Mplayer linux download

In our previous "Taste of Linux" feature, we looked at some "Live" Linux versions that allow you to run a full-blown Linux OS right off the CD, with no installation required and without affecting your existing operating system. In this follow-up, we look at three live versions from major Linux distributors SUSE, Lindows and Mandrake. These editions generally don't come with as much software as you'd get if you bought the regular versions and installed them to your hard disk. There's still a fair amount of software, but if you buy SUSE Professional, a subscription to Lindows Click-N-Run Library, or Mandrake's boxed versions, you'll get quite a bit more than what's included here.

Remember, to use these versions of Linux, your PC has to able to boot off of the CD. Check your bios settings and adjust them accordingly if you run into any problems trying out these Live versions of Linux. Since the OS is running from the CD (and not your hard disk), response times for loading and running apps will likely be significantly slower.

MandrakeMove turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. Mandrake, as you might already know, has a reputation for being fairly easy to use. A lot of folks new to Linux get started with Mandrake and now they have an option that doesn't even require an installation. Just place the CD in your computer and boot up. You'll be able to run Mandrake Linux right from the CD.

Booting & Start-Up

MandrakeMove booted fairly quickly on our machine, which had 800mhz with 256MB of RAM, it took about three minutes for the Mandrake desktop to load up. Bear in mind that the OS is loading off the CD not off your hard disk, so three minutes is not bad -- particularly given the fact that our test box is a bit of a fossil. We chose our language and then set up a user ID and password. Those concerned with security will appreciate the ability to set up a user id right away, but others might not care for it. After setting up our user information, we booted right into our Mandrake KDE desktop environment. MandrakeMove found and configured our Internet connection automatically and we were able to immediately connect to the Web.

KDE Desktop

MandrakeMove uses KDE 3.1.3 for its desktop environment, and the desktop we booted into was very clean and well-organized. You'll find a Welcome icon, as well as other icons linking to your home directory, trash bin, multimedia player, and CD drive.

The desktop toolbar includes links to the Konqueror Web browser, OpenOffice office suite, the home directory, and the main selection of desktop menus. KDE has the "K" button, which reveals a selection of menus will popup, and is quite similar to the Windows "Start" button.

The MandrakeMove menus are labeled clearly so that even a total newbie to Linux will immediately be able to start using their new KDE desktop. Application categories include "Play Games," "Administer Your System," "Use the Internet," and "Use Office Tools," among others. You can also search for files and access the KDE file manager. Everything you need to use your system is available by clicking the "K" button.

MandrakeMove comes with a good selection of applications, including:

Konqueror (Web Browser) Openoffice.org (Office Suite) KSnapshot (Screenshot Application) Tux Racer (Game) KNode (News Reader) GAIM (Instant Messenger) Quanta Plus (HTML Editor) KMail (Email Client) The Gimp (Image Editor)

MandrakeMove includes just about everything you'll need for basic computer tasks. One thing that we missed, though, was Mozilla. Konqueror is a fine browser, but it's still not quite as good as Mozilla for everyday use. We have no problem with Konqueror being the default browser, but Mozilla should definitely be included as an alternative. Some sites just don't function well with Konqueror, so Mozilla is a must-have for any distro, including Live ones.

Final Thoughts on MandrakeMove

This is one of the best Linux Live distros we've seen to date. It's fast, stable, and comes with enough apps to be useful immediately. If you want an easy way to check out Linux, give this a shot. It's truly worth a download.

Product: MandrakeMove Web site: www.mandrakesoft.com Pros: Fast boot even on a slow machine; good selection of software; configures Internet connection automatically. Cons: Doesn't come with Mozilla; Konqueror is the only browser; requires user to set ID and password during boot up. Summary: This is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a quick and easy taste of Linux. It holds its own (and then some) against any other Live version of Linux. Price: Free Score:

Lindows is another popular Linux distro with a reputation for being easy of use. Some Linux purists have very little regard for Lindows – it's simply too easy for them, it runs right out of the box with no need for editing config files, configuring kernels, etc. It's important to remember, however, that Lindows and other similar distros fill a much-needed gap in the Linux marketplace. Some folks simply want their OS to work, period -- with no configuration work required on their part. That's where Lindows comes in.

Booting & Start-Up

It took about four minutes for our test system to boot into the LindowsLive! KDE desktop. Our Internet connection was detected and configured automatically -- we just needed to click on the browser icon in the toolbar to begin using the Web. Unlike Mandrake, LindowsLive! didn't require us to create a user id and password before loading.

LindowsLive! Desktop

As with MandrakeMove, LindowsLive uses a heavily customized version of the KDE desktop, though Lindows' version has a few more default icons on it. You'll find the familiar My Computer, My Documents and Trash icons, as well as icons for the CD drive, printers, floppy drive, e-mail, browser, and the Lindows Click-N-Run warehouse.

The LindowsLive! Network Browser is also on the LindowsLive! desktop by default. If you're running a local network, you can use the Network Browser to easily connect to your shared folders on other systems. We had no problem connecting to the shared folder on our Windows XP box using the LindowsLive! Network Browser. It's a nice feature we wish more distros would add or feature more prominently.

To access the rest of our applications, we clicked the "L" button on the LindowsLive! taskbar. Like Mandrake, SUSE and other distros, LindowsLive! allows you to access everything you need to run your computer from the start button. Applications are broken down into the following categories:

Audio & MP3 Business & Finance Games Internet Multimedia & Design Software Development Utilities Web Authoring

You can also search, configure your computer, and do the usual tasks via the menus. LindowsLive! has made it pretty easy for new users to find their way around. If you've used Windows, the LindowsLive! desktop won't give you any trouble.

Applications

Lindows comes with these applications, among others:

OpenOffice.org (Office Suite) Mozilla (Browser) GAIM (Instant Messenger) Ksnapshot (Screenshot Application) XMMS (Media Player) MPlayer (Movie Player) RealPlayer (Audio & Video Player)

This distro makes extensive use of Mozilla, which acts as it's the default Web browser, e-mail client, and HTML editor. That's fine by us, we think Mozilla is probably the best browser available for Linux right now in terms of overall features and value. We're glad that it's being used so much by the Lindows folks in their distro.

Final Thoughts on LindowsLive!

As expected, LindowsLive! is another great way to get a taste of Linux. No previous Linux experience is required to use this OS, and it provides a slick, easy-to-use desktop environment. It performed on par with MandrakeMove when loading applications off the CD.

Remember, though, that it's not free. If you want to use it, you'll have to cough up the dough.

Jim: We goofed on the pricing of LindowsLive! It turns out that you can get it free via P2P file sharing services. However, if you want to download it directly from the Lindows store on Lindows.com, you have to pay for it.

Product: LindowsLive! Web site: www.lindows.com Pros: Excellent desktop; easy to use interface. Cons: It's not free. Summary: LindowsLive! offers a fine desktop, quick boot time, and a good selection of software. Too bad it's not free. Price: $19.95 Score:

SUSE also has its own live evaluation version available. Unlike the version that installs to your hard disk, this version uses KDE and doesn't come with the Gnome desktop. It also has a more limited selection of software than the regular versions of SUSE (Personal or Professional).

Boot Time & Start-Up