The next version of the Mandrake Linux operating system (OS), 9.1, is on its way. It already has completed a three-edition beta testing process. And today, the Mandrake folks announced the availability of Mandrake 9.1-RC1 (Release Candidate 1) for public downloading.
Mandrake Linux founder, Gaël Duval, recently told MozillaQuest
Magazine that Mandrake 9.1 ought to be released by the end of March 2003. Look for a Mandrake 9.1 RC2 first, however.
| KDE (K Desktop Environment)
K (K because K comes before L for Linux)
GNOME (GNU Object Model Environment)
GNU (GNU is Not UNIX -- intentionally recursive)
|
Mandrake Linux 9.1-RC1 sports the 2.4.21.0.pre4.6 Linux kernel, the recently released KDE 3.1 Linux desktop suite, the GNOME 2.2.0.1-1 desktop suite, KOffice 1.2.1-6, and OpenOffice 1.0.2-2. According to today's Mandrake 9.1-RC1 announcement, RC1 offers many new goodies such as automatic network configuration (zeroconf), NTFS resizing, a new Mandrake theme, and lots more.
We discussed the Mandrake 9.1-RC1 release and the upcoming final Mandrake 9.1 with Mandrake's Gaël Duval earlier today. Heres is an excerpt of that discussion.
MozillaQuest Magazine: Will there be any more
Mandrake 9.1 RCs?
Gaël Duval: Yes, a RC2.
MozillaQuest Magazine Are you still looking at early
April for the Mandrake 9.1 release?
Gaël Duval: Should be end of March actually.
MozillaQuest Magazine: What's new and improved in
Mandrake 9.1?
Gaël Duval: We have started a process of ergonomic improvements. So you will notice changes in the installation process. We also introduce a special Mandrake theme (currently called "Galaxy", but the name will maybe change at final release). The theme is currently only visible under GNOME and is not enabled by default (you have to go to the users preferences, choose theme, and select "Galaxy"). But it's a very nice theme :-) It will be available in both KDE & GNOME at final. You will also notice improvements in fonts. There are more anti-aliased fonts.
New features also include NTFS partition resizing, zeroconf support, and others, such as a new supermount that should be more solid than ever.
Mandrake is one of the leading and most popular Linux OS distributions.
MozillaQuest Magazine found Mandrake Linux 9.0 to be Desktop Magic You Can Use right out of the box.
MandrakeSoft currently produces and distributes Mandrake Linux 9.0, which comes in three-CD Standard ($30), seven-CD PowerPack ($69), and eight-CD plus one workstation DVD ProSuite ($199) editions. The basic, standard three-CD version also is available for free downloading. Mandrake 9.1 will update and replace Mandrake 9.0.
MandrakeSoft also produces and distributes Mandrake Linux
Corporate Server 2.1, which according to MandrakeSoft
provides all the tools needed to create a full-featured enterprise
network, complete with the latest up-to-date software and security
updates.
The Mandrake Linux PowerPack and Standard editions are designed for individual users, and the ProSuite Edition is created for small and medium-sized enterprises. The Corporate Server 2.1 release announcement states that Mandrake Linux Corporate Server 2.1 is
a comprehensive and versatile Linux solution that provides large
accounts with critical business server functions . . . The Corporate
Server includes MandrakeClustering tools.
Here are just a few of the packages included in Mandrake 9.1-RC1.
There is a link to the full list of Mandrake 9.1-RC1 packages
in the Resources section at the end of this article.
