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With the new Mandriva 2010 release, I’ve been working on making myself a procedure list for the things I do whenever i install a new distro. Invariably there are a few things that need to be tested right from the start, once the distro has updated itself. Because I operate a mixed network with numerous different operating systems running, one of the first things to install and check is the Samba connectivity to the other machines in the workgroup - ironically, most distros can interact with the Windows machines in the group but may have issues talking to the other Linux boxen. Mandriva’s Control Centre (listed as Configure Your Computer in the menu) makes installing the Samba system a breeze.
Next on the list is usually DVD playability, which invariably in most distros due to the need to add the libdvdcss package which is usually not included in the distro due to copyright issues. The files are however readily available through the various repositories - in the case of Mandriva, the easiest way to get them is go to http://easyurpmi.zarb.org and install the PLF repositories.Best choice in my mind for watching movie files is the VLC player, especially once the navigation is added.
After many years of using Evolution as my primary email client, I have finally shifted over to a new package - Kontact. Not only does it have a nice email client which seems to work as nicely as Evolution when it comes to handling multiple accounts and mass quantities of folders, but the package also includes a nice To-Do setup, a news feed aggregator, contacts, calendar, notes and more. A really nice information manager, all in all.
One of the reason I run Linux on the desktop is to be able to have a local web server available for testing purposes and Mandriva makes that a simple process. to do so easily, however, you first have to install the drakwizard package from the repositories. Once you have done so and reloaded the control center, the Sharing categorywill show up which allows the setup of a web server. Follow up by installing Webmin and you have a great environment ready in which to play.
[…] Replacing Windows Apps One of the reason I run Linux on the desktop is to be able to have a local web server available for testing purposes and Mandriva makes that a simple process. to do so easily, however, you first have to install the drakwizard package from the repositories. Once you have done so and reloaded the control center, the Sharing categorywill show up which allows the setup of a web server. Follow up by installing Webmin and you have a great environment ready in which to play. […]