Redhat Linux 7.1 Review

[Cyberclops]

I'm wondering how Mandrake 8.0 will compare to to SuSE 7.1?  I agree
that Mandrake 7.2 is user friendly until you try to seriously use it.  I
have had much more satisfaction with SuSE 7.1 although I see it as being
overly complicated in certain respects.  I'm still looking for a simple
Linux.  One that is more like the old Mac OS.  I still would like to see
a discussion developed as how to go about making SuSE more user friendly
for a home user system.  I don't like not have permissions to do things
on my own desktop.  I see user friendliness oriented towards these
features:

1. Installs easily on your particular hardware.
	SuSE 7.1 - Pass 
	Mandrake - 7.2 fail - not good at the configure X portion

2.  File system and disk access immediately available to the home user.
	SuSE 7.1 - not so good - entire SUSE doesn't seem to follow
conventional Linux procedures.  SuSE has their own way of doing things
which may be better, but not easy for someone to understand.  For
example manually editing the XF86Config file doesn't do anything.
	Mandrake 7.2 - much better in this respect - Supermount disk mounting
is very smooth.

3.  Menu system easy to understand and use.
	SuSE 7.1 - Overly complex and confusing with strange names such as
"YaST" and "YaST2" which do different things, and have a different
interface.
	Mandrake 7.2 - Menu system is a disaster as menu items disappear. Drake
Config while being central has many confusing portions which go beyond
the understanding of an average computer user.

4.  Menus and Desktop easy to configure.
	Mandrake 7.2 - less than desirable
	SuSE 7.1 - it works, but some KDE tools are present but disabled.  SuSe
limits configuration by tying everything up with a complicated
permission system that I don't exactly understand.  Even root can't
change the permissions of some items.

5.  Package manager easy to understand.
	SuSE 7.1 - very good in this respect
	Mandrake 7.2 - I never understood how to use it or what the icons
mean.  I could never figure out what was installed and what wasn't.  The
Mandrake animated Web tutorials were a total flop as there were even
more confusing and hard to follow as they jump forward before you can
see and absorb what is going on.

6.  Pleasing user interface
	Mandrake 7.2 - Very cartoonish.  Standard program icons and splash
screens changed by Mandrake - a very bad idea.
	SuSE 7.1 - much better.  A more or less totally professional look and
feel.

In then end, SuSE 7.1 works, and Mandrake 7.2 doesn't.  I know a lot of
people think Mandrake is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I
didn't have an overall satisfying experience with it.  Things would
break too easily.  With SuSE 7.1 things seem very solid.

I like the concept of "Libranet" Linux it has a Mac like "Adminmenu". 
Unfortunately it's not complete, but conceptually it's probably one of
the best tools out there.

I am one who believes Linux could and should be easier to use.  But more
thought has to be put into making it that way.  As Warren points out
there is a difference between a professional server farm operation, and
some flunky sitting at home with a single computer, and his family to
deal with.
	



steve anderson wrote:
> 
> Thanks for your review, but I will stick to my Suse 7.1.
> 
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