I first tried Xandros when they released version 1.1. Being quite skeptical, I was unsure what to expect from this spawn of Corel Linux. I must admit in general, I was impressed. So needless to say, I was curious as to whether they managed to improve upon this distinct distribution and cater to the many requests they received about various improvements. Update: Another screenshot, Mozilla on Xandros.First let me get a couple of things off my chest: Shame on you Xandros for continually changing the release date and driving me insane with fury while forcing me to wait for this version to finally be released. I have very little hair left, and it’s not fair to make me pull it out over something silly like waiting for a release date only to find out it’s changed again the day of.
That being said
As I started the install program, I found myself wondering if I had just downloaded version 1. The install program hasn’t changed at all that I could see. Not that this is a bad thing, since I didn’t really feel they needed to improve upon it. The Xandros install is approximately 6 steps. Accept the agreement, choose your partitioning scheme, etc. I will not delve too much into this as quite frankly there isn’t anything different. All that really matters is that it worked.
On first boot I was presented with the login screen. In which i entered my password and got to see the desktop for Xandros 2.0. (see screenshot)
Overall, relatively well polished… it picked up my soundcard, my nVidia gForce (which it also installed the drivers for much to my surprise) and my wheel mouse without any problems. The desktop is well polished and the icons are appealing (hey, you either hate them or you love them). What I like is the menu layout (see screenshot). Everything is organized nicely in neat little menus for easy access. One thing I was impressed to see was the inclusion of Kopete as the instant messenger (something Xandros really was lacking in previous versions). Mozilla looked awful… the theme they chose was completely awful and did NO justice to the rest of the overall polish of the desktop.
Xandros File Manager of course is included (my favourite).. with integrated CD burning as well as access to all of your windows shares, printers, etc from one easy location. You can even add a printer from the file manager.. simply by clicking on add printer.
Xandros Networks – which was based on mozilla and awfully slow and ugly in the first versions.. has been dramatically improved upon. If I am correct, it appears to be based on Konqueror now, as it is very fast and quite sleek looking.. fitting into the overall theme Xandros chose for this desktop which is the infamous KDE Plastik theme. Xandros Networks also includes a shopping section, where you can buy some great opensource software. Very nice idea. Hell of a way to promote the Opensource Community! (Give yourselves pats on the back guys!).
They’ve included a sleek looking vnc connection tool with various options for those interested in connecting to other boxes and the old reliable KDE Control Center.. with some minor tweaks by the Xandros team.
Overall, I was/am very impressed by this version.
My Rating: 9/10 – you lose a point for the ugly mozilla theme.
Of course, I’ve only been running it for 4 hours now.. i’ll let you know if my opinion changes 😉
About the Author:
Mike Johnston is a Technical Analyst. He has been using linux for 9 years and it’s still his only desktop. Oh, and he loves it too.
Browser plugins subpar? No quicktime?
You are joking right. What do you think the codeweavers software is for? Just click on the codeweavers crossover app and it will install quicktime for you along with a whole bunch of other windows plugins.
First you illegally post links for download, then you rubish Xandros with some half-arse first look at their product.
With regards to Xandros Networks, you can enable any Debian software repository you wish. But I guess that would that require you to concentrate longer than 30 secs.
Since you are unfamiliar with Xandros, perhaps you should at least use it for one or two days, before criticising it. Otherwise you are not being fair to a product, that a lot of beta testers have liked very much. Until then, your 6/10 is meaningless.
And don’t bother “throwing macros” at openoffice……grrrrr Save that for Microsoft office running under codeweavers.
2.6 is out, so what? Does that really matter? Any solid distribution will need to test it and smoothly incorporate it which will take at least a month and currently it has not been tested enough.
Don’t bother, of course he doesn’t have a real good first look. He said he barely spend 30 min with it, so I assume most of the stuff he said is wrong and due to lack of time.
I remember for example in XD1 that it had the best browser plugin support anywhere, quicktime, flash, java, etc. they all worked easily.
Browser plugins subpar? No quicktime?
You are joking right. What do you think the codeweavers software is for? Just click on the codeweavers crossover app and it will install quicktime for you along with a whole bunch of other windows plugins.
Ok, I’ve done that, and it seems to enable ActiveX support in Mozilla. That’s a neat little trick, but what do you suggest for those people who are using the Standard Edition? The Xandros site says
Xandros Desktop OS Standard Edition does not include CodeWeavers CrossOver Office or Plugin so you are not able to run any Windows compatible applications on Xandros Desktop.
Yeah, that’s not really telling the whole truth – they forgot the part about plugins being screwed without it also. And this still doesn’t account for why the built-in RealPlayer plugin works some places and not others. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for it, which I will certainly find out in time.
First you illegally post links for download
I posted links to ISOs they set up in such a manner that anybody who wanted to and knew the URL could download them with no authorization required – I did nothing illegal.
With regards to Xandros Networks, you can enable any Debian software repository you wish.
Yeah, and they also say in the users guide that doing so could break parts of Xandros and is not supported. Not that I wouldn’t do it, but that’s not exactly a glowing endorsement from the Xandros.
And don’t bother “throwing macros” at openoffice……grrrrr Save that for Microsoft office running under codeweavers.
Using Windows programs in Linux is merely a part of what I’m doing – another part is trying to push these apps to see how compatable they really are. Kind of a voice of reason as opposed to people who say “Yeah, just install Open Office .. it makes a GREAT alternative to MS Office!” Yeah, well .. that’s only half true. The real truth is, not in all cases! My goal is to poke and prod this distro like a lab rat. We’re going to try installing tons of Windows software to see how much of it will go in (because I’m tired of people going on about how Crossover is supposed to be the cure for our ‘windows-only’ software needs), throwing all kinds of neat hardware devices at it, and see how it responds. We’re going to install it in the middle of all kinds of Windows configurations and see how it handles various flavors of Windows on various partition types. We’re going to try and get a good idea about who this distro is really ready for, and who it is not. The whole Openoffice/macro thing is just one of many tests to be performed.
Since you think the OSNews staff and contributors don’t work hard enough, I suggest that you either a) contribute money directed for more spelling efforts or b) offer yourself for spell checking all OSNews material
How do GTK/ Gnome apps (for example, Gimp, Evolution, Yahoo Messenger) look with Xandros 2.0? Does Xandros use a GTK theme similar to their Plastik KDE theme so that the desktop looks “unified” (like RedHat does with ther Bluecurve theme or Mandrake with their Galaxy)?
Uwe
How does Xandros 2.0 handle removable storage devices like floppy drives or ZIP drives? Does it use an automounter so that handling removable discs is just like it is with Windows? And how do I use USB memory sticks with Xandros 2.0?
Uwe
I posted links to ISOs they set up in such a manner that anybody who wanted to and knew the URL could download them with no authorization required – I did nothing illegal.
So, Darius, what your saying is that if you would have received an email with a custom link AND a password, you would have considered this a much more secure alternative, because you now have to type in a password?? What stops someone from posting the URL along with the password? How does this make things any more secure? The custom URL *contains* the authentication information, to make your life easier.
I didn’t say they didn’t work hard enough, but if you are going to do something at all, do it right.
And I guess you might be right on standard. But Xandros’s strength is in the Deluxe version. They didn’t even have a standard before.
Actually, Xandros did have a Standard version before.
Darius reminds of someone a friend told me about. One of the children in her class steals everything she can get her hands on, whether or not she wants it or needs it. Her rationale is that, if people are stupid enough to leave it where she can get it, that’s their fault.
You can justify yourself all you want, but you’d go a lot further if you just admitted that you may not have used the best judgement when you posted the link. There are too many people with that “blame the victim” attitude.
So, Darius, what your saying is that if you would have received an email with a custom link AND a password, you would have considered this a much more secure alternative, because you now have to type in a password??
When I created an account there, they emailed me a username and password. Once the transaction was complete, they sent me the links. Why they did not user the username/password to authenticate the links is beynod me.
Even if the senario you mentioned had occured and the login and links were in the same email, at least they could’ve used the login info to set a limit of one login at a time. Hell, they could do that just the way it is now by not allowing simeltanous (sp) logins from multiple IP addresses, but they don’t even do that.
Darius reminds of someone a friend told me about. One of the children in her class steals everything she can get her hands on
Ha! If you remember, I paid for my copy.
Her rationale is that, if people are stupid enough to leave it where she can get it, that’s their fault.
It seems that is the way people look at MS and security – if there is a problem, just release the info to the public. Screw telling the vendor about it.
You can justify yourself all you want, but you’d go a lot further if you just admitted that you may not have used the best judgement when you posted the link.
Yeah, looking back on it, it probably was not one of my brightest moments
Yes it all usb storage devices automounts and appears under xandros file managers, in much the same way it appears in explorer in win xp. It appears as a “removable drive” on the left panel. Other options their include “Home” directory, “Printers” “C:” “Windows Networks” etc.
Yeah, looking back on it, it probably was not one of my brightest moments
Kudos to Darius for being big enough to admit a lapse in judgement. We’ve all had ’em.
I installed Gnumeric and Gaim (their version of gaim is horribly out of date) and Gnome apps look like crap. They didn’t spend any time working on it at all. If you install gnome-control-center you can also install gtk themes and then fix this.
“”And, I suspect that they will at elast e-mail you if not disable your account”
Actually, they have done both. I just got a letter from Xandros (don’t think it was fake) saying don’t do that again, or else threatening me with legal action. Seems they want to blame me for their own stupidity – whatever.”
Its not Xandros who blames you for their stupidity – its the other way round: you seem to blame Xandros that they gave you a chance to take illegal action on them which you couldn’t resist. Its as a burglar blamed you for leaving your window open and therfore giving him the chance to break into your house.
“I honestly don’t know what they were thinking. Did they honestly not think anyone would do that? Surely, if I hadn’t, someone else would have.”
The burglar then justifies his action by telling you that someon would had broken through that window anyway.
Your excuses are just plain stupid!
Not a very revealing review. Hopefully, we will get more later. I get the feeling that the focus of Xandros is their one-stop-shop file manager, and hardware detection. They are focusing on Windows integration, which is good, and have added neat features to their already great File Manager.
I wish they would hire a graphic artist! Wow, their desktop looks very dated! Hopefully, user’s will be able to “spice” up the icons they have chosen. Maybe they could use some GPLed art from KDE-Look.org.
Just tried PCLinuxOS 2K4 – preview 4 last night for about an hour. It’s a live CD. It’s KDE desktop is beautiful. Best out-of the box eye candy I’ve seen. Even better than that, it detected all of my hardware correctly, and everything worked. Even my Wacom Graphire2 pen tablet in relative mode (with mouse), and absolute mode (pen). It works great with The GIMP! I won’t try to install to hard drive yet since it’s not a final release, but I’m keeping an eye on it.
In all fairness, if Xandros did not specifically tell him not to share those links, he does at least have a defense. If it were in a real courtroom he cold validly claim simple ignorance and/or stupidity and actually have a possible “reasonable doubt” defense. You absolutely can’t convict someone for failing to do something that they have not been told to do; and you can’t convict them for doing something that they have not been told NOT to do.
Given the way it is distributed, there is a potential for confusion on the part of non-tech customers. At least, many of the non-tech people I know would have been confused, I am sure of that.
The whole issue of implied contracts is another matter. But software retailers have to realize that if you are going to regard an intangible stream of electrons as physical property, you must allow for atypical methods of safeguarding it.
Barry
I have not had a chance yet to review Xandros 2.0, but I’ve had a copy of previous versions of Xandros and I’ve been consistently impressed with their quality, excellent documentation, stability, and interoperability with Windows software. If this release is as stable as the earlier versions, then it has an excellent chance of being successful.
“In all fairness, if Xandros did not specifically tell him not to share those links, he does at least have a defense. If it were in a real courtroom he cold validly claim simple ignorance and/or stupidity and actually have a possible “reasonable doubt” defense.”
Actually no, that’s not true. The post had a clear malicious intent, and the user demonstated utter contempt for xandros’ policies and EULA.
I could go on, but I don’t think you’d understand.
Actually no, that’s not true. The post had a clear malicious intent, and the user demonstated utter contempt for xandros’ policies and EULA.
See, that’s the whole thing … there was no EULA, at least not until you actually install the software. On the website and email, it was just ‘Pay us $90, now here’s the links.’
As for the whole legality, I wonder who they would try to go after – me or whoever did the downloading (if anyone)?
Furthermore, if you upload files on a website and set the permissions such that anyone could get access to them, could you then sue somebody for actually downloading them?
it would probably be an interesting case study for the fine folks over at groklaw…..
“Yeah, looking back on it, it probably was not one of my brightest moments
”
Jesus, you people are making a big deal out of nothing. Get off his case already.
Next time make it Mandrake PowerPack or Suse Professional instead
The more I read your comments the more I think that my next OS will still be Windows…
The more I read your comments the more I think that my next OS will still be Windows…
That may be for the best because it seems at the moment this distro is merely one or two notches above the headache that has been Linux in the past.
Take the Xandros Networks thing for example. When you start it up, you’ve got a whopping 3 Internet applications in which to choose from. (You’d think that even with a new release of the OS, they’d have a little more to choose from.)
So, you can change your source to include ‘Debian unsupported site’ and after you choose that and update the list, you see that you still only have 3 Internet applications listed. It isn’t until you switch from Simple view to Expert view do the floodgates open up, and then everything is there. However, there are some problems with this:
1. The nice organization of app categories you had in the simple view disappears and is replaced with the standard “here is a list of 80,000 packages to choose from” kind of thing. Why can’t we have the nice organization from the Simple View with a good selection of apps to choose from in each category?
2. Even on the unsupported site, you’re not always getting the newest stable versions of apps. For example, when I downloaded Firebird, I got 0.6.1 instead of 0.7. Yeah, I know you can enter a url and choose a ‘custom source’, but really … if I wanted to do that shit, I would be using stock Debian. 0.7 has been out for what, over a month now? This is a major Internet app that should’ve been added by now.
3. Would it really be so hard to implement a mechanism by which all apps you install actually place a f**king ashortcut icons in the Launch menu? I”ve noticed that some apps do (Knotes), and other apps (probably the ones you’re getting from the Debian source) don’t (Mozilla, Pan, etc). For the ones that don’t, I have to go searching for the executable and do the shortcut manually. Not a particularly hard task, but more of a pain in the ass than it needs to be.
4. One of the sources you can select from on Xandros Networks is the the application CD #2 (Deluxe version only), except that I can’t install anything off the second CD … just complains about broken packages and such, and (in some cases) it can’t find the CD-ROM, even though I can open it in Xandros File Manager and look through the files, and copy it to the hard drive. Trying to install the .deb files from the hard drive produces the same kinds of errors.
5. Same sort of errors as mentioned above when trying to download OS updates directly from Xnadros.
I don’t mean to sound too critical here, but this is just not what I was expected, considering all the hype that Xandros 2.0 got. It’s not unusable, but it’s far from optimal at this point.
As a side note, once I found out that the version of Firebird I had installed was 0.6.1, I went back into XN and uninstalled it. Clicking on the icon in XN said it’s not installed. Running ‘mozilla-firebird’ from the run dialog says it can’t find file, when that used to work when it was installed.
So now when I click on any of the icons that used to run mozilla or type ‘mozilla’ from the run dialog, I get Mozilla Firebird, and none of the menus work at all – NICE!!!
Maybe I’ll get them to show me how that magic trick works, sometime when I have more patience to deal with this shit.
“I could go on, but I don’t think you’d understand.”
You are probably correct. I am readly confused and more than a little ignorant. I sit corrected.
Barry
I have to say, I have been immensely impressed with the progress Xandros have been making in 2.0. I’ve been beta testing for them, and their attention to detail, and focus on ‘finishing’ and ‘polishing’ open source software, really makes me admire their ethos, and their distribution. As a long term Windows user, I myself am not totally ready to make the big switch yet, as I’m too tied into ‘pro’ apps like Photoshop, Premiere, Sound Forge and the like. I definitely want to install it on my laptop though, assuming I can find out how to fix my long standing problem with the SIS630 graphics controller in Linux.