PCLinuxOS
PCLinuxOS - short PCLOS - is an American, the RPM package manager -use Linux distribution, which originally dates back to Mandrake and is designed mainly for desktop use. It belonged, according to a desktop Linux survey from 2007 the ten most-used distributions and is still listed on the comparison Distrowatch as one of the main distributions.
According to various tests, PCLinuxOS is characterized by its simplicity and ease of use as well as the above-average hardware detection. From home users often-used software such as codecs for multimedia files, Flash, and Java is pre-installed with PCLinuxOS, and as the default desktop environment is KDE Plasma Desktop with the coming of Debian package management tool APT in the variant APT- RPM and its graphical essay synaptic to use.
History of development
Template: Obsolescence Bill Reynolds ( in the developer scene known as Texstar ), now the main developer of PCLinuxOS, offered from 2000 on a separate source called PCLinuxOnline self-compiled RPM packages for Mandrake Linux to improve this distribution.
In 2003, Reynolds decided dissatisfaction with the policy of Mandrake create a fork of version 9.2 of Mandrake, which he called PCLinuxOS. The first versions of which were referred to as previews, still strongly resembled the original, since the new distribution has, however, more and more distant from the present Mandriva Linux.
The version of PCLinuxOS 2007 with the internal version number .94, whose stable release was published on 21 May 2007, was a complete redesign of the system, which is why a normal upgrade from previous versions was not possible. In addition to cosmetic improvements like a new logo and built-in 3D desktop effects via Compiz and Beryl were inserted. All other versions will be built on .94, because since then, introduced the development model of a rolling release, so a continuous development of all programs included in the distribution. The version was a great success and received especially in the U.S. space much popularity among test results, including the well-known Linux Linux portal. com. Because of the great rush at the last previous versions of PCLinuxOS 2007 Server in April of the year had to be taken for a long time by the network.
In early November of 2007 was the first major edit of the 2007 version, which included a new kernel, among other things, but it is so far only be downloaded through the suite. In January 2008, a new MiniMe version was released, which contains only the most basic programs and is about 300 MB in size.
The published on March 11, 2009 Version 2009.1 was still based on the K Desktop Environment 3 because the developer had not reached a comparable functionality with KDE Plasma Desktop 4. The version is still based on the code base of the 2007 release, so it is from the latter upgradable via package management.
On 5 May 2010 the current version 2010.1 was released with KDE Plasma Desktop 4. All subsequent releases are snapshots of the updated version 2010.1.
The current version ( 2013.2 ) comes with kernel 3.2.18 and KDE - pclos2.bfs 4.10.1 ( after the update ).
Dissemination
Although no representative data on the prevalence of the various Linux distributions were raised, have survey results indicate that PCLinuxOS at least one of the ten most popular distributions. So it was after the survey Desktop Linux Market survey with 38,500 participants in August 2007 in popularity in 10th place (2 % of the participants stated that they use PCLOS ) and just behind Arch Linux and Slackware. After the log statistics of the operators of Distrowatch used by all visitors to the site 6.2% PCLinuxOS, so what do these become the third most popular distribution behind Ubuntu and Debian. The discrepancy is explained by the fact that the desktop Linux survey is mainly oriented to companies during Distrowatch is primarily used by home users, to which PCLinuxOS directed.
Special
PCLinuxOS is an imaginary for easy desktop use, distribution. The live CD provides the ability to store personal files and configuration files on a USB stick. The system can also be installed on a hard disk; contains the CD when decompressed, about two gigabytes of software, such as KDE Software Compilation 4, OpenOffice.org, GIMP and many other applications.
The distribution uses the package management program APT in conjunction with the RPM package system (APT - RPM).
PCLinuxOS places great emphasis on compatibility, such as NdisWrapper or codecs for numerous proprietary multimedia formats (eg MPEG) pre-installed, which is omitted in other distributions due to the resulting unclear legal situation. The controversial package libdvdcss is not installed, but available in the official repository.
Since the 2007 release distribution uses a rolling release version system. The versions in 2008 and 2009.1 MiniME So based on the same code base as the 2007 version, upgrades via the package manager and there is no feature freeze, by all programs as possible, the latest version is thus offered.
Variants
PCLinuxOS MiniME
In the variant PCLinuxOS MiniME is a stripped down version of the distribution that contains only the parts of KDE libs and KDE base instead of the full KDE desktop. It is aimed at advanced users who do not want the software requirements of the standard version, and instead want to set up and configure their system even more extensive. The unofficial derivative TinyMe pursues similar goals.
Unofficial derivatives
The most famous derivative of the distribution is Samity Linux, originally based directly on Mandrake and sets as a basic platform on PCLinuxOS since the 2007 version. Unlike the original, this variant uses the Xfce desktop environment and is therefore designed more for the older hardware. In addition to SAM, there are two further adjustments to other desktop environments, the PCLinuxOS GNOME Project ( with Gnome) and PCFluxboxOS ( with Fluxbox ), both of which are still in development. The version for GNOME to be imposed after the completion of the stable version in the status of an official derivative.
Furthermore, the script is mklivecd integrated into PCLinuxOS, which allows the user to make a "snapshot" of its installation (with all settings, programs, bookmarks, documents, images, etc.) which is then compressed to an ISO CD image. This makes it very easy to do backups and create his own PCLinuxOS - based distribution.
The produced in this way, variants include video Linux, as already indicated in the name focuses on video production, the Small Business Edition with oriented to companies program selection, CAE Linux Computer Aided Engineering ( Linux), which is aimed at engineers and provides technical programs that Ruby on Rails LiveCD for programmers as well as the Games Edition PCLinuxOS SuperGamer. In addition, there are two versions for schools, Edu ~ Go and Karoshi ( server- based ), a graphically revamped version called Granular Linux, and several other smaller derivatives ( PCLOS Myth Edition, Llama Linux, Amarok Live CD and Kid - Safe LiveCD ).
PCLinuxOS and Mandriva Linux
Although PCLinuxOS is based on Mandrake Linux ( Mandriva Linux comes from ) and the "look and feel " of Mandriva Linux is similar, it has become more and more from it. The majority of packages, such as the kernel, GCC or KDE SC 4 were compiled independently of Mandriva, it therefore has its own repository. PCLinuxOS is one of the first Linux operating systems where the RPM software packages using the originally developed for Debian packages APT are ( to be exact "APT - RPM" ) organized, while Mandriva continues to rely on the Mandrake urpmi tool. Furthermore, PCLinuxOS own graphics and icons as well as its own menu structure. PCLinuxOS is intended primarily for desktop use, while the server - use plays a minor role.
When Logstatisik on Distrowatch (which has become a benchmark for the popularity of Linux distributions ) PCLinuxOS has now overtaken Mandriva Linux, is a few spaces in front of Mandriva. ( 01/ 2011) In the Desktop Linux Survey of August 2007, was ranked one percent after the original.
Criticism
Unlike Mandriva and other major distributions PCLinuxOS is distributed by an independent developer community without significant commercial interests, in addition to Bill Reynolds, this is mainly a well-known as a Ripper -speed programmer group. A disadvantage of this form of development is called that the release cycle irregular successes and disappearing relatively much time between versions. In addition, long term plan was no separate version for 64 -bit processors, until the end of October 2007 it came to an announcement on the official forum of the developer to develop such. Furthermore, is the part of the developers hardly publicity instead. In addition, there is now multi-language support is still no official up. For the German-speaking users but there is an unofficial version that has already been converted completely in German.