Last week when I was going nuts downloading and installing many of the different Linux distributions I came across Mandriva but decided to wait to download and install it because the 2011 version, code name Hydrogen, was about to be released.
Well now it’s available and I am excited to download, install, and try it. I haven’t used Mandriva Linux since it was originally called Mandrake Linux. And that was quite a few years ago.
Back then, during that time, Mandrake was one of my favorites, largely due to it being one of the only Linux distributions that I was able to successfully install. Some of the new features available on Hydrogen compared to previous versions a include hybrid live/installation DVD images, a revised system installer, a new graphics theme, RPM 5, a series of new desktop utilities from Rosa Labs, and KDE as the only officially supported desktop environment. I am pretty excited to try it out.
What many people don’t know is that Mandriva Linux was launched in 1998 under the name of Mandrake Linux, with the goal of making Linux easier to use for everyone. At that time, Linux was already well-known as a powerful and stable operating system that demanded strong technical knowledge and extensive use of the command line; MandrakeSoft saw this as an opportunity to integrate the best graphical desktop environments and contribute its own graphical configuration utilities to quickly become famous for setting the standard in Linux ease of use.
In February 2005, MandrakeSoft merged with Brazil’s Conectiva to form Mandriva S.A., with headquarters in Paris, France. The company’s flagship product, Mandriva Linux, offers all the power and stability of Linux to both individuals and professional users in an easy-to-use and pleasant environment.
Mandriva is actually a pretty old distribution, and one that I am very interested in using again. I will keep you posted with progress and my experiences using Mandriva. Whatever comments, feedback or thoughts you would like to share are welcome by using the comment form below.
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