Mandriva Linux
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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|
 Mandriva Linux 2007 running Control Center within GNOME |
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| Website: | mandrivalinux.com |
| Company/ developer: |
Mandriva |
| OS family: | Linux |
| Source model: | Free Software |
| Latest stable release: | 2007.0 / 2006-10-03 |
| Package manager: | urpmi |
| Kernel type: | Monolithic kernel, Linux |
| Default user interface: | KDE |
| License: | Various |
| Working state: | Current |
Mandriva Linux (formerly Mandrakelinux or Mandrake Linux) is a Linux distribution created by Mandriva (formerly Mandrakesoft). The first release was based on Red Hat Linux (version 5.1) and KDE (version 1.0) in July 1998. It has since diverged from Red Hat and has included a number of original tools mostly to ease system configuration. Mandriva Linux (at those times named Mandrake Linux) was originated by Gaël Duval, who was also a co-founder of Mandrakesoft.
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[edit] Features
The major features of Mandriva Linux are:
[edit] Installation, control and administration
Mandriva Linux uses the Mandriva Control Center for administration of Linux rather than using a text editor to change settings. It has many programs known as Drakes or Draks, collectively named drakxtools, to configure many different settings. Examples include MouseDrake to set up a mouse, DiskDrake to set up disk partitions and drakconnect (previously known as draknet but forced to change its name after a company of the same name complained) to set up a network connection. They are written using GTK+ and Perl, and most of them can run in both graphical and text mode.
[edit] Desktops
Mandriva Linux is geared to use KDE or GNOME as the standard desktops, but includes others such as IceWM, Blackbox, Window Maker and twm. A unique theme known as "Mandrakegalaxy" provides consistency between applications and desktop environments. Mandrakegalaxy debuted in version 9.1 and Mandrakegalaxy II appeared in 10.0. A variant of Mandrakegalaxy is "Mandrakegalaxy Squared", which uses square window buttons rather than round ones. A new default theme named "Ia Ora" was introduced with the release of Mandriva Linux 2007, but "Galaxy" remains available as an option for those who prefer it.
[edit] Package manager
Mandriva Linux uses a package manager called urpmi, which functions as a wrapper to the RPM package management system. It is similar to apt-get in that it allows seamless installation of a given software package by automatically installing the other packages needed. It is also media-transparent due to its ability to retrieve packages from various media, including network/Internet, CD/DVD and local disk. Urpmi also has an easy-to-use graphical front-end called RPMdrake which is integrated into the Mandriva Control Center.
Although remote sources for urpmi are not added on the installation of Mandriva Linux, they are available at EasyUrpmi or through an option in the Software Sources Manager in versions above 2005LE (10.2). This functionality allows the user to choose some or all of the various software repositories available for their version of Mandrivalinux and can greatly expand the amount of software that the user can install through the urpmi system.
[edit] Name changes
From its inception to version 8.0, Mandrake named its flagship distribution Linux-Mandrake. From version 8.1 to 9.2 it was called Mandrake Linux.
In February 2004 MandrakeSoft lost a court case against Hearst Corporation, owners of King Features Syndicate. Hearst contends that MandrakeSoft is infringing upon King Features' trademarked character Mandrake the Magician. The word Mandrake is not unique to the King Features character, and MandrakeSoft is appealing the decision.
As a precaution, MandrakeSoft renamed its products by removing the space between the brand name and the product name and changing the first letter of the product name to lower case, thus creating one word. Starting from version 10.0, Mandrake Linux became known as Mandrakelinux, and its logo changed accordingly. Similarly, MandrakeMove became Mandrakemove.
In April 2005 Mandrakesoft announced that after the corporate acquisition of Conectiva, and the legal dispute with Hearst Corporation, the new company name would be Mandriva, and that Mandriva Linux would be the new name covering products.
[edit] Versions
[edit] Latest version
The latest stable version is Mandriva Linux 2007, released on 2006-10-03.
[edit] Development version
The development tree of Mandriva Linux has always been known as Cooker. This tree is directly released as a new stable version.
The next scheduled release will be named 2007.1 and is planned for release in April 2007 ([1]).
[edit] Table of versions
| Year | Number | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 5.1 | Venice |
| 1998 | 5.2 | Leeloo |
| 1999 | 5.3 | Festen |
| 1999 | 6.0 | Venus |
| 1999 | 6.1 | Helios |
| 2000 | 7.0 | Air |
| 2000 | 7.1 | Helium |
| 2000 | 7.2 | Odyssey (called Ulysses during beta) |
| 2001 | 8.0 | Traktopel |
| 2001 | 8.1 | Vitamin |
| 2002 | 8.2 | Bluebird |
| 2002 | 9.0 | Dolphin |
| 2003 | 9.1 | Bamboo |
| 2003 | 9.2 | FiveStar |
| 2004 | 10.0 | Community and Official |
| 2004 | 10.1 | Community |
| 2004 | 10.1 | Official |
| 2005 | 10.2 | Limited Edition 2005 |
| 2005 | 2006.0 | Mandriva Linux 2006 |
| 2006 | 2007 | Mandriva Linux 2007 |
[edit] Editions
Each release of Mandriva Linux is split into several different editions. Each edition is derived from the same master tree, most of which is available on the public mirrors (some commercial software is not available on the public mirrors, but all free / open source packages are).
[edit] Mandriva Linux Free
Mandriva Linux Free [2] is a 'traditional' distribution (i.e. one that comes with a dedicated installer - named DrakX - which is first used to install the distribution to the hard disk of the computer before it is run). It is both 'free' as in speech - it consists entirely of free / open source software - and 'free' as in beer - it is made available for public download at no charge. It is usually available in CD (three or four discs) and DVD editions for x86-32 and x86-64 CPU architectures. It is aimed at users who want to try Mandriva Linux with a view to buying it, and also for those who do not wish to pay for a distribution. The package selection is tailored towards regular desktop use. It consists of a subset of packages from the 'main' and 'contrib' sections of the master tree.
[edit] Mandriva One
Mandriva One [3] is a LiveCD based on Mandriva Linux. As well as being usable as a purely live CD, it may also be used to install a full version of Mandriva Linux on a hard drive with a wizard, including partitioning tools. Several One images are made available for each Mandriva Linux release. All are free to download, but there are images which contain only free (as in speech) software, images which contain some non-free software (mainly drivers), KDE images, GNOME images, and images with different sets of languages (as it is not possible to fit all the languages in which Mandriva is available on a single live CD). The One images consist of a subset of packages from the 'main', 'contrib', 'non-free' and 'non-free-restricted' sections of the master tree, with the documentation files stripped from the packages to save space.
[edit] Mandriva Linux Discovery
Mandriva Linux Discovery [4] is a distribution aimed at first-time and novice Linux users. In previous releases it was a 'traditional' distribution built on the DrakX installer. In Mandriva Linux 2007, it is a hybrid, which can either be installed traditionally or live booted and installed from within the running live system as with Mandriva One. In future releases, only One-style installation will be possible. Discovery is a DVD rather than a CD, allowing all languages to be provided on one disc. It consists of a subset of packages from the 'main', 'contrib', 'non-free' and 'non-free-restricted' sections of the master tree. The package selection is tailored towards novice desktop users. A theme chosen to be appealing to novice users is used, and the 'simplified' menu layout in which applications are described rather than named and not all applications are included is the default (for all other editions, the default menu layout is the 'traditional' layout, where all graphical applications installed on the system are included and are listed by name).
[edit] Mandriva Linux Powerpack
Mandriva Linux Powerpack [5] is a 'traditional' distribution, as with Mandriva Linux Free. Unlike Free, it is neither free as in speech or free as in beer. It contains several non-free packages intended to add value for the end user, including non-free drivers like the NVIDIA and ATI graphics card drivers, non-free firmware for wireless chips and modems, some browser plugins such as Java and Flash, and some full applications such as Cedega, Adobe Reader and RealPlayer. It is sold directly from the Mandriva Store website and through authorized resellers. It is also made available to Mandriva Club members as a benefit of Club membership. Powerpack is aimed at regular to advanced desktop Linux users and amateur, with a package selection tailored towards this sector. It consists of a subset of packages from the 'main', 'contrib', 'non-free' and 'non-free-restricted' sections of the master tree.
[edit] Mandriva Linux Powerpack+
Mandriva Linux Powerpack+ [6] is a 'traditional' distribution, as with Mandriva Linux Free. Unlike Free, it is neither free as in speech or free as in beer. It contains several non-free packages intended to add value for the end user, including non-free drivers like the NVIDIA and ATI graphics card drivers, non-free firmware for wireless chips and modems, some browser plugins such as Java and Flash, and some full applications such as Cedega, Adobe Reader and RealPlayer. It is sold directly from the Mandriva Store website and through authorized resellers. It is also made available to Mandriva Club members of the Gold level and above as a benefit of Club membership. Powerpack+ is aimed at SOHO (small office / home office) users, with the expectation that it can be used to run a small home or office server machine as well as desktop and development workstations. The package selection is tailored with this in mind, including a wide range of server packages. It consists of a subset of packages from the 'main', 'contrib', 'non-free' and 'non-free-restricted' sections of the master tree.
[edit] Derivatives
Distributions that are based on Mandriva Linux, some by Mandriva itself, others by independent projects. Some maintain compatibility with Mandriva Linux, so that installing a Mandriva Linux RPM also works on the offspring.
[edit] Mandriva Flash
Mandriva Flash [7] is a pre-installed Mandriva Linux distribution on a 2GB USB key. It can be booted directly from the key on systems that support booting from USB devices, or from a 'kickstart' CD (the image for the CD is provided with the Flash) on systems that do not. Flash runs faster than live CDs due to the relative speed of flash memory, and the read/write nature of the medium allows users to save files, configuration options and even to install new packages.
[edit] Mandriva Linux Clustering
Based on the CLIC project, this distribution allows users to set up a cluster. This product includes Drakcluster (GUI) for improved usability.
This product is dedicated to the HPC market but it could also be used (with some modifications) to all kinds of clusters (High Availability, applicative, grid, ...). It features parallel commands (bash, copying tools), deployment (disks), software upgrade/downgrade (urpmi parallel), monitoring (ganglia), etc.
Clustering [8] is available on x86 and x86-64 architectures.
[edit] Mandriva Corporate Server
Mandriva Corporate Server [9] is a distribution specifically tailored for enterprise-level general purpose server usage. Development is started from the basis of a previous Mandriva Linux release, with the package selection altered, important packages updated, certain extra configuration tools and applications added, and some extra support for enterprise-level hardware. The maintenance lifetime of each release is five years. The current release of Corporate Server is 4.0.
[edit] Mandriva Corporate Desktop
Mandriva Corporate Desktop [10] is the desktop counterpart to Corporate Server. Again it is based on a Mandriva Linux release with enterprise-specific modifications and a five-year maintenance lifetime. The current release of Corporate Desktop is 3.0.
[edit] Multi Network Firewall
Linux Mandrake 7.2 had a version tailored specifically for use as a firewall, known as Single Network Firewall (SNF). Its successor, based on Mandrake 8.2, was titled Multi Network Firewall (MNF). The third iteration is named MNF 2 and is based upon Mandrakelinux 10.0.
These firewall distributions are designed to provide security for computer networks, and can be administered remotely via a Web browser based interface or Secure Shell. MNF 2 is now counted as part of the Corporate product line and can only be bought, with support, from Mandriva.
[edit] MCNLive
MCNLive [11] is a live CD distribution based on Mandriva Linux. As such it shares some features with Mandriva One, but it is an unofficial project developed in a different way. MCNLive has introduced many innovative features, including the ability to install to a bootable USB stick and to hard disk.
[edit] Discontinued
[edit] GlobeTrotter
GlobeTrotter is a LaCie mobile USB drive loaded with a specific version of Mandriva Linux. Like Move, it can boot most PCs into Linux without installing first. The 40 GB hard drive makes it a convenient way to carry a Linux workstation around. GlobeTrotter was launched in August 2003 and can be ordered through Mandriva's online store. It is now superseded by Mandriva Flash.
[edit] Gaming edition
Mandrake Linux 8.1 had a Gaming Edition, which was a game oriented Linux distribution. It had a port of The Sims using the Transgaming WineX technology.
[edit] CLIC
CLIC (aka Cluster LInux pour le Calcul) is a dedicated version of Mandrakelinux created by MandrakeSoft specifically for clustering environments. It was sponsored by the RNTL, other partners were ID-IMAG, Groupe Bull and Mandrakesoft. This project's aim was to produce a HPC Linux Distribution for 32- and 64-bit processors.
The objective of project CLIC was to allow the realization of large scientific computers while being based on free software. The objective consists of the realization a Linux distribution for clusters of machines, meeting the needs for deployment, administration and programming of clusters within the framework of exploitation for intensive calculation.
It features an automated installation of a full cluster using the Ka tools, urpmi and the clusterscripts.
This project was finished on 1 December 2003 and Mandrakesoft decided to continue that project with a product called Mandrakeclustering (see Mandriva Linux Clustering above).
[edit] Mandrake Move
A LiveMove is the set formed by a LiveCD and a bootfloppy or USB flash drive.
Mandrake Move was a Mandriva product that benefits from a Mandrake Linux LiveCD which doesn't need to be installed to run on a computer, and a USB key that automatically records bootloader, hardware configuration and personal data.
The first version of Mandrake Move was released in December 2003 (but only distributed to customers in January 2004, due to production delays). It brought two main innovations compared to competitors:
- ability to eject the cdrom if the machine has 256 MB of RAM or more (Knoppix also can, but needs to copy the whole cdrom into RAM, therefore needs a machine with 1 GB of RAM or more), and continue to operate in a "downgraded" mode allowing only to play multimedia files
- transparent save of any user modification of his/her own files and system configuration files, if operated with a USB key
The second version, now simply called Move was released in October 2004. Hardware support and stability have seen much improvement. Move is now superseded by Mandriva One and Mandriva Flash.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Mandriva Linux
- Shareholder newsletter regarding the Hearst lawsuit
- Mandriva Linux at DistroWatch
- Mandriva Linux 2007 ONE for home users
- Unofficial Mandriva Linux 2006 Starter Guide
