Installing mandrake linux

Mandrake Linux 8.1 from MandrakeSoft is the easiest to install and user-friendly Linux distro on the market, especially for a clueless user like me. Both it and the SuSE 7.3 distro have excellent documentation, allowing the inexperienced or potential Linux user to install and operate a workable system before climbing the steepest part of the learning process. Mandrake offers a totally graphical interface through which the user will learn to manipulate and use the system while learning more and more, much like Windows would be to someone newly initiated to the PC. The documentation is so good and the community of users so helpful that further support is rarely necessary.

Mandrake Linux 8.1 comes shrink-wrapped in three different forms.

The Standard Edition includes a commercial products CD, 30 days of online subscription, and 30 days of expert installation support, plus printed installation and user guides, and is the least expensive choice at $27.95. A download version of the Standard Edition is similar, but doesn't include the physical CDs and printed documentation, and is priced at $5.95 (plus shipping and handling) at Linux Central, or you can download Mandrake Linux at no cost from a number of sites, including Mandrake's own download site.

The Power Pack Edition costs $64.95. For the additional cost, this version adds a second commercial products CD, Real Player 8.1 and Adobe Acrobat, two source installation CDs, reference manuals in addition to the user and installation guides, 30 days of telephone support, and 60 days (instead of 30 days) for the installation support and subscriptions.

The ProSuite costs $134.95. It comes packed with everything included in the other editions, but offers three commercial applications CDs plus a server CD. Two product update CDs are provided during the life of the product at no additional cost. A DVD edition is included in the ProSuite (which incorporates the software on a single DVD). Support levels are further increased to 60 days of telephone support, and 90 days for the remaining forms of support supplied in the other versions. Finally, extended server support for Web, Mail, FTP, SSH, and Samba servers is included in the ProSuite.

The average consumer, who simply wants to learn about GNU/Linux is well served by Mandrake Linux. MandrakeSoft seems more willing than most vendors to engage the user community in the process of obtaining, evaluating, and providing feedback for Mandrake Linux. For that reason, they have chosen to make downloadable versions easily accessible. In addition to Linux Central, other small Linux businesses, like Cheap Bytes, offer Mandrake Linux 8.1 for around $10 (including shipping and handling costs).

I'll first present some of the new features in this new Mandrake release, and then walk through the basic installation procedures with some advice for new and intermediate Linux users along the way. We'll wrap by giving you some additional learning tools and usage pointers.

Mandrake Linux has quickly gained a reputation for being one of the best versions of GNU/Linux for both beginners and experienced users. First conceived in 1998, Mandrake was created specifically to make the Linux experience a more comfortable one for people used to other desktop operating systems, especially versions of Microsoft Windows. Early versions of Mandrake seemed to be mostly add-ons to Red Hat Linux. While that lineage remains today, Mandrake offers a number of features that set it apart from the competition, including Red Hat.

Mandrake offers a choice of desktop and Window Managers that, until recently, were not found at all in the Red Hat distribution. Even today, Mandrake offers a great variety of choices. Both the default KDE desktop and the GNOME desktop (the two major GNU/Linux desktops) are available, but Mandrake also offers a wide variety of other Window Managers, including fvwm, twm, IceWm, BlackBox, Enlightenment, and others.

The following are a list of features that have been added or enhanced since the previous release, Mandrake Linux 8.0:

DiskDrake is a disk partitioning program. Its purpose is to simplify the process of creating disk partitions. The latest version, described here, now supports network file systems (Samba and NFS), as well as Windows network browsing Draknet is the graphical network configuration tool. This is a thoroughly reworked version. It now includes improved Mime Type management The package management tools have been improved again. There is now an Updated URPMI (package installer) and Software Manager The Mandrake Control Center, DrakConf, which is documented online, has been reworked to provide a convenient embedded root console. The Mandrake Control Center also includes many new utilities such as Logdrake, a graphical front-end to the system's log files, and convenient access to most of the other software management programs. Drakinst has been designed for easy creation of an auto-install floppy Improved HardDrake (Hardware manager) recognizes more hardware and provides a hierarchical menu of all hardware detected by the system A new version of PrinterDrake has been created to simplify printer configuration New Menus (usable via Menudrake) categorize applications by task, thereby making it easier for new Linux users to accomplish routine day-to-day tasks. KDE 2.2.1 has been greatly improved. It includes the dramatically improved KOffice 1.1 office suite GNOME 1.4.1 has also been greatly improved, and includes Nautilus 1.04, the file manager for the GNOME desktop, and Evolution 1.0 Beta 3 (a Personal Information Manager (PIM) with a look and feel similar to Microsoft Office). The latest updated versions of a wide variety of application software packages (refer to the Web page for more complete details).

You should verify a few BIOS settings before beginning any Linux installation: Changing your BIOS settings is usually performed by holding down the DEL key just after the computer is switched on. Unfortunately, there are many types of system BIOS; therefore you will have to look for the appropriate option for yourself. The option to look for is often called PNP OS installed (or Plug'n'Play OS installed). Set this option to No and the BIOS will then initialize any Plug'n'Play devices. That can help GNU/Linux recognize some devices in your machine, which it would not otherwise be able to initialize.

The installation of Mandrake Linux is greatly simplified by DrakX, the default installation program used when installing Mandrake Linux. (DrakX is the program that provides the graphical installation functions). During the first step of the installation, you will be presented with this screen. Most users will simply click <enter> at this time.

Mandrake does not install the Developer (Dev) packages or all of the available documentation by default. This is true even if a user chooses "recommended", and not "Expert", as their installation setting--it's a slight oversight on MandrakeSoft's part.

If you are lacking in drive space, you should choose to install packages individually, which happens to be the default. However, you can't install a new package if you deselect another package required for the new package to operate, so take heed. Luckily, the installer now checks for such dependencies. Gone are the "good old days" when dependencies had to be resolved using the command line interface from within a stark text editor. It's more fun learning from within a usable operating system than having to pass through a severe apprenticeship just to be able to install. Although the installation interface remains familiar, the 8.1 version is even easier to install than previous ones.

Unlike most installation guides for the various Linux distros, the Mandrake Installation Guide is a pleasure to read. Only SuSE can rival the abundance of understandable information provided. It will give the first-time user a clear view of what is before him and what to do at each step of the installation. The Installation Guide can be found online at the Web site.

I tried all the installation options myself, just to see how they would work and if there were any "new user" traps along the way. There are none--but there are a few minor oversights.

During the "automatic" installation setup, the user must pay attention to the left-hand menu, which describes the accomplished steps and those remaining. For instance, while installing with the "Recommended" installation class, many options listed will not be presented to the user, (such as the choice of filesystem type and the creation of a boot floppy). Creating a boot floppy is always a highly recommended installation step. That way, if the dog eats your CD, or you unknowingly create CD drive troubles because of user error, you will still be able to boot afterwards.