PCLinuxOS 2010
Posted by Tyler Brown
Its been a while since I've spoken my thoughts on a Linux distro on this blog, at least extensively. After dabbling around with PCLinuxOS 2010 for a few days, I figure I might as well do one right now.
There are two things I noticed first about PCLOS 2010 when I booted into the LiveCD for the first time. The first thing being that they had customzied KDE4.4 really well. This is very different from my usual KDE experience, which I admit, usually came from Kubuntu, and its pretty obvious that Kubuntu is just a base Ubuntu install w/ stock KDE4 installed. Its been that way since 8.04, and for the past 2 years Kubuntu has felt like the ugly Step child. Not to say theres anything wrong with stock KDE - but, it feels as if Kubuntu doesn't have its own identify anymore, or if KDE is optimized on it. Anyway, off the Kubuntu soap box for the moment, lets get back to PCLinuxOS 2010. Another thing I've noticed is that KDE seems to perform much better on PCLOS 2010 than it does on other distros I've tried so far. PCLinuxOS 2010 actually performs very well in general.
(Edit note: I started this blog post and didn't finish a while back, so I guess this is more of a review of PCLOS after I got done using it).
Being based on Mandriva, PCLinuxOS 2010 also had Mandriva's control panel, which was also a really nice feature.
Beyond that, I did have a few problems. However, most of the problems were related to KDE itself, and could be found across any KDE distribution. Such as GTK and QT apps fighting for the use of the sound card, or the KDE monitor config tool not wanting to properly configure dual monitors, thus resorting to using ATI's Catalyst Control Center to configure them. Simple stuff like that.
I also did notice one oddity. Although PCLinuxOS used Synaptic Package manager, which is quite odd for an RPM distribution to do so, I did notice there was no interface to install individual packages with until I installed Kpackagekit. Figured I would mention that as well.
Overall, PCLinuxOS is a great distro, I would recommend it to anybody who is looking for a Linux distro in which nearly everything works out of the box, and also wants a really nice KDE distribution. Anyway, I would like to thank everybody for reading this post. Sorry for finishing this really late, and it kind of made the rest of the post after (Edit Notice) kind of not all that great as I have already switched to another distribution. It had mostly to do with GTK and QT apps fighting over usage of the sound card, and PulseAudio not wanting to properly install, which is more or less a KDE problem instead of a PCLinuxOS problem. I am currently on Ubuntu 10.04, and I will give my thoughts on that in a later blog post. Anyway, thanks for the patience, and waiting another month for a blog post. I try to make sure the posts aren't too far away, but stuff comes up, I just get distracted, or what not. If you want to, I would recommend subscribing using the RSS link towards the top right, and take the time to read future posts. I should have my thoughts on Ubuntu 10.04 coming within the next few days - if not within the next 24 hours.
- Tyler J. Brown (Condoulo).
Just a random blog post.
Posted by Tyler Brown
Well, just a random blog post I guess. No real reasoning behind the post, or any real topic, just something random. I guess just to catch up or something. I haven't posted in a while, so, I figured I would.
So yeah, I've been looking into doing a few screencasts again. Its been a couple years since I've done a few on a regular basis. The biggest problem is the fact that I can't find a good screen recorder on Linux that works all that great.
I also went dual monitors as of late! 
I guess I'll post a picture later. Its not all that great of a second monitor, its a 19" Standard at 1280x1024, and towards the top the color is messed up, but it doesn't bother me at all. I tworks great for its purpose, and thats to be used as a second monitor for putting IRC, Digsby, and Skype stuff on. 
as well as check stuff online while I'm watching a movie or something fullscreen on my main monitor.
Well, I guess thats all I'm going to talk about in this blog post. My next few blog posts will probably a bit more "Formal" with a topic and everything.
- Tyler