Re: Review of Caldera OpenLinux 2.2 posted

[JF Martinez <jfm2@club-internet.fr>]

> 
> Vince Veselosky wrote:
> 
> > I have just posted my review of Caldera's new OpenLinux 2.2, for those
> > interested. The URL is:
> > http://www.control-escape.com/desktoplinux.html
> >
> > I didn't have time to get as deep as I wanted to in the review, so I'll
> > probably post a follow-up later with some more technical info. The new
> > GUI installation procedure is easy-breezy, and my general impression is
> > that this is now the very best distribution for Windows-only users who
> > want to give Linux a try. It's easy to install, boots you straight to
> > the GUI, provides real help screens at every decision point, and bundles
> > the software necessary to run a real desktop computer. It would be a
> > good idea to raid this distro for goodies to include in Indy!
> 
> I've been using OpenLinux 2.2 and I have to agree that it's the
> easiest-to-use Linux I've seen so far (I've tried maybe four or five
> distributions in the last year). One important feature of OpenLinux 2.2 that
> the review does not mention is COAS, the Caldara Open Administration System.
> This is an effort to provide Linux with system administration tools that are
> user friendly (http://www.coas.org/). COAS is open source and could help the
> Independence project meet its goal of avoiding command-line interfaces.
> 
> However, it is not fully mature yet and has some UI bugs. For example every
> time you start a COAS program you get a pop-up window telling you what COAS
> is. And you can only use it as root. If you start it as a non-root user it
> asks you for the root password and then exits. Not very useful :-).
> 
> 
> 

I have seen COL 2.2 in action and I would qualify it as... incredible.
It is not the fact the install is graphical (using a qt based client
and a special wm but the fact your mouse is autodetected, the fact
that if you want to do a /home partition and there is a filessystem in
it it automatically disbles ist formating, it is the many decsions who
are taken off the user.  But the thing who most impreesed me was due
to a bug.  It installed the SVGA server who made my Pentium II 400
with Ati Rage Pro look slower than a 386 with ET4000.  I had to
replace the server and edit the XF86config and then I saw the
ddefintive touch: when told the resolution and size of my screen it
automatically had placed the 100dpi fonts before the 75dpi ones for
optimal look.  And for choosing the time zone it displayed a Globe
with the Paris zone preselected.

I have discovered some bugs in it but for the first time I can say
without lying that a Linux install is superior to the one of Windows.

I don't have time to do it but is there someone willing to completely
invetigate its features?  Like the init system and how it does for
switching you to level 3 when X seems to have problems, the RPM
install inscripts wjho make eit as smoothly integarted, the
application software (they claim their philosophy is "best of a kind
instead of a everything but kitchen sink like some other distribs" (I
wonder who theey were thinking about :-) and see what we will be able
to incorportae legally in 0.3

-- 
			Jean Francois Martinez

Project Independence: Linux for the Masses
http://www.independence.seul.org