Ubuntu VS PCLinuxOS DIlemma!

So a few days ago, I tried downloading and burning an image of PCLinuxOS and there were many problems with getting it to work, either the images I downloaded were bad, or my burning was bad. So, I decided to purchase a LiveCD, and I did. However, before the LiveCD came to me, I downloaded an image of Ubuntu, tried burning it and using it, and it worked! I have been using Ubuntu for the past few days and I love it. Today, I received PCLinuxOS in the mail. However, I'm wondering, should I send back the PCLinuxOS disc and get my money back ($6.80 --- cost of LiveCD + shipping) or just keep it? Is it worth keeping? What advantages does it have over Ubuntu? Give me your thoughts please. Thanks

 

The CD of PCLinuxOS 2007 is really almost a 1 year old release. There is a new release being worked on that is expected real soon now. On the other hand, you can probably get the new release simply by installing all the updates available through Synaptic (by now it amounts to several hundred megabytes worth of updates).

I just finished testing all the major distributions available right now. In the end, I still found PCLinuxOS to be my favorite, but I liked Mint 4.0 as well. Mint is a little better than Ubuntu, in my opinion. PClinuxOS is just a very good distro where normally everything just works. In testing Ubuntu I had to resort to using the command line a few times. In PClinuxOS this is a much less frequent occurrence. PCLinuxOS uses KDE. In fact, I think it is the ultimate KDE distro. Ubuntu is a GNOME distro. Testing Kubuntu I found that it felt like Ubuntu's step little brother. It is evident that it does not get the same level of attention as Ubuntu.

As to what to do about the CD, I would keep it. I mean, really, the price was not much. Was it? Why not have both OSs installed. If you can spare about 5 or 7 GB on your hard drive it will be more than enough for PCLinuxOS. I am about to publish the findings of my testing. I will post a link on this forum in the next day or two so you can read it. I think you will find it very beneficial in helping you make a decision.

 

Thanks! Yeah, it wasn't that expensive, and I think having 2 distros of linux can't hurt at all. I should probably try PCLinuxOS out a bit more before I fully judge whether or not it's worth keeping.

 

I say keep it. Sending it back usually isn't worth the hassle. Besides, it's a $7 product; and not $70. Haven't used PCLinuxOS, so I can't say how it performs, but I concur with rm2 in that Linux Mint is a bit better than Ubuntu.

 

In using Linux for some time now I have found that it takes a while to find the distro that just fits so to speak. I would install it and take it for a test run. I have a few distro's that I really like myself for one reason or another, but I still hop around a bit to see if there is something that just fits my needs better. I have used both and they are both good. I think it comes down to how it fits your needs, go ahead and give it a try. The worst that will happen is you spend a few hours playing with something you may not like.

 

Or, you may play with these distros and discover you like both.

I have two very cheap eMachines desktops. Each is dual-booted with XP and Linux. One has PCLOS, the other Ubuntu. I like each OS equally well, but connecting to the Internet wirelessly is a little easier with Ubuntu than with PCLOS. The PCLOS machine is connected directly to the router, and the Ubuntu machine is in another room and uses an adapter to connect. Can't even remember the last time I bothered with Windows.

I've never done it, but I'm pretty sure you can triple-boot (I'm assuming you want to keep Windows, too). If there's enough space remaining on your hdd, maybe you should give both distros a shot.

 

I wonder how the bootloader will configure itself then?

 

Good question, Amol. Going to try and look into this tomorrow. If it's possible I may do it myself . . . and then find another distro to fool with a bit.

 

Agreed you may like both, but is that really bad?

Not sure about the boot loader for three systems. My guess is that you may have to configure it yourself some. But there is a lot of information on the net to do that. I usually just dual boot a windows partition or just use Linux.

 

I haven't installed 3 systems at the same time but I guess the bootloader of the last one detects the existing distros....if not then it's simple to configure by adding a couple of lines in GRUB's menu.lst

 

This is the safe way to do it:

- Install Windows.
- Install some Linux version. Almost all of them will add Windows as an option to the bootloader.
- Install a new Linux distro making sure that you tell it to install Grub on "the root partition". This sounds confusing, but "the root partition" refers to the partition where this distro is being installed, not the root partition of the disk. In other words, make sure that any subsequent Linux distro you install doesn't install to the boot sector of the disk.
- Manually edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst on the first Linux distro you installed, and copy and paste the entries that you want from the /boot/grub/menu.lst on any subsequent Linux distro you install.

Clear as mud?

 

I understood that, but then again I am kept in the dark most of the time.

Basically when installing the 3rd distro instead of installing grub to the mbr have it load to / or the /root and then edit your first grub list with the addition from the last install.