Posted on Monday 22nd of January 2007 at 13:22 in Linux

A picture heavy review of PCLinuxOS 2007 Beta2

As I covered yesterday, PCLinuxOS 2007 Beta2 has been released to the public and I've had a chance to play with it and I think it's fair to make the conclusion that this is a distro worth keeping an eye on. I apologise now for the inclusion of VMWare in the screenshots.

PCLinuxOS 0.93
I was a big fan of the previous version, coated in layer upon layer of eye candy and that 'pseudo Windows' feel that you get from initially loading it up (items such as My Computer help MS users feel more at home). So I have been eagerly awaiting this release and I can't say I'm disappointed.

Prettier than a summer sunset
One of the most striking things about 0.93 was it's strong sense of aesthetics and the team have clearly upped the ante this time around with some very nice design work. As you'll be able to see from my screenshot walkthrough, there are some very nice touches.

Screenshot Walkthrough

Just to emphasise how pretty things have become and the ease of installation I have included a screenshot walkthrough of this marvellous release. Follow from left to right

LiveCD boot

Installation

Normal Use Screenshots

Conclusions of use
Well, as you can see in the above screenshots - media such as Youtube works straight out the box, as it were. Which is a nice touch, meaning that the 'average' user can install it and then be on their merry way browsing, chatting etc. There's no need me harping on about the joys of Synaptic either because we all know those.

Lack of 3DFX
My apologies, I was running it inside a VMWare session and it didn't seem to like the graphics setup enough to offer full 3D effects but that's irrespective, this distro continues to excell in terms of usability as far as I'm concerned. See one of the images posted yesterday from TuxMachines.org (on the right) for an example of the 3d stuff available - impressive, huh?

Conclusion
Well, it's a really impressive looking KDE distro true enough, but I still find myself unable to justify what makes it better than Kubuntu but as far as I'm concerned, being comparable to Kubuntu is one of the best places to be for a Linux distro. I think PCLOS 2007 is going to be my favourite distro for a while. It's the most intuitive, enjoyable Linux experience that I've witnessed and I urge you to give it a try if you're interested.

Shameless Plug
PCLOS07 is a great distro so you should download it and burn it to CD, even if you don't give it a go it's worth having a LiveCD lying around for the reasons noted in my article how Linux could save your life.

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Comments

Showing most recent 20 of 30 comments [View all comments]

. . . seems a LOT of folks are MAD at PCLOS. ummm… angry because its as easy to use [or easier] than the worlds leading OS, Micro$oft Windows. Well, I just got tired of fixing my mom’s PC all of the time, so one virus too many and I switched her over to PCLOS. She is 60+ and loves her PySol and Amarok.

I single-boot PCLOS and I can assure you that my PC looks NOTHING like hers or Windows. My Nexuiz is a far better game than her Frozen Bubble, though BOTH came from the PLCOS repository all push-button, no consoles necessary; batteries included. 3D Games in Linux? well, in PCLOS, yes. ...no waiting, call now.

I used Gnome in the 90’s ONLY because I had to. Is Linux ready for the desktop? I have no idea; nor do I care. I know that PCLOS is ready for the desktop, and I send Texstar my donations to prove it every time I install PCLOS on the PC of a friend or relative.

Geeks need to stop trying to hog Linux for the Nerd clique. PCLOS is a gateway drug.

zakoz

jbt

- Forté Agent 4.* (there’s no comparison with Thunderbird or any of the linux mail/news packs I’ve seen, correct me if I’m wrong, but you don’t know what you’re missing)

I use Forte Agent in xp fro years but I use Pan in PCLinuxOS, you want to give pan a try as it is very much like Forte Agent...

ztoppe

This review is astonishing for the complete lack of information presented.

artson

I tried PCLinuxOS 2007 and had nothing but problems with it, I cannot connect to the i-net with either my router or wireless system, I keep getting error messages that make no sense. I’m going back to Win XP, if this is any indication of Linux, Microsoft has nothing to worry about.

johnw

I’m really impressed. For me, Mepis had always been that distro that "just works". Until recently that is, you see, a friend gave me her "old" notebook. She said it had been driving her crazy ever since she upgraded her RAM last Summer so she went out and bought a new puter.

Yes, it was acting flakey while running XP but I recognized that that flakeyness was not just Windoze induced, it was a bad memory. Popped in some new RAM and it ran just fine.... well as well as one could hope from XP. Knew it would run better under Linux so I popped in a Simply Mepis CD. Was surprised it did not detect the wireless card. Since I had recently burnt a PCLOS 2007 CD thought I would see if it would dectect the it. Not only did it detect the wireless card, but it pointed out the external switch on the notebook was in the "disabled" mode! Now that was a real "WOW" moment. I hadn’t even noticed her puter had an external wirless switch but PCLOS did. Found and flicked the switch to the "on" position. PCLOS immediately detected my router. After typing in my WPA passphrase I was able to connect and surf.

Talamaur

I agree with most of the posts here. PCLOS is the most friendy and best looking distro
available right now. I use it exclusively. I was using SimplyMEPIS until 6.0 came out and
they decided to change their base from Debian to Ubuntu. I just wasn’t thrilled with it
after that. The next final release looks like it will be very good though.

I liked what Wicked said about Ubuntu. I think PCLOS is much more "Linux noob" friendly.
I think it’s because Mark Shuttleworth has put so much money into promoting Ubuntu
that more people try it. It is very good but PCLOS is pretty much automagick. Texstar
hasn’t got that kind of money.

gandy

Using VMplayer on windows with help from easyVMX I started with ubuntu 6.10. Liked it at first but ran into problems. I live booted Knoppix in the past and it just worked. ubuntu didn\’t. Then I tried PClinuxOS and the love started!! Everything worked. I\’m posting from it now in VM. This is one I\’m definitely going to be duel booting in the future.

M$ better watch out, Linux is here!

Newbie to Linux loving PCLOS

Nice cool OS, but what I really miss (and can’t do without), still are the following tools/software:

- TotalCommander (no, mc doesn’t even come near what TC is and does)
- SoundForge and Vegas (audacity and the likes don’t even come close!)
- Forté Agent 4.* (there’s no comparison with Thunderbird or any of the linux mail/news packs I’ve seen, correct me if I’m wrong, but you don’t know what you’re missing)
- K-MPlayer (not to be confused with the kde mplayer)

jbt

ever tried SabayonLinux ? I think it’s the most complete...

ever tried kde session saving at reboot on pclinuxos ?? try it :)

Amp

"Your review is way too short."

With good reason: This is a preview release. You can bet the final release will be covered more extensively.

Yoyo

PCLinuxOS is the best distro I\’ve ever use. I was a Window$ user, and knows no linux last time. PCLOS are darn easy to use and maintain and this distro really minimize my usage of Window$!
Now with 2007 coming out, I cant resist myself to download is ASAP.

Thanks to my friend who introduce me to this marverlous distro.

mnazri

In my opinion, PCLinuxOS is number ONE, second Simple Mepis, third Xandros and Ubuntu and all it’s flavor are next.

Why?

I’m new to Linux and I founded PCLinuxOS and SimpleMepis and Xandros very easy to use, I tried Ubunto several times and is difficult to install programs, sometimes the programs are not even compatible. Thanks to PCLinuxOS, SimpleMEpis and Xandros I stoped using WIndows.
With PclinuxOs simple all software works, I don’t need to go around loooking for codecs, Same with Mepis, with Xandros it takes a litlle bit of effort to find some codecs, but with Ubunto it’s a nightmare, at least for me. So I think PcLinuxOs is the way.

insanerobot

i’m using this distro for 3 days and i’m satisfyed,i had no problems with the wirelles connection and this the 3’rd distro that i tested and that goes wireless from my laptop.I tryed xandos and mintlinux,but only pclinuxos was the easyest to configure the wireless.As far as the windows XP default theme,i changed very easy with a win Vista theme. anyway linux it’s highly customizable.
i like also the fact that it has all the codecs for mp3,mpeg and other file types,codecs that kubuntu and ubuntu 6.10 don’t have.I’d tryed ubuntu and kubuntu 6.10 and it was no mp3 capabilities,no wireless.
in conclusion this is the best distro i ever used.Congratulations to the authors ;)

if you wanna attract newbies to linux this one of the best distros.

septimius

Yet Another Sorry XP Clone

YASXPC

Pclos and every other distro should stacked against window$ for a comparison as it is windows users that need to be made aware of these excellent distros and how they rate,At the moment Pclos is the most user friendly refined distro out there at the moment for a windows convert,I perform many linux installs for windows users,"most deul boot",the response,Pclos the preferred choice without exception ,As for the Kubuntu comparision,,they both run kde and thats where it ends,
cheers

Mike

First of all i`m a win user.
Don`t be mad on me ,because i tried hundred of linux flavors, but lack of working drivers ,and especially lack of games keeps me to win.
Now i have an ati X800 Gto grafic card and an LG L1520B display - this combination is deadly for linux ,never ,but never an grafic distro with xgl, beryl ,compyz or other linux goodies succed to open me an interface out of the box.
This is the problem i`m talking about.
Otherwise i think Kanotix is the best distro till now ,and yes ,but second, PCLOS .

ladepa

I have this addiction to keep downloading distros and just can\’t stop, but PCLinuxOS is my installation of choice on all my hardware (none of it past P3) -- desktop and notebook. A year or two ago I kept swinging back and forth between Win & Linux, bet kept mostly with Win. Now, thanx to ease of use with PCLinuxOS (since 0.92 I think), I stay away from Win like the plague. The control panel helps a great deal with this part too. Everything just seems to work for \"me,\" and when I screw something up, it seems like PCLinuxOS just self repairs the next time I boot it. On several occasions I\’ve just swapped my hard drive installation to a completely different system, and the OS just boots up and keeps working as if I didn\’t change anything -- never was this possible in Win (not for me at least).
I love the graphics, the speed on my old hardware, the ease of use, the never have a problem feature. I didn\’t get this from the other distros. I sort of hate Ubuntu because it was never for me as many times as I\’ve tried it. I like a livecd with proggies ready to use already on it. In fact, I wish that PCLinuxOS had even more on it than it already does (perhaps a DVD version).

Anomy

Started using 0.92 as it was included with the linux for you mag. Still buy linux for you mag and still get the free CD/DVDs. But now I don’t even bother trying those. I give them to my friends who try them and then say that linux is still nothing for them. Then I surprise them with a PCLinuxOS burn and guess what: 80 % sold to dual booting winXP and PCLinuxOS. nd none of them calls me back with only 1 windows problems: how to remove it and keep pclinuxos.
Been trying out the test version and it runs fast and smooth. I still miss some packages but I’m sure tex and the gang are adding them to the repos. All fresh and cutting/bleeding edge.
and those graphic ’amateurs’ who did the art work for 2007 should get an academy award for design.: even that is radically simple and serene: candy that does not hurt.

A keeper: * * * * *

Patred TheKnight

I believe the reason that the 3D desktop effects wouldn\’t work in VMWare is that the VMWare drivers don\’t support 3D. Try booting the disk on a machine with an Intel video card. Or for many nVidia cards, you can install dkms-nvidia-96xx via Synaptic while running the LiveCD. You can then follow the instructions on the PCLinuxOS help forums to get Beryl up and running:
http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?topic=15174.0
http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?topic=15167.0

KDulcimer

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A picture heavy review of PCLinuxOS 2007 Beta2

Screenshot Walkthrough