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Mandrakelinux (formerly Mandrake Linux) is a Linux distribution created by Mandrakesoft. The first release was based on Red Hat Linux (version 5.1) and KDE (version 1.0) in July 1998. It has since diverged from Red Hat and has included a number of original tools mostly to ease system configuration. Mandrakelinux is also notable for compiling its packages with optimizations for Pentium-class and more advanced processors which are incompatible with older CPU versions such as 386 and 486. Mandrakelinux was originated by Gaël Duval, who was also a co-founder of Mandrakesoft.  Mandrakelinux logo Mandrakelinux 10.1 Community desktop (w/KDE)
Features The major features that Mandrakelinux has are:
Internationalization Mandrakelinux supports over 68 languages
Installation, control and administration Mandrakelinux uses the Mandrake Control Center for administration of Linux rather than using a text editor to change settings. It has many programs known as Drakes or Draks, collectively named drakxtools, to configure many different settings. Examples include MouseDrake to set up a mouse, DiskDrake to set up disk partitions and drakconnect (previously known as draknet but forced to change its name after a company of the same name complained) to set up a network connection. They are written using GTK and Perl, and most of them can run in both graphical and text mode.
Software Mandrakelinux comes with several thousand software packages including many varieties of games, office software, servers, and Internet utilities.
Community Mandrakelinux has a large community of users, that provide help, support, and software to the user of Mandrakelinux.
Constant development Mandrakelinux is constantly in development. A development version of Mandrakelinux, known as the "Cooker" is publicly available, but it is not recommended for use in a production environment because of the constant changes going on in it.
Next to that, community members provide RPMs for the latest packages of popular software.
Optimization From the ground up, Mandrakelinux was compiled for Pentium-class processors. As a result, Mandrakelinux provides more optimal performace to this CPU Architecture at the cost of being unusable by the 386 and 486 processors, a problem that rapidly faded out due to current CPU power and memory requirements of latest versions of the popular software.
The provided kernel and glibc have enhancements for more recent processors. For example, the glibc will load libraries from the special directory /lib/i686 if the detected processor is compatible.
Desktops Mandrakelinux is geared to use KDE or GNOME as the standard desktops, but includes others such as IceWM, Blackbox, Window Maker and Twm. A unique theme known as "Mandrakegalaxy" provides consistency between applications and desktop environments. Mandrakegalaxy debuted in version 9.1 and Mandrakegalaxy II appared in 10.0. A variant of Mandrakegalaxy is "Mandrakegalaxy Squared", which uses square window buttons rather than round ones.
Package manager Mandrakelinux uses a package manager called urpmi. It uses the RPM package format. It is similar to apt-get: it allows seamless installation of a given software package by automatically installing the other packages needed, possibly transparently over the network. Urpmi also has a front-end called RPMdrake, which the majority of users use to install software in Mandrakelinux. Although web sources for urpmi are not added on the installation of Mandrakelinux, they are available at EasyUrpmi (http://easyurpmi.zarb.org/), which allows the user to choose several different versions of 'RPM Tree' to utilise.
Name changes From its inception to version 8.0, Mandrake named its flagship distribution Linux-Mandrake. From version 8.1 to 9.2 it was called Mandrake Linux.
In February 2004 MandrakeSoft lost a court case against Hearst Corporation, owners of King Features Syndicate. Hearst contends that MandrakeSoft is infringing upon King Features' trademarked character Mandrake the Magician. The word Mandrake is not unique to the King Features character, and MandrakeSoft is appealing the decision. As a precaution, MandrakeSoft has renamed its products by removing the space between the brand name and the product name and changing the first letter of the product name to lower case, thus creating one word. Starting from version 10.0, Mandrake Linux became known as Mandrakelinux, and its logo changed accordingly. Similarly, MandrakeMove became Mandrakemove.
Versions
Variants of the same version Prior to Mandrakelinux 10.0, there was one central distribution which was marketed to consumers and made available for download over the Internet (besides the offspring, detailed below). The development tree of Mandrakelinux has always been known as Cooker. When stabilised, this tree becomes the successor to the current version.
Latest version The latest version 10.1 Community Edition was released to Mandrakeclub members and on Mandrakestore on 27 October 2004, and for free download to the public on 6 December 2004. This is in line with MandrakeSoft's new strategy of making releases available first to paying customers.
The next planned release of Mandrakelinux will be 10.2, which is currently in Beta 1 stage. Its Community Edition was released on 2 February 2005, and the Official Edition will follow in March or early April. The largest changes from 10.1 will include: use of KDE 3.3 instead of 3.2 and GNOME 2.8 instead of 2.6, replacing Mozilla by Mozilla Firefox, transition to GIMP 2.2 and GCC 3.4, and changes in the Mandrakelinux Control Centre.
The Free Edition contains some advertisements in the form of bookmarks in the web browser and slides during installation, to help cover the costs of producing the distribution.
Table of versions Mandrakelinux | Year | Number | Name | | 1998 | 5.1 | Venice | | 1998 | 5.2 | Leeloo | | 1999 | 5.3 | Festen | | 1999 | 6.0 | Venus | | 1999 | 6.1 | Helios | | 2000 | 7.0 | Air | | 2000 | 7.1 | Helium | | 2000 | 7.2 | Ulysses | | 2001 | 8.0 | Traktopel | | 2001 | 8.1 | Vitamin | | 2002 | 8.2 | Bluebird | | 2002 | 9.0 | Dolphin | | 2003 | 9.1 | Bamboo | | 2003 | 9.2 | FiveStar | | 2004 | 10.0 | Community and Official | | 2004 | 10.1 | Community | | 2004 | 10.1 | Official | | N/A | N/A | Cooker |
Offspring Distributions that are based on Mandrakelinux, some by MandrakeSoft itself, others by independent projects. Some maintain compatibility with Mandrakelinux, so that installing a Mandrakelinux RPM also works on the offspring.
Firewall Linux Mandrake 7.2 had a version tailored specifically for use as a firewall, known as Single Network Firewall (SNF). Its successor, based on Mandrake 8.2, was titled Multi Network Firewall (MNF). The third iteration will be based upon Mandrakelinux 10.0.
These firewall distributions are designed to provide security for computer networks, and can be administered remotely via a Web browser based interface or ssh. There are two versions. The Download Edition contains only free software and is freely downloadable via the Internet. The corporate version has added functionality and comes with support from MandrakeSoft.
Gaming edition Mandrake Linux 8.1 had a Gaming Edition, which was a game oriented Linux distribution. It had a port of The Sims and used the Transgaming WineX technology to support some games produced for Windows.
CLIC CLIC (aka Cluster LInux pour le Calcul) is a dedicated version of Mandrakelinux created by MandrakeSoft specifically for clustering environments.It was sponsorised by the RNTL, others partners are ID-IMAG, BULL and Mandrakesoft. This project's aim was to produce a HPC Linux Distribution for 32 & 64 bits processors.
The objective of project CLIC is to allow the realization of large scientific computers while being based on software known as "free" (i.e. under licence GPL or comparable). The objective consists of the realization a GNU/Linux distribution for clusters of machines, meeting the needs for deployment, administration and programming of clusters within the framework of exploitation for intensive calculation.
It features an automated installation of a full cluster using the Ka tools, urpmi and the clusterscripts.
This project was finished on 1 December 2003 and Mandrakesoft decided to continue that project with a product called Mandrakeclustering.
You can find more details on http://clic.mandrakesoft.com
Mandrakeclustering Based on the CLIC project, this distribution allow you to setup a cluster in a few hours. This product includes Drakcluster (GUI) for a better ease-of-use. You can add/remove nodes with only two questions !
This product is dedicated to the HPC market but it could be use also (with some modifications) to all kind of clusters (High Availabilty, applicative, grid, ...). This platform give you the tools you need for a day-to-day administration of hundreds of nodes. Parallel commands (bash, copying tools), deploiement (disks), software upgrade/downgrade (urpmi parallel), monitoring (ganglia), etc.
Mandrakeclustering is available on x86 & x86-64 architectures.
More informations at http://www.mandrakesoft.com/products/clustering
Mandrakemove A LiveMove is the set formed by a LiveCD and a bootfloppy or USB key.
Mandrakemove is a MandrakeSoft product that benefits from a Mandrakelinux LiveCD which doesn't need to be installed to run on a computer, and a USB key that automatically records bootloader, hardware configuration and personal data.
The first version of Mandrakemove was released in December 2003 (but only distributed to customers in January 2004, due to production delays - a problem very common to Mandrakelinux releases, unfortunately). It brought two main innovations compared to competitors:
- ability to eject the cdrom if the machine has 256 MB of RAM or more (Knoppix also can, but needs to copy the whole cdrom into RAM, therefore needs a machine with 1 GB of RAM or more), and continue to operate in a "downgraded" mode allowing only to play multimedia files
- transparent save of any user modification of his/her own files and system configuration files, if operated with a USB key
The new version of Mandrakemove, now simply called Move was released in October 2004. Hardware support and stability have seen much improvement.
GlobeTrotter GlobeTrotter is a LaCie mobile USB drive loaded with a specific version of Mandrakelinux. Like Move, it can boot most PCs into Linux without installing first. The 40 GB hard drive makes it a convenient way to carry a Linux workstation around. GlobeTrotter was launched in August 2003 and can be ordered through Mandrakesoft's online store.
See also
External links - Mandrakelinux (http://www.mandrakelinux.com)
- Mandrakelinux 10.0 features (http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/10.0/features/)
- Mandrakelinux wiki (http://qa.mandrakesoft.com/twiki/bin/view/Main/MandrakeLinux)
- MandrakeSoft (http://www.mandrakesoft.com)
- Mandrakelinux torrents (http://www.solidz.com/torrents/)
- Clic (http://clic.mandrakesoft.com/index-en.html)
- Move (http://www.mandrakesoft.com/products/move)
- GlobeTrotter (http://www.mandrakesoft.com/products/globetrotter)
- Urpmi.org (http://www.urpmi.org)
- Shareholder newsletter regarding the Hearst lawsuit (http://www.mandrakesoft.com/company/investors/newsletter/sn040214)
- http://www.mandrakeclub.nl (MandrakeLinux Dutch website)
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