PCLinuxOS - “The Distro Hopper Stopper” & “Viable Windows Substitute”
May 3rd, 2007 by Matthew Jabs
Okay…I have finally made the switch to PCLinuxOS (PCLOS) & have been VERY impressed so far. I’m running the latest release, PCLinuxOS 2007 TR4. TR4 stands for Test Release 4 and is the fourth & final test release of PCLinuxOS 2007.
I have limited experience with Linux Gui distro’s (limited to SUSE, RedHat, and Ubuntu) so I’m by no means an expert. However, recently I wrote a post entitled PCLinuxOS vs Ubuntu that had some really surprising results. Though Ubuntu has been around longer & is more “well-known”, users seem to be much more passionate & in favor of PCLinuxOS. I had never even heard of this distro until a few weeks ago. Upon learning of this bright & upcoming young star, I became very interested & wanted to see what the Linux community thought about it.
According to my post, which is by no means an end all for a study group, PCLinuxOS is fast becoming the Linux distro of choice in desktop computing.
***Note: Click here for the PCLOS install instruction***
This really intrigued me, and since I hate Vista & wanted to get it off my home PC…what better time to try PCLOS than right now? Well last night was the night. I locked myself in my office with the lights dimmed, the candles burning, and the Kenny G playing delicately in the background. I backed up all my data onto a DVD data disc, downloaded PCLOS TR4, burned it to a disc, and rebooted. When burned, the .iso gives you a “LiveCD” meaning you can run the OS right off the CD without installing anything or erasing any data. This is cool because it gives you an opportunity to try the OS out to see if you like it before you commit. Well, I didn’t need much tugging to get rid of Vista, so after getting the LiveCD OS up, I double-clicked on the “Install PCLinuxOS” icon on the desktop & watched the partition manager dance onto my screen.
I changed the music to Bon Jovi’s “Going Down in a Blaze of Glory”, and directed the partition manager to erase my hard drive completely and rid my life of Vista once & for all! Okay, maybe it wasn’t this dramatic, but just humor me & play along please (that’s directed at you GoldCoaster)! 
From start to finish the installation took…maybe 15 minutes, probably more like 10. Once installed, I didn’t have to load any drivers, PCLOS picked everything up & did it all automatically, right down to recognizing & installing my desktop DLink DWL-G520 wireless network card. I entered the security measures for my wireless network & I had my Internet connection up & running. Next, I moved all my Firefox & Thunderbird settings & accounts over and had them all up & running flawlessly within another 10 minutes. After that I wanted to get my favorite file management program (Total Commander) up & running, only to find out they don’t make a version that runs on Linux natively. However they did recommend Krusader, and what do you know…Krusader has a setting to allow it to run similar to Total Commander! Once I had that up & running I just started poking around the OS to get used to all the features and to explore all its nooks & crannies.
After an hour or so of poking around, I must say that the whole experience was the easiest move from Windows to Linux I’ve ever seen. I would wager to say that a Windows user with intermediate computer knowledge would be able to download, install, & set up his own version of PCLinuxOS.
With the advent of this Linux distro, and the recent release of M$’s Vista operating system…I truly see Linux gaining a larger share of the desktop operating environment. Not only is it easy, it’s also free. Not only that, all the apps you need for every day operations, are included in the OS, and they’re free as well! Yes…and that does include your Office software package! If you want to save yourself time, headaches, and about $500-$700…you should consider ditching Vista and moving to PCLinuxOS.
Please let me know your experiences, thoughts, concerns, etc.
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All I can say is a smug told you so ENJOY!
Jabs,
Nice summary of how easy the switch can be.
Welcome to PCLinuxOS
Jase
Thanks Jase…I’m sure I’ll be getting to know PCLinuxOS & it’s forums very intimately!
gave ya a digg
Way to go jabs.Thanks for the great review of PCLinuxOS.As I said on my earlier post.You cant go wrong with this distro.
This is what we are finding when people try PCLinuxOS.
Progress in Linux means that systems can run faster, so you buy a newer computer and go faster still. Progress in Windows means more bloat, so you need a newer computer just to stand still!
With advances made in compositing extensions, enabling stuff like Beryl, which PCLinuxOS implements so well, Linux has surpassed Windows for eye candy and speed, so let’s make it accessible to the masses! That’s what PCLinuxOS does so well.
Welcome to PClinuxOS. Need any help then just mail me!
Hope you love it as i enjoy it to the max!
Hope to speak to you soon
neverloved-neverhated@hotmail.co.uk
Been a linux fan for 4 years since i was 12!
Just started using PCLinuxOs a few months ago…and I love the fact I have an alterative to Visa! There are some great distros out there (Ubuntu, Mint, Mephis just to name a few), and it’s great to have a choice; but PCLOS is just a perfect fit for me.
I hope you do a review on Beryl; it’s one incredible product!
Wow…it’s so cool to see all the positive buzz around PCLOS. I’ve checked out Beryl & will be installing it ASAP.
Thanks for the comments & encouragement! Now let’s spread the word!
Wow,
Sounds awesome. Last year I messed around quite a bit with Linux Distros and my favorite was Ubuntu. I found it to be the easiest to work with. I have used Windows all my life but have always wanted to step away from my comfort zone and try Linux. Unfortunately though I had a lot of trouble adjusting. Doing the simplest things such as installing software for an instant messenger program I found to be difficult. I could do it, but I needed to find support and help.
Is Linux different now? Is PCLinuxOS made for Windows Dummies like myself? I would love to try it.
PS…it may be a few days, I want to get a new video card before I install Beryl. I’ve been wanting to do that anyway.
Garry…
Do you have another PC that is just sitting around? Or, you could easily do a “dual-boot” so you have PCLinuxOS & windows XP running together…use PCLOS for most stuff…then when (or if) you still need windows for anything, just boot into windows.
I know what you’re talking about with the little things. I had the same experience with Ubuntu & other Linux distro’s. However, so far in PCLOS I haven’t run into that problem. First of all, everything I need is pretty much already installed, & the few things I needed to get, were a cinch to install. For example, I just downloaded & installed Bluefish so I could edit PHP & HTML files. There was probably already an app on here to do it, but I wanted to try out Bluefish (so far I like). It took me about 15 seconds to install the app. Super easy.
You should definitely give it a try again.
Go to this link to see how easy it is to dual-boot your system w/PCLOS & XP.
For HTML editing, unless you are happy typing raw HTML into a text editor you get 3 choices in PCLinuxOS. All have to be added from the repositories:
1. NVU — Simple. WYSIWYG. Not very powerful, though UI is similar to Dreamweaver. I like it a lot.
2. Quanta Plus — You have to install “kdewebdev”. “Assisted” HTML editor, with display of how it will look. Powerful. Won recent “test” in Linux Format.
3. Bluefish — Like Quanta, maybe for more experienced people, less help etc.
All are good for someone, if you know what I mean.
Matthew,
If you are getting a Video card, I would recommend that you go with nvidia. they have been much more supportive to Linux with their drivers than ATI. But, do make sure that the model you choose is well supported in Linux.
Thanks RM & Dave:
I think I’m going to go with Bluefish…I’ve used NVU on Windows & ran into some probs (but that was on windows)!
I will go with Nvidia…thanks.
If you have to have Windows, but want to try PCLinuxOS, you can use VMWare Server - - after reading this post, this is what I plan to do!
I wrote a quick overview summary of VMWare server here: http://maximillianx.blogspot.com/2007/02/virtual-computing-vmware-server.html
(oh yeah, and it is free…!)
“I locked myself in my office with the lights dimmed, the candles burning, and the Kenny G playing delicately in the background”
You forgot to mention what you were wearing!
Oh sorry Paul…I was wearing nothing but my best silk pajamas!
[...] Read Matthew’s experiances with PCLinuxOS [...]
You are crazy! get ack to Vista while it’s not too late
:)
Seriously, it picking up your wireless stuff is pretty good as I have heard from friends the problems they have with Ubuntu and other variations of Linux.
anyway, must get back to my shiny new Vista
http://goldcoaster.wordpress.com
wow, it looks pretty cool and yes I have an older desktop computer running XP that I can use for this. It looks like it would be worth a shot to install and I will probably do it in a few days.
GoldC…
I know that M$’s evil corporate brainwashing division has captured your mind. Escape while you still can!!
Garry…
Do it dude. Install PCLOS & experience your new favorite operating system.
lol i am now successfully runnig, beryl on my Pclos computer.
First time i got it installed, i was beyond the word amazed. I am gob-smacked.
I tell you know.Vista can never compare.
Get PClinuxOS now!!!
lol YOU sir are brainwashed by Windows.
Yeah you go to your “Shinny New Vista” but one day it will fail you. badly fail you.
You will wish you never even had it, but your too brainwashed to try something else.
You want all the work cut out for you. your probaly too lazy. Meh you will never be in the real world.
Indeed Nvidia is the best to work with Linux.
Its all supported.
Out of my experiences with..
MandrakeLinux
Fedore Core 1,2,3,4,5
SuseLinux
DebianLinux
PClinuxOS
I can say that pclos is the best out of them all!
Pclos TR4 now supports Philips Webcams on Kopete and i think Amsn as well.
It keeps on getting better!
Ok guys, I will give it a shot! I have an older but not too old desktop that I will run it on!
Okay…keep us posted Garry.
ok Matt, Im going to say it…there IS one thing I dislike about your blog…if I comment on something, somehow I get automatically added to your comment feed and I get emails everytime someone comments on and future blogs…drives me crazy!!!
Matt can easily correct that.
I typically subscribe to every post I comment on, and at times I forget to do it and kick myself in the butt.
So, I am sure Matt considered this common situation and kept the button turned on.
It is very simple to unsubscribe from any post you want to.
And it is very simple for Matt to turn it off…
I am sure he will address your concern, Matt’s a cool guy!
Hey guys…
Thanks for bringing that up. I actually wrote a post about it, click here to read the post.
To address the issue, we should move to that post, but let me just say that I leave it on because I hate when I go to a site & comment & forget to check the “subscribe to comments” box. So I leave mine checked, since as Garry brought up, it is easy to either uncheck the box, or to unsubscribe from any of the emails that are received.
Matthew,
I was going to install the OS on my older eMachine desktop and still might. But I am curious to find out if it would be recommended to install it on my daughters brand new laptop. The laptop is very nice, it was a birthday gift from my mom. The laptop is a Toshiba Satellite Model A135. It has Windows Vista installed on the system and the computer runs slow as hell. It’s terrible! The system rating is a 2.