Overview: Mandrake is one of the easiest Linux distributions on the market, if not the easiest. Linux is an open-source operating system created by Linus Torvalds, and is distributed under the GPL license. Linux is the operating system of choice for most hosting companies online. Now that I am done with the Linux background, moving on to Mandrake. Mandrake was created with ease of use in mind... it is pretty much idiot-proof, but is not good enough for an advanced Linux user.

Installation: The installation is very easy, and it has many installation modes... where the recommended mode installs most of the defaults, and the expirienced mode is highly customizeable... the full installation didn't take over 20 minutes on an 800 Mhz Athlon processor, with 256 MB RAM, and a 50x CD-ROM drive... which is fairly fast.

First boot: At the first boot, the system starts at runlevel 5, which I hate. Runlevel 5 if where the GUI starts by default. I noticed lots of interesting preinstalled software, which made configuring the system up to my tastes a matter of minutes... but then I tried compiling my favorite Linux-based AIM clone.

First problem: None of the default compilers worked, where none of them were broken either... I tried reinstalling them, they still failed to work... I decided to e-mail the support.

Support: Linux Mandrake support is handled by Linuxcare, which is one of the biggest Linux support companies with the best reputation, so far. I got a reply within two days, where they told me that they don't provide support for the software. I had to come up with a solution myself, where I reinstalled the system, after which, everything worked.

Bottom line: If you are new to Linux, and just want to find out what the hype is about, then Mandrake is the distribution for you. If you are an advanced user, and want to use the system for more than just a work station, stay awake from Mandrake.



Recommended: Yes