| Desktop Options -- More Choices |
by Michael C. Barnes
Desktop Options -- More Choices
Debian
Debian is also a completely free distribution. Many commercial distributions such as Libranet, Corel and Caldera are based on Debian. Debian is one of the most complete collections of open source software available. Personally, I find Debian quite difficult to use. That is probably one of the reasons there are companies able to charge money for making it easier to use. Debian is probably not the ideal choice for a desktop solution unless you have a very good background with Linux. This is not to fault Debian. Debian is the source for some of the best work in GNU/Linux. A large organization might want to add Debian to their toolkit and anyone interested in GNU/Linux should keep up-todate with all the various projects using Debian.
Libranet 2.0 is now out. Libranet is a very nice distribution. It is much easier to install than Debian and would be a very good distribution to sample Debian. A free version is available for download and a commercial version is also available.
Dragon Linux
While we were doing our testing, I was looking for the ideal Windows 98 replacement. Most of today's distributions offer very little advantage in terms of how much RAM they need to run. We have already said we can run Windows 98 with only 16 Mb RAM.
Dragon Linux is based on an older version of Slackware. They have put the entire Linux distribution inside a zip file.
Installing Dragon is as easy as unzipping the files into a directory named /dragon or /linux. To run Dragon, you simply go into DOS and run a program named loadlin.exe. Installing Dragon is very similar to installing Slackware. I found that Dragon was very easy to install, setup and remove. Dragon is an easy way for someone to try GNU/Linux without having to partition your disk or do a reinstall.
Dragon provides an older version of KDE and has smaller windowing systems. I was not impressed with Dragon, other than how easy it was to install. I believe it would make a very good teaching aid, but I do not see it as a product that I would want to run my business on.
Windows 98 sets a very high standard for what can be done in a very small footprint. I do not think that Dragon is an alternative to someone who has a Windows 98 license. On the other hand, Dragon Linux is free, easy to setup and runs on a very small machine. Prior to throwing your computer into the dumpster, you might want to try running Dragon Linux.
Lycoris Desktop/LX
I read about Lycoris when it was known as Redmond Linux. Reading their website got me very excited. Here was a GNU/Linux distribution that promised to be a direct replacement for Windows XP. The website is absolutely beautiful.
I decided to order a copy. The price was quite reasonable, about $30. About a week later, I got a copy of Lycoris. The packaging is very similar to a DVD package. A small manual was included. In the manual were 27 pages mostly focused on doing the install.
As I installed the package, I got a case of dejavu. Lycoris looked a lot like Caldera Linux installing. Then I noticed a trademark referring to the Lizard install program. The first two attempts to install on my computer failed. It turns out that there was a problem with the video driver. No problem. I know enough about Linux to download a new trident_drv.o and copy it into the /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers directory.
After doing this, Lycoris was up and running. I decided to set it up for web browsing. As I started to browse the web, the system broke. I got an error message that a module was missing. I looked up the error message and the problem was that my computer didn't have a floppy.
I wrote an e-mail directly to Lycoris, but they did not answer. I looked into the 27 page manual. It told me to go to Lycoris' website and register my user number. I did this and I put in my question. I got an e-mail telling me that my question had been assigned to one of the technical people.
After this, I never heard anything else. I sent in one more e-mail and left a message. I did not have a computer to test Lycoris on as all of the computers we were using were the same configuration.
I went to a friend's house. He happened to have an older computer in the corner. I asked him if we could install a new Linux on his system. He agreed. The install was very fast. I would say it took less than 20 minutes. After loading the OS, my friend and I started going through the distribution.
Lycoris Linux has a fresh look very similar to Windows XP.
On the good side, Lycoris configures Komba (a network neighborhood work-a-like) and Samba so that Lycoris can be easily integrated into an existing Microsoft Network. Much of the configuration work that has to be done to make GNU/Linux look and operate to the standard of Microsoft Windows XP has been done. This can be a very good thing, particularly for organizations that have little computer expertise.
The first thing that I noticed was this was a very sparse distribution. Considering that this was a commercial product with lots of warnings about not copying or using trademarked portions of the distribution, including the artwork and ICONs, I was surprised to see how few applications were installed. The office suite was the standard Koffice that is part of the KDE distribution. These applications are functional but they just do not match OpenOffice or StarOffice. I downloaded OpenOffice 1.0 and had no problem getting it to work on Lycoris.
It occurred to me that perhaps Lycoris would be ideal for someone who needed familiarity with no training. I thought that someone going into an Internet Cafe or putting computers in a library might find this so familiar they might not notice they were not running Windows XP.
I found that Lycoris was caught in a world between Windows XP and GNU/Linux. I was unable to make things work as I would expect them to work with either Windows XP or GNU/Linux.
Of course this is a supported product and part of the cost pays for the support. In my case, I did not get any support, but maybe my case was so difficult that they were embarrassed that they did not know how to fix the problem. Perhaps you will have an easier question that will not stump them.
I read several reviews on Lycoris. The reviews all said that this is the Linux that will probably cause people to switch from Windows XP. I hope not. Windows XP is a superior environment and I would not want to see someone switch to this version of GNU/Linux and come up with the conclusion that GNU/Linux offers such a limited set of applications.
As bad as my disappointment with Lycoris is, it gets worse. My friend called me and asked if we could add a program to message with Microsoft Messenger. I downloaded AMSN for him. Once I downloaded the program, I tried to do the traditional ./configure, make, make install required to install many applications. Lycoris did not have the option to run make. Lycoris is set up so that you download new applications from their site. You have to have a registered copy of their software to download applications. Going to their website provides very limited choices of applications to download.
Lycoris might suggest that because their distribution is targeted towards new GNU/Linux users, they did not include the facilities to compile programs. While this might be an acceptable argument regarding users, this would also limit organizations from compiling applications that they wanted to include as part of an organization wide rollout.
My friend asked me if I could suggest a different GNU/Linux. Lycoris is a beautiful looking GNU/Linux. However, its beauty is borrowed. Lycoris has styled itself on Microsoft Windows XP and they have done a very good job copying the look and feel of Windows XP. The problem is that they fall short in offering the level of integrated applications and functionality that one gets from other GNU/Linux distributions. I believe that the approach that Lycoris has taken fails on all counts. Lycoris is not as good at being Windows XP as Windows XP is, and it is not as good a GNU/Linux as other distributions.
When I was evaluating Lycoris, I kept thinking of Peanut Linux. Peanut Linux is free. It is small and it installs easily. It is more functional out-of-the-box than Lycoris. Peanut offers 5,000 applications to download off of their website. Peanut Linux does not try to be Windows. It is content being GNU/Linux. It does a better job and it costs nothing. While they do not offer support, I did not pay for support and I did not need support.
Lycoris has the foundation to be a really solid Linux offering. The work they have done preconfiguring the operating system will be very much appreciated by anyone using Linux for the first time or for organizations wanting to roll something out quickly. The familiar look and feel can be a powerful tool to get quick acceptance.
Lycoris does deserve a second look as they have time to fill out their offering. Lycoris today is one of the most attractive looking GNU/Linux distributions. It is the most familiar looking for anyone used to Windows. It is one of the easiest to integrate into an existing Windows environment. What is needed is a lot of work making Lycoris more functional and the option to allow users to select an advanced user mode that opens up the features typically available on GNU/Linux distributions.
I will give Lycoris a 7.5 out of 10. I believe that Lycoris is an upgrade to anyone currently using Windows 98. It matches Windows XP in style but falls short other Linux distributions when it comes to functionality.
Knoppix Linux
There are several GNU/Linux distributions that boot from CD. Gentoo Workstation, Demolinux and Dynebolic Linux are some examples. Of the Linux distributions I have seen that boot directly from CD, I have seen none that is as complete or amazing than Knoppix.
Knoppix can be downloaded for free and burned onto a CD. Knoppix creates a ram disk and can access your existing hard disks. You need to give yourself write permission to make changes on the files on the hard disk.
Knoppix has an amazing ability to configure itself on the fly and works amazingly well. Knoppix is a real distribution. There are no provisions to copy this distribution to your hard drive. It is too bad because as a desktop solution, Knoppix is one of the best.
Knoppix is ideal to create thin clients, access files on a system that will not boot, or as a tool to try out GNU/Linux. Knoppix has OpenOffice installed. Recently, I had to give a presentation. My laptop had Microsoft Windows XP installed. Because my talk was on Linux, I wanted to use Linux to do the presentation. I put Knoppix in my CDROM and booted up into Linux. I clicked on the ICON that represented my hard drive and loaded my presentation into OpenOffice.
Chances are, if you are running Windows 98, your desktop solution is not as functional as Knoppix. As a CD-ROM distribution, I will give Knoppix the highest score, 10 out of 10. If Knoppix were a desktop installation, it would probably tie with Mandrake at 8.
Alt Linux
I ordered a package of Linuxes from the prolific Alt Linux, in Russia. Alt Linux localized Mandrake, and used it as the basis for their own Linux distribution. They have a large set of several disks that they call Master and a smaller set that is called Junior.
The Master version is for someone who is going to deploy a custom solution so it has lots of options and lots of source code. I installed Master first. The install was clearly based on Mandrake's install.
What was available in the Master Package was exhaustive and really more than I could evaluate for this project. The manuals were in Russian so I could not just read about what was available.
I decided to evaluate Alt Linux based on their Junior distribution. The menu selections are all based on Mandrake. This is a good thing as Mandrake has about the best installation menu I have seen. During the install, advertisements for Alt Linux's other products were displayed in Russian.
About 30 minutes later, the system was ready to reboot and ready to run. Mandrake's fingerprints were all over this distribution. However, when I finally went to the desktop, I was pleased that everything was newer. Instead of KDE 2.2, I was treated to KDE 3.0. The people at Alt Linux had done a lot of work making this distribution very useable. Flash and Java were preinstalled. Samba was installed and working. This was one of the few Linux distributions that when you boot up for the first time, you are ready to run. Well, almost ready--Mozilla was in Russian. I opened up Mozilla on another computer so I could figure out how to change the language back to English. I also removed the Russian bookmarks. After doing that, Alt Linux was ready to go.
I spent a few hours going through all the included software. The versions were all the latest versions. I was surprised to see that several extra KDE themes, ICONs and styles were included. While these are easily downloaded from the web, it is a very nice touch.
We tested Xine, a free DVD player. Many times, I have tried Xine that is installed on distributions and it won't play DVDs.
Another nice feature is that Junior 2.0 comes preinstalled with LinNeighborhood. LinNeighborhood is a front-end to Samba that works very similar to Microsoft's Network Neighborhood.
The Junior version is slightly sparse, but I guess that is why it is called Junior. A more complete distribution is available from Alt Linux called Master. Alt Linux sells their disks in bulk. You can buy Alt Linux from as little as $1.50 to about $3.50 each depending on quantity. If you order enough quantity, they will silkscreen your company or organization's name on the disk.
Alt Linux is one of the best GNU/Linux distributions I have seen. As it is released just prior to Mandrake 9.0 being released, it is hard to say which distribution is better. What I can say is that if you have a large deployment, Alt Linux might be the least expensive distribution.
As I installed Alt Linux and worked with it, I kept thinking, these guys are really good. These are really smart people. I would give this distribution an 8.5 out of 10. That puts it higher than Mandrake 8.2 but just under Windows XP.
ELX Linux
I had not heard of ELX Linux (Everyone's Linux) until I was going through a complete list of Linux distributions and trying to download versions I had not tested. I went to the ELX Linux website. I was quite impressed by the look of the website. I was even more impressed with the list of features that ELX offered. I tried to download the distribution but the download speed was hopeless. I kept getting messages that there site had reached the maximum 400 connections. I wrote to ELX with several questions about their product. The president of the company responded personally.
The development for ELX Linux was being done in Hyderabad, India. I had been to Hyderabad and it is one of the three IT centers in India. Nobody can doubt that some of the world's best programmers are from India. The company claims to have 25 programmers working full-time on ELX Linux.
I was quite anxious to get a copy of ELX Linux so I went to their website to place an order. When my order arrived, the condition of the disks were not good. They were scratched. I wrote an e-mail and told ELX Linux that I could not load ELX Linux because of the condition of the disks. I got a letter back apologizing and telling me that a new set was on its way. A couple of days later, I had a new package.
When I initially installed ELX Linux, I did not expect much. The quality of the graphics during the install were very weak. There was a poorly drawn dolphin introducing herself as Dolly. Dolly said she would guide me through the installation process.
Actually, Dolly does not do anything. The installation pretty much takes care of itself. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to do an install. After answering a few questions, the system rebooted into ELX.
At first, I looked at the screen and thought, ho hum. Everything looked very familiar. At first, I could not see that there was anything special. As I started working with ELX Linux, I started to appreciate that this was indeed the one GNU/Linux desktop that could get entire organizations to put away their Microsoft install disks.
What makes ELX Linux so special is that every piece of installed software works, is properly configured, and logically organized.
ELX uses a concept they call launchpads. Office Automation software is on one launchpad. Web browsers and messengers are on another. There is a launchpad for configuration tools. There is another for development tools. There is a hidden launchpad for games.
Once you become familiar with the launchpads, it is quite easy to bring up the particular software you want to use.
Many of the software packages are familiar. All Linux distributions will have Mozilla. Many will also offer Opera and Netscape. Either OpenOffice or StarOffice 5.2 shows up in most distributions. OpenOffice is here. AbiWord is thrown in for good measure. Graphic tools are more than sufficient for just about any task. GIMP is here. So too is Electric Eyes which is a graphics viewer. DIA is a Visio like program.
The list of installed programs is simply astonishing. It is obvious that the ELX Linux team put hours and hours into testing and rejecting software until they selected the absolute most useful tools available in the Open Source world.
This was the first distribution I have tried that had Gnome Meeting working. Gnome Meeting is a Microsoft Netmeeting compatible teleconferencing package. Video teleconferencing is one of the hardest to find solutions on GNU/Linux.
While the number of applications installed is extensive, there is a third CD that offers even more applications.
If the application you want to run will not install or will not run then it does not matter how many other applications are offered. You need to be able to have the facilities to install the packages you want to run.
I wanted to run Scribus. This is a desktop publishing package. I simply downloaded the file and was able to compile a working version. I updated both the OpenOffice and Mozilla packages that came with ELX.
ELX Linux has installed Komba which is a Network Neighborhood like front end to Samba. Lycoris had the same solution with their package. This allows you to put ELX Linux into a Microsoft network and to browse and use other computers just as you would with Microsoft's Network Neighborhood.
ELX has configured Webmin so that it is running by default on every workstation. This will allow administrators to manage all ELX workstations remotely.
ELX has written custom code to allow many things to work as they would using Microsoft Windows. You can right click on a file and make it a shared file. You can right click on a file and select to zip and mail the file. There are many small touches like this. Anyone familiar with operating on Microsoft Windows will find that many of the mouse clicks are the same. You can right click to change the screen resolution.
What was disappointing me me was that ELX did nothing to improve the look of GNU/Linux. The background was the default KDE wallpaper. I wrote to ELX and told them that they should dress up ELX. I sent them some examples of what I did using open source tools found here.
I changed out some of the ICONs and wallpaper to give ELX a different look.
Working with ELX, I realized that I had found the ultimate Linux desktop. With improved graphics, I believe that ELX matches Windows XP function per function. Because ELX comes with so many integrated solutions that are easy to access, I believe that even without the improved graphics, ELX is the very best Linux desktop available today.
Out-of-the-box, I will give ELX a nine out of 10. This ties ELX with Microsoft Windows XP. ELX scores higher in terms of functionality. ELX also scores higher in terms of manageability. ELX also scores higher for included applications. Microsoft Windows XP continues to have an advantage. Microsoft Windows XP runs applications designed for Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Windows XP looks graphically better.
I purchased Codeweavers Crossover Office and Crossover Plugins. These two packages allow users to support Microsoft Office and many popular browser plugins directly on Linux. The install went flawlessly and after the install, I was able to use all of the Microsoft Office applications as well as Internet Explorer and Microsoft Media Player. The combination of Codeweaver's products and ELX is less than the cost of a copy of Microsoft Windows XP Professional. Given that this is a complete solution with DVD players, office suites, cd-rom burners, games, video teleconferencing, firewall, and graphics tools, I think that the price is reasonable.
An image showing popular Microsoft Applications running with the aid of Crossover Office.
ELX Linux is being updated. The new version will feature newer versions of KDE and will upgrade the versions of software. As part of the launchpads, ELX allows users to upgrade their current installation either via CD or via the web.
ELX Linux is $79.95 for commercial use. Schools can make copies for educational purposes, but must pay for copies that are used for administration. A free download version is also available.
Another graphic makeover for ELX Linux.
Summary
Microsoft may have their detractors, but the honest observer has to acknowledge that Microsoft produces very good software. Windows 98 reflects that it is an older offering and I would venture to say that it would have beat any GNU/Linux distribution in 1998. In fact, today, only the best of the GNU/Linux distributions match Windows 98. Windows 98 has the advantage of requiring a very small footprint. Our recommendation is that organizations with anywhere from 16 to 32 Mb RAM stay with Windows 95 and not try to upgrade the software. Windows 98 itself can be enhanced by updating the components such as Internet Explorer and Media Player.
For systems running older Office Suites such as Office 95 or Office 97, adding free StarOffice 5.2 or OpenOffice 1.0 will greatly update your capabilities. There are other free software packages that can be added as described in this document.
If the older computer has 64 Mb of ram or better, GNU/Linux distributions become more of an option. Windows XP really needs more than 128 Mb RAM, so going with GNU/Linux for these systems will be an upgrade from Windows 98 without requiring an upgrade of hardware.
There are many GNU/Linux distributions available. Most of them have their strengths and weaknesses. For systems with sufficient memory, but limited disk, a CD-ROM based GNU/Linux distribution such as Knoppix might be an option.
Of the Linux distributions that I have personally studied, three standout as superior desktops. These are Mandrake 8.2, Alt Linux Junior 2.0 and ELX. Alt Linux Junior has the lowest cost for large deployments as Alt Linux will provide disks for as little as $1.50 per copy in large volumes.
Mandrake and ELX are both about to be updated. Mandrake 9.0 will certainly improve what is already one of the best GNU/Linux distributions and ELX will also get better.
ELX Linux is by far the most complete Linux desktop offering. Out-of-the-box, ELX is fully integrated and ready to use. Other than spending time making the graphics look better, there is very little tweaking that needs to be done.
Combining ELX or any other Linux with Codeweaver's Crossover Office allows Linux desktops to run Microsoft Office. Even if this capability is not required, Crossover Plugin greatly enhances GNU/Linux's desktop experience by providing a tool to integrate most popular plugins into a Linux environment.
Story navigation:
 About the author: Michael C. Barnes is currently president of NorhTec. Mr. Barnes has over 20 years experience with computers and another 10 years experience with more primitive networks, to include paper tape and morse code. Mr. Barnes has 18 years of experience with various Unix systems and spent 13 years with Sun Microsystems.
Mr. Barnes became fascinated with GNU/Linux turned the common PC into a Unix like workstation. By 1998, GNU/Linux surpassed the desktop environments offered on traditional Unix workstations.
When GNU/Linux is combined with low-cost x86 platforms, organizations now have the power to create enterprise computing for the small organization.
Mr. Barnes, born in Kentucky, now lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife, Linda Kubota-Barnes and his daughter Karen Barnes.
Copyright © 2002 by Michael C. Barnes. Reproduced by DesktopLinux.com with permission.
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