I haven't posted much here lately, but had to announce this. I've recently started using Mandriva Linux, and like it a lot. The latest version was just released:

http://wiki.mandriva.com/en/2009.0_Tour

They have been a little slow adopting the new stuff, but I think this release has some of the newest versions of popular FOSS. The biggest new things:

• KDE 4.1.2
• KDE 3.5.10
• GNOME 2.24
• Firefox 3
• OpenOffice 3
• The very latest kernel - 2.6.27 (hot off the press, supposed to fix a ton of Wifi problems)
• And my favorite: loads and loads of fully functional drivers (both open and proprietary) for the latest notebooks, netbooks, and video drivers. This is my favorite point, as Mandriva is one of only two distros I've found that correctly installs all drivers right out the shot, no matter if they are open/closed. Call me unsupportive of FOSS, but I hate fighting with drivers in the name of software freedom.

To me Mandriva is the best easy to use distro (Ubuntu sucks [ at least on my hardware]), I am already downloading it. Read the errata before installing.

Welcome to .insanelymac 4A4350.
Never tried it so might have to fire up vmware and see what it is like.

# The very latest kernel - 2.6.27 (hot off the press, supposed to fix a ton of Wifi problems) RC8!!!!!!!!!

Looking forward to getting broadband back so that I can download it.

PM me your address and when the torrent gets done I'll burn you a copy and send it off.

Thanks Block Head, really nice of you. Yesterday I managed to download Mandriva One at a friends' place.
I should get broadband back really soon now. At least I hope so

Glad you were able to get it.

Thanks. So my first impressions:

1)It wouldn't boot on my laptop. I had to use the acpi=off option.

2)I downloaded the KDE4 version. It looks very pretty, but from a functionality point of view it is a total disaster. It misses most of the features I normally use in KDE3.5.

I thought all the KDE4 hate was just from guys who didn't like change.

But after a fruitless half hour trying to get something simple like a few desktop icons I can see just how broken and unintuitive it is. I installed Mandriva 2009 on a friend's old PC so he could use it for Youtube and the like, but after an hour or more of compounded frustration with KDE4 I now have ripped it out of Mandriva and put back KDE3.

Really, it's quite incredible just how bad it is...

I am glad it isn't just me. KDE4 is one of the biggest mistakes ever, and it will turn away tons of new users, saying "You see, I told you: Linux is useless crap".
I know what many will say: "But KDE3.5 is still available for most distros"
However many people try Linux for the first time with a LiveCD. If they choose the KDE version (and it is almost always KDE4 now) they'll go away in disgust.
But even for people who use a DVD, openSUSE has hidden KDE3 among "other desktop environments". The Mandriva DVD doesn't have KDE3 at all, you must download it. That is not what I call making newbies' life easy.

It was a bit of a mess after reverting to KDE3. Autologin wouldn't work and I couldn't even update the package lists. So I grabbed 2008.1 and installed that. Much better. For now I just updated it all the way for 2008. Not gonna chance upgrading it to 2009 just yet. It'll work fine for what my friend needs.

Otherwise I suggest that you install Gnome and after that you download KDE3, no KDE4 at all.