Libranet vs. Mandrake

[Apostata]

Hello all,

I've been using Mandrake since 7.2, with only a brief stay in Slackware land (nice place to visit, didn't want to live there). I'm stoked about Libranet, however. The new release is getting raves, and I'd love to try a Debian-based distro.

Anyone out here switch from one to the other recently?

The only problem is that Libranet is $70 US...whereas with Mandrake, I've been a member of their Club for the last couple of years (@ $60). Not a big difference, but it's just a different way of supporting the cause, I suppose. Now that I'm facing "paying" for my OS up-front, I just want to make sure that I'm not going to regret the switch-over.

Any Libranet vs. Mandrake experiences much appreciated :)

[je_fro]

Anything wins everytime.
I I were you I'd just use Debian and send them a few bucks.

[Apostata]

Thanks...for being neither impartial nor on-topic, and for demonstrating perfectly why so many people will never try Debian: the dumb-assed zealotry.

[je_fro]

And you, sir, are an example of why I wish GNU/Linux would stay underground. I'm far from being a Debian zealot, but welcome to my ignore list anyway.
Good Day

[Disk Monkey]

Alright, people, simmer. We're all friends here.

IRT LibraNET. There is a free version of LibraNET you can try. It isn't as new and it doesn't have all of the features, but I really liked it. The installer was great. Setting up was easy. The only problem is that it didn't support *any* of my video hardware and to me that's a big deal. I also tried CollegeLinux but for some reason it kept messing up w/ my keyboard. I eventually ended up using Slackware. It's the only distro I know really well and the only thing that ever really worked for me. Which is odd because it's supposed to be difficult. Anyhow, I was mightilly impressed w/ libraNET and if I had been able to setup my video hardware for X during installation, I would've kept it and probably never looked back. It had some really nice features. ^_^

I tried Mandrake 9.1 but it was really buggy...I think my media may have been corrupted...I burnt the ISOs @ 52X.

[trc]

if you want an easy to install debian-based distro, why don't you try knoppix or mepis. both have great hardware detection and they both set up X for you.

[sclebo05]

if linux stayed underground, it would die out. only comment i have there.

As for the original question, Libranet is quite good. don't completely overlook the 2.7 classic download (which happens to be free). IMO it is an easy way to get debian installed. at that point you can upgrade your packages and be off.

I have not used Mandrake for a few years, but from what i can remember, i don't miss it too much. rpm dependencies hurt my brain. the debian packaging software is great. give it a try

i use slackware and redhat. ironically, i think debian is a 'nice place to visit, but i wouldn't want to live there' :)

You've got at least ONE friend in PA :cool: Cheers!

[Disk Monkey]

Yes, I agree on the sticking together thing. Linux is Linux. For the most part we all use the same kernel, or a newer/older version of it. The only thing that really makes it different is the programs and packages that come w/ each distro and how they're setup. I think you people should calm down and unite or else you'll end up like Scotland. All of the clans, bickering, infighting, and waging petty wars, they could never unite to stand up to England, and to this day are not even their own country... If they all would've followed William Wallace then they would've been free...I like to think of distros as clans, they're all linux, all Scottish, all the same blood, they just need to get their heads out of their asses and unite into something beautiful and unstoppable.

[Apostata]

Disk Monkey - your analogy (warring clans/linux community) is apt.

I'm not out to cut je_fro down, but I didn't like the fact that he bypassed my question, stopped to ridicule the distro I'm currently using, and then proceded to plug something different. I thought it was insulting, and I don't care for that sort of disrespect.


P.S. No pun intended ('apt' - haha)

[DSwain]

to what je_fro originally said-

i don't believe he meant to ignore your question, just answered in a unique matter. When he said "Anything works everytime" i believe he meant that its really a matter of opinion, because people generally argue which distro is the highest-powered distro of them all. As for the try Debian part out, he might have just said that because it is (in a sense) easier since its free, comes with a huge list of packages, etc. and the install isn't TOO tough. And the money part, well it helps keep distro's alive, so it could benifit them all.

The idea of trying Mepis is also good, i've used it a little myself, and it was the best install ever! Boot straight from the disk into KDE, with internet, sound, etc. and then start the install while playing some tunes from XMMS, or chatting with KIT, or checking email. and the install is very fast also. Once its done, you just check some LILO settings to install it and/or make sure its correct, and then reboot, then done you're full system is installed. It only took me about 15 minutes on my system, very nice indeed. And if you're looking for some Apt, you can get it for RPM based distros, and Synaptic which gives you a GUI making it even better. In the longrun, though, its all up to you.

[pvd212]

I think that a friendly comp is never a bad thing, as long as it's friendly. I mean the comp is what makes us
try harder to develop a better linux OS. Also as long as humans exist there will never be peace because war is in are
blood. Further more I think that the reason why we have so many different flavors of linux is to suit the needs of the user and to suit his or her
level of computing; imagine if there were only one Linux Distro.for newbie's and gurus alike lmo, I think, would be
like putting a fish to swim in sand.now Being that i said comp is good as long as its friendly. slackware's the best!!!!!!!!!!! True story.:D :)

[Darkbolt]

Originally posted by Apostata
Disk Monkey - your analogy (warring clans/linux community) is apt.

I'm not out to cut je_fro down, but I didn't like the fact that he bypassed my question, stopped to ridicule the distro I'm currently using, and then proceded to plug something different. I thought it was insulting, and I don't care for that sort of disrespect.


P.S. No pun intended ('apt' - haha)
You may want to do a bit of research before you open your mouth like that. Do you think that PERHAPS theres a reason why he SPECIFICALLY suggested DEBIAN, as an alternative to LIBRANET?

Do you think that PERHAPS, that just maybe LIBRANET is BASED on DEBIAN?

He was suggesting to try out the real FREE thing.

[ehawk]

I have installed knoppix to the hard drive. If you are intermediate, as you say, you should have no problems (only problem for newbies would be fdisk). I hear MEPIS is even easier to install. Both detected all the hardware on my laptop flawlessly. I hear Kpackage is even easier to deal with than synaptic...nice and easy way to install debian.
I hear Xandros is even easier yet to install (4 clicks and your done)....also debian-based, if I am not mistaken. Not free, but hey, you said you were willing to pay.

[Apostata]

Originally posted by Darkbolt
You may want to do a bit of research before you open your mouth like that. Do you think that PERHAPS theres a reason why he SPECIFICALLY suggested DEBIAN, as an alternative to LIBRANET?

Do you think that PERHAPS, that just maybe LIBRANET is BASED on DEBIAN?

He was suggesting to try out the real FREE thing.

Holy cow, Darkbolt...that never OCCURRED to me.

Thanks for WEIGHING in with your analysis.

PERHAPS if you'd read my original email, you'd SEE the part where I say, in REFERENCE to Libranet: "[...] I'd love to try a Debian-based distro.". Or is there some other RESEARCH I'm missing here?

I know Libranet is a Debian distro - I made that clear. If I'd wanted Debian, I'd download Debian. If you want to sell me on Debian, don't start by criticising my distro ("Anything vs Mandrake - Anything wins"), followed by a one-sentence argument about price. That's not a response, it's a belch.

Most of the responses in this thread have been helpful and constructive, and I appreciate them very much.

[Disk Monkey]

I just got LibraNET 2.7 Classic up on an old P166 Box. So far so great. It installed w/o a hitch, and I didn't have any hardware problems. The admin menu is helpful for people that don't want to spend the time messing around w/ archaic commands, and don't want to edit alot of config files (It's fun, but sometimes you're just in a hurry...).

Other than it's pretty nice, the package updating system is simple...there are 3 ways to get packages...And they all check various servers, I don't download too much software so I never payed too much attention to those, but they worked fine for checking for updates and whatnot. I can recommend it to you, unlike in the earlier post where I hadn't used it. The only problem is that LibraNET comes w/ some older software, IE KDE 3.0 (newest is 3.1.4, I think...) and the Kernel is 2.4.19 rather than 2.4.20 So far so good, It's been up for 3 days w/o a hitch chugging away @ SETI@Home, and has turned in almost 2 data units (It's a P166, give it a break. :P)

Since the classic is free you may want to give it a try, then you can see if you want to buy the real thing or whatever.

Another Distro I can recommend is IcePak Linux, 5 discs though...alot of downloading....But it comes w/ hella software. :)

[Apostata]

Cheers. Thanks for the feedback on 2.7 - I think I'll give it a whirl sometime in January.

(merry christmas/yule/kwanza/channuka)

[windowsfree]

cool, I've been reading this post and I think that I'll go for libranet, I've wanted to break away from redhat for some time but debian's install gave me a headache so I think I'll try it out.

[Syngin]

Originally posted by Apostata
Thanks...for being neither impartial nor on-topic, and for demonstrating perfectly why so many people will never try Debian: the dumb-assed zealotry.

Must be a Gentoo user. :p

[Syngin]

Oh, as to Libranet, great for desktop, bad for server. There isn't an option not to install x-windows. Rather large install. I use Linux primarily for servers so this was a problem for me.

It'll be my first full desktop Linux OS when I get around to it though.