SuSE 9.2 vs Mandrake 10.1 Advanced
Hi guys, Does anyone have any experience or advice about Mandrake? Any comparison comments. SuSE is the first Linux distro that I had working and is my favorite one but I would like to try something else as well. I have struggled with Debian install and have installed successfully Ubuntu but it did not compare to SuSE everything is so much easier to set up on SuSE. Mandrake seems to be a good competitor and maybe worth a test. I have read some reviews/comparisons for some background more links are welcome too :). Your thoughts are well appreciated. Thanks. george ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
George Stoianov wrote:
Does anyone have any experience or advice about Mandrake? Any comparison comments.
SuSE is the first Linux distro that I had working and is my favorite one but I would like to try something else as well. I have struggled with Debian install and have installed successfully Ubuntu but it did not compare to SuSE everything is so much easier to set up on SuSE.
Mandrake seems to be a good competitor and maybe worth a test.
I have several versions of SuSE & Mandrake installed, plus Fedora & Xandros. SuSE to me is most polished, less buggy at release, but the Mandrake support community seems better, meaning if you have a problem with Mandrake, you're more likely to get helpful and/or quick support, while with SuSE, you're less likely to need help in the first place. Xandros is more tightly aimed at windoze converts, and comes with less software and more of a windoze look and feel. -- "Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:39 NIV Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 Felix Miata *** http://members.ij.net/mrmazda/
Felix Miata wrote:
George Stoianov wrote:
Does anyone have any experience or advice about Mandrake? Any comparison comments.
SuSE is the first Linux distro that I had working and is my favorite one but I would like to try something else as well. I have struggled with Debian install and have installed successfully Ubuntu but it did not compare to SuSE everything is so much easier to set up on SuSE.
Mandrake seems to be a good competitor and maybe worth a test.
I have several versions of SuSE & Mandrake installed, plus Fedora & Xandros. SuSE to me is most polished, less buggy at release, but the Mandrake support community seems better, meaning if you have a problem with Mandrake, you're more likely to get helpful and/or quick support, while with SuSE, you're less likely to need help in the first place. Xandros is more tightly aimed at windoze converts, and comes with less software and more of a windoze look and feel.
I do a lot of messing with new kernel.org kernels and other stuff on both Mandrake and SuSE, building the latest stuff from sources and using checkinstall. I only ever had one problem with Mandrake which I fixed myself, it was after a motherboard change and networking got partially screwed where normal internet access worked, but Mandrake online updates couldn't contact the mirrors - problem in /etc/sysconfig/networking-scripts/ didn't match the new hardware. May be I'm lucky, but both run pretty trouble-free even with constant abuse I subject them to. Regards Sid. -- Sid Boyce ... Hamradio License G3VBV, Keen licensed Private Pilot Retired IBM Mainframes and Sun Servers Tech Support Specialist Microsoft Windows Free Zone - Linux for all Computing Tasks
-----Original Message----- From: Sid Boyce [mailto:sboyce@blueyonder.co.uk] Sent: 10 April 2005 00:41 To: suse-linux-e@suse.com Subject: Re: [SLE] SuSE 9.2 vs Mandrake 10.1 Advanced
Felix Miata wrote:
George Stoianov wrote:
Does anyone have any experience or advice about Mandrake? Any comparison comments.
SuSE is the first Linux distro that I had working and is my favorite one but I would like to try something else as well. I have struggled with Debian install and have installed successfully Ubuntu but it did not compare to SuSE everything is so much easier to set up on SuSE.
Mandrake seems to be a good competitor and maybe worth a test.
I have several versions of SuSE & Mandrake installed, plus Fedora & Xandros. SuSE to me is most polished, less buggy at release, but the Mandrake support community seems better, meaning if you have a problem with Mandrake, you're more likely to get helpful and/or quick support, while with SuSE, you're less likely to need help in the first place. Xandros is more tightly aimed at windoze converts, and comes with less software and more of a windoze look and feel.
I do a lot of messing with new kernel.org kernels and other stuff on both Mandrake and SuSE, building the latest stuff from sources and using checkinstall. I only ever had one problem with Mandrake which I fixed myself, it was after a motherboard change and networking got partially screwed where normal internet access worked, but Mandrake online updates couldn't contact the mirrors - problem in /etc/sysconfig/networking-scripts/ didn't match the new hardware. May be I'm lucky, but both run pretty trouble-free even with constant abuse I subject them to. Regards Sid. --
Ran/am running both of sorts (I was moving my mailserver from suse to mandrake but stopped because I hit problems) and to be honest I prefer suse. Mandrake has too much of a "xp" feel to it in my eyes, its more aimed at the beginners end of the Linux market. That's not to mean that its not as powerful as suse, its just that it takes longer to find what you want to fiddle with. Mandrake has got a better support architecture, both with the mandrake experts website and the inclusion of two mailing lists for general help (i.e., newbie and expert) it means that you have a better set of tools on hand in case something does go wrong. I wouldn't personally switch my server full-time from suse to mandrake, proven by the fact that my mandrake box is sat power-supply-less and cpu-fan-less, having stripped both out for other machines I class as more "important". But by all means, give it a go. You'll never make your own mind up based on other peoples opinion ;) Good luck :) and I may well see you in the mandrake mailing list :) hehe P.S. Mandrake have recently gone through a name change - its now called Mandriva Linux (www.mandriva.com for more info :) )
Stephen Furlong wrote:
-----Original Message----- From: Sid Boyce [mailto:sboyce@blueyonder.co.uk] Sent: 10 April 2005 00:41 To: suse-linux-e@suse.com Subject: Re: [SLE] SuSE 9.2 vs Mandrake 10.1 Advanced
Felix Miata wrote:
George Stoianov wrote:
Does anyone have any experience or advice about Mandrake? Any comparison comments.
SuSE is the first Linux distro that I had working and is my favorite one but I would like to try something else as well. I have struggled with Debian install and have installed successfully Ubuntu but it did not compare to SuSE everything is so much easier to set up on SuSE.
Mandrake seems to be a good competitor and maybe worth a test.
I have several versions of SuSE & Mandrake installed, plus Fedora & Xandros. SuSE to me is most polished, less buggy at release, but the Mandrake support community seems better, meaning if you have a problem with Mandrake, you're more likely to get helpful and/or quick support, while with SuSE, you're less likely to need help in the first place. Xandros is more tightly aimed at windoze converts, and comes with less software and more of a windoze look and feel.
I do a lot of messing with new kernel.org kernels and other stuff on both Mandrake and SuSE, building the latest stuff from sources and using checkinstall. I only ever had one problem with Mandrake which I fixed myself, it was after a motherboard change and networking got partially screwed where normal internet access worked, but Mandrake online updates couldn't contact the mirrors - problem in /etc/sysconfig/networking-scripts/ didn't match the new hardware. May be I'm lucky, but both run pretty trouble-free even with constant abuse I subject them to. Regards Sid. --
Ran/am running both of sorts (I was moving my mailserver from suse to mandrake but stopped because I hit problems) and to be honest I prefer suse. Mandrake has too much of a "xp" feel to it in my eyes, its more aimed at the beginners end of the Linux market. That's not to mean that its not as powerful as suse, its just that it takes longer to find what you want to fiddle with.
That's where you have the drop on me, I'm not familiar with XP, I may have seen an XP screen once, but Mandrake side-by-side with SuSE doesn't look too different to me, the background, kdm login and the Start icon apart, they look the same. YaST/Mandrake Control Center both do their job. I don't see a beginner having any more trouble with SuSE than Mandrake, I'm a long time SuSE user and I didn't experience any horrors when I first installed Mandrake 9.2 and upgraded right through to 10.1, stuff is as easy to find, usability is equally good on both. I mess them around and they are still robust using the same basic hardware on both, but the Mandrake box has the DVB-T card and SCSI disks extra.
Mandrake has got a better support architecture, both with the mandrake experts website and the inclusion of two mailing lists for general help (i.e., newbie and expert) it means that you have a better set of tools on hand in case something does go wrong.
You get as good support for SuSE on this forum so I can't mark SuSE down on that.
I wouldn't personally switch my server full-time from suse to mandrake, proven by the fact that my mandrake box is sat power-supply-less and cpu-fan-less, having stripped both out for other machines I class as more "important".
I don't think I'd switch from one to the other just for the sake of it either, I'm happy with both.
But by all means, give it a go. You'll never make your own mind up based on other peoples opinion ;)
Good luck :) and I may well see you in the mandrake mailing list :) hehe
Well said. I've only once needed to use their mailing list, but sorted the problem out myself. I find their apps are pretty much up to date like SuSE's, where something on SuSE needs a new co-req package, Mandrake has needed the same. The other huge dislike that many people have mentioned is bittorrent to download their distro CD's, bitdrip I call it - the SuSE ftp install is much quicker.
P.S.
Mandrake have recently gone through a name change - its now called Mandriva Linux (www.mandriva.com for more info :) )
They are supposed to be switching to some Connectiva tools and connectiva packages seem to shoehorn into SuSE without problems, so lets hope there is even more common between them and SuSE. Regards Sid. -- Sid Boyce ... Hamradio License G3VBV, Keen licensed Private Pilot Retired IBM Mainframes and Sun Servers Tech Support Specialist Microsoft Windows Free Zone - Linux for all Computing Tasks
George Stoianov wrote:
Hi guys,
Does anyone have any experience or advice about Mandrake? Any comparison comments.
SuSE is the first Linux distro that I had working and is my favorite one but I would like to try something else as well. I have struggled with Debian install and have installed successfully Ubuntu but it did not compare to SuSE everything is so much easier to set up on SuSE.
Mandrake seems to be a good competitor and maybe worth a test.
I have read some reviews/comparisons for some background more links are welcome too :).
Your thoughts are well appreciated. Thanks. george
______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
Using SuSE 9.2 x86 and x86_64, Mandrake 10.1 Offical x86 and gentoo 2005-0 x86. Apart from the tools being different, they are pretty much on par, they both use RPM. The only thing is that there isn't an official build of kde-3.4.0 available for Mandrake, but there is a version built by another guy. All the usual things that run on SuSE, run on Mandrake. I use it for skype when this SuSE box isn't available, kernel.org kernels run and it's the box I have my Hauppauge Nova-T DVB-T card working in, DVD/CD playing, Hamradio stuff. What else can I tell you --- if I didn't have SuSE, I'd be happily running on Mandrake or gentoo for everything, as it is I use them all happily with bleeding edge kernels. If someone said he was going to install Mandrake, I'd say go for it without a second thought. Regards Sid. -- Sid Boyce ... Hamradio License G3VBV, Keen licensed Private Pilot Retired IBM Mainframes and Sun Servers Tech Support Specialist Microsoft Windows Free Zone - Linux for all Computing Tasks
Well, I have quite a bit of experience in this area. I started out with Mandrake Linux 7.X when it was already getting old and that was one of my first times using / installing Linux. My first Linux install was the version of Open Linux SCO had (Cringing) and then I went to Free BSD for a while. I started using SUSE with 8.1 Professional. To be honest and not just because I'm a SUSE person, SUSE 8.1 was WAY better. I don't want you to think I'm trying to say you shouldn't use anything else, because the more distros you try, the better SUSE looks anyway ;) But after using more than 80 OSs (Different typed of Unix and Linux, DOS, Windows of all types, and BeOS and little known OSs) I always leave room in my network for a couple SUSE boxes. Mandrake can be fun to work with especially when you're new to Linux because it holds your hand a lot. But SUSE is in my opinion, much better, more structered, and of course, YAST2 can kick MCC's ass. I'd say if you have another box or a spare partition on your machine, yea man, go for it, testing out new OSs is fun. Ummm, I'm not quite sure if the newest distro is free anymore, they just changed their name to Mandriva recently (Mandrake bought Connectiva) I mean I can't say for sure but check it out. One thing I like in Mandrake over SUSE, is in Mandrake Linux, even older copies, when you open Emacs, it's got this awesome lookin theme for Emacs which is a green colored BG, and the text and things look cool. Lol, that's the only thing I like about Mandrake over other distros is it's emacs theme thingy. (Hey, little things like this count, if they didn't Mac OS X wouldn't sell anything close to Free BSD right? ) Anyway, if you do decide to give it a shot, I'd recommend you go online and buy a Mandrake Book. I don't think you'd have to buy a CD-Set, so you can save your money for the next SUSe version, but just a book to help you out with the few things Mandrake does. The Online update has been fixed a little better for sure. 9.X was crap with updates. The FTP servers, half of them wouldn't work and you couldn't close it, and.... Well you could fix it up a bit but it was annoying to use all around. My favorite Linux things: SUSE Slackware Libranet Mandrake's Emacs look Trustix Vector Mainly SUSE and Slackware, it's the only thing I've got installed right now, I have two or three SUSE boxes here and a Slackware machine I'm on now. Not to drag this off topic but if anyone knows how to make emacs look like it does in Mandrake, could you reply to me? Maybe off list to keep this from going off topic? I don't use Emacs all that much as I'm a Vi guy, but I'm learning it. -Allen / Das Blut / Gore.
Allen wrote:
Well, I have quite a bit of experience in this area. I started out with Mandrake Linux 7.X ... ...
One thing I like in Mandrake over SUSE, is in Mandrake Linux, even older copies, when you open Emacs, it's got this awesome lookin theme for Emacs which is a green colored BG, and the text and things look cool. ...
Not to drag this off topic but if anyone knows how to make emacs look like it does in Mandrake, could you reply to me? Maybe off list to keep this from going off topic? I don't use Emacs all that much as I'm a Vi guy, but I'm learning it.
I am trying to do "Math-Intensive Reports with GNU Emacs and Calc" http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/5873 Emacs + SuSE doesn't work; Meta key problems. Xemacs + SuSE does provide the Reverse-Polish-Notation w/ parallel stack column and history column displays. I am working on getting math functions included in the Xemacs text files. Please keep it on the list :-)) Thanks.
-Allen / Das Blut / Gore.
Allen wrote:
Well, I have quite a bit of experience in this area. I started out with Mandrake Linux 7.X ... ...
One thing I like in Mandrake over SUSE, is in Mandrake Linux, even older copies, when you open Emacs, it's got this awesome lookin theme for Emacs which is a green colored BG, and the text and things look cool. ...
Not to drag this off topic but if anyone knows how to make emacs look like it does in Mandrake, could you reply to me? Maybe off list to keep this from going off topic? I don't use Emacs all that much as I'm a Vi guy, but I'm learning it.
I am trying to do "Math-Intensive Reports with GNU Emacs and Calc" http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/5873 Emacs + SuSE doesn't work; Meta key problems. Xemacs + SuSE does provide the Reverse-Polish-Notation w/ parallel stack column and history column displays. I am working on getting math functions included in the Xemacs text files.
Please keep it on the list :-)) Oh, Alrighty, if I find anything relevent to what it is you're doing I'll
On Sun, Apr 10, 2005 at 08:05:09PM -0800, Stanley Long wrote: try to link to you here then so you can see it too.
Thanks.
-Allen / Das Blut / Gore.
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participants (6)
-
Allen -
Felix Miata -
George Stoianov -
Sid Boyce -
Stanley Long -
Stephen Furlong