mandrake move iso that you can download freely. then just don't bother to sign up if you don't want to.

works ok with my generic 'USB Flash Disk' made by nobody in particular although it's a translucent blue case, and i can see 2x 128mb samsung memory chips and and what looks to be the main chip labelled as 'OTi'.

think i'll have to set it up manually to put all my settings etc. on it, but mandrake finds and mounts the thing without any hassle, and i have read/write access so no bother there. just have to figure out exactly what i'm doing with it and i'm set.

onyl thing is, on my home PC it doesn't recognise my external (serial) sportser modem which us unusual given it's a serial modem and that redhat 9 saw it fine.

oh, well, probably just a little messing round to fix that, but i'm still a linux n00b, so i'll have to figure it out later.

but it's all ok so far.

i've tried MM on newish HP and Dell desktops and it's found everything fine on them, and have net access through corp network proxy, so all ok that end. all in all very good.

now if only i could get support without paying through the nose for it.

but i suppose as has been said, someone has to be making money for linux to keep moving forward.

red vex

anybody know when theyll release a version of mandrake move for free download that can save settings to the usb key
thanx

Kid Icarus

Originally posted by Kid Icarus
Can anyone tell me does it support a portable HD? Have a 30 GB USB drive, and I'd like to know if I could partition part of that hard drive to use with MandrakeMove.

Well, I downloaded the .iso, burned it and tried it with the portable HD. It detected it no problem, but couldn't save settings or anything to it (ala USB memory stick). I'm gonna try it with an old USB stick I have at home (~8 MB!). I doubt I'd buy it though.

sunbeam

Can you save settings to floppy disk (like with Knoppix) using the download version of MandrakeMove?

nadir

I've just been using gentoo for a year now, and im still as happy with it as when i first installed, no problems at all. I even messed up portage at one stage and found it very easy to recover from. In comparison to rpm its far more stable, much easier to use and offer greater functionality. apt is obviously awesome and Debian is probably the best choice of distro there is, just because its been around so long, and is so tried and tested, but I definately agree with typedef, gentoo needs some promotion too. The gentoo guys have a very similar ethicate to debs, and is definately for you if ur a long term debian user and want to mess around with something a little different on another box.