[sf-lug] PCLinuxOS comments (Asheesh Laroia)

[Kristian Erik Hermansen]

On Dec 19, 2007 9:34 PM, Christian Einfeldt <einfeldt at gmail.com> wrote:
> but isn't this a problem with lots of distros?  And remember, we had
> defective memory on that box.  Has anyone tested it on a box without
> hardware issues?

I think most major distros, including Ubuntu and Fedora, all have
NetwrokManager installed and on by default these days.  We should
retest on a working box though, as you mention.  Good point...

> Yes, that was a problem for me until I understood that I just had to reboot.
> Then it was not really a problem.  In fact, one of the reasons that I am
> using PClos (short for PClinuxOS) is that I was not able to install Ubuntu
> or openSUSE or Linspire or Freespire or Mepis on a couple of boxes.

Some would consider this a huge bug :-)  Or if not that, at least
shows that perhaps there are many more bugs lying underneath the rug!

> Actually I am not sure if you looked at the Firefox link bar at the top when
> it boots up under PClos.  It has links to lots of sites that seem to give
> good documentation.  Also, their IRC channel is one of the most newbie
> friendly channels that I have ever seen.

This is true.  However, when you don't have net access, most veteran
Linux users know to check for docs in /usr/share/doc or wherever, but
sometimes distros like to deviate from certain customs.  It is not
particular to PCLinuxOS and every distro has their quirks of course...

> I can tell you that appearance and *apparent* ease of use is key with
> newbies, as we can see with Windows.  Windows is a flea-bitten piece of
> crap, but people keep using it because of the marketing muscle of Microsoft,
> and part of that is making it look nice and easy to use.

I agree with you and you make some good points...

> I can tell you that the principal of the school has given me NO TIME for
> training either the students or the teachers on how to use Linux.  The
> principal's marching orders are to just put the boxes in the rooms and see
> if the teachers use them.  Period.

Interesting...

> So far, the teachers and the kids have not complained much.  The teachers
> don't like the fact that their bloated Excel spreadsheets won't open on OOo
> under PClos, but that is another issue altogether, and the same problem
> appeared with other distros, too.

Won't open at all?

> The other thing that I like about PClos is that it ALWAYS gets the screen
> resolution perfect.  I have never seen it present a screen resolution that
> is too high, as is the case with Ubuntu.  I often have to correct the screen
> resolution for the kids with edubuntu on the thin client server and on other
> workstation installs, such as the edubuntu file server that the school is
> using.  I have changed the default on the file server.

Hrmm, wonder what would be different...

> So I have gotten into the habit of giving PClos to newbies.  But as I say, I
> like Ubuntu and openSUSE just as well, more or less, although I am a bit
> more fond of KDE than GNOME.

So I guess if PCLinuxOS improved a bit to clean up, and had funding, I
would say it's polished KDE environment is nice.  The only problem I
see going forward is funding.  It's great to have a nice clean OS, but
it really sucks if people start learning it and then the company goes
under.  With Ubuntu, Canonical should be in business for a while at
least, even if lots of the core developers defected to Red Hat.  I
don't see how PCLinuxOS has the financial backing to compete with
Canonical or Red Hat.  Maybe someone can fill me in, because, as I see
it, and this is only my opinion, it doesn't appear to me to be
properly quality-tested just from your confirmation of the bugs I
tested.  Let's see how it works out though.  I have been wrong before,
and sometimes a good idea creeps up and surprises you much later...
-- 
Kristian Erik Hermansen
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."