cleaverb s computer life

Vector Linux 6.0 KDE Classic is A++++ part 2

I would like to start with a link to a video on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FSpvFPglhw

It features a ‘walk-through’ of the Vector Linux 6.0 KDE Classic menus and interface. It was just uploaded a few days ago, and it is very clear.  If this is your first look at Linux , please realize that not all Linux operating systems (or distros) look this ‘classic’ . This is distro features the KDE 3.5 , where as KDE is now up to version 4. This also demonstrates the speed at which VL 6 runs on a typical computer…fast! And they have a saying at VL, “At the speed of light” computing. Seriously , I want to make a video of booting up Windows XP on my computer, and then run Firefox. Reboot, and then boot VL 6.0  . And load the same version of Firefox there. That’s for another time.

Like they say, Vector Linux is based on Slackware, which is really fast. this is very different from Ubuntu. I’m not going to pick on Ubuntu. It’s the only other distro I tried. My Ubuntu install lasted about 30 minutes. It was too modern a style for me.

Think about my last post: It takes 10 minutes to install VL 6.0 KDE Classic. And when the install is done, Firefox, Flashplayer, Java , and everything you need is installed . Maybe I am lucky. Yet think about Windows: At least an hour to install Windows, Drivers for your devices, and then you do the updates, install YOUR software, reboot a few times, add more updates… it goes on and on. It can take 1-4 hours if you need to load your documents and settings. In TEN MINUTES =VL6.0 KDE Classic is up and running. The VL user is surfing the ‘net’ while you are still typing in your license number !!!!  Yeah, I know: Jumping off the Windows cliff is hard to do.

The improvements over VL 5.8 SOHO :

In 5.8 , I had to adjust the screen refresh rate every time i booted. Yes, i could have edited the configuration files…yet even after checking every box for every user to ‘save settings and load on kde startup’ , it never did re-load them.

A simple fix, and I knew that it was. In 6.0 those check boxes work properly.

In 5.8 , my second partition was not mounted on boot. I ran the procedure, and the first time it worked. But never again.

I would list the updated software, but that is obvious after 2 years .

Things VL 6.0 KDE Classic that could be better:

I’m going to ‘nit-pick’ here, because a lack of web browser choices is too similar to Windows and IE . Honestly, “Hey this distro fits on a CD-R . ” Shush. I downloaded and installed FF 2 and SeaMonkey .

Firefox 3 is a bit unstable. I crashed it watching a YouTube video on my laptop. That was in the ‘experimental stage’ of testing 6.0 .Then, I found that a flash picture gallery on a news website would display parts of my desktop in place of the photos. I really wondered if it had been hacked.

And that is all , so far. I want to be honest, and try to remember all the ‘little things’ I tend to overlook.  Like HAL ate my floppy drive. But that is a user problem, and the user needs to fix it. Not a VL fault.

VL 6.0 Positives: Like the guy in the video says, VL 6.0 boots up in about 20 seconds. It shuts down in about 10-12 seconds. Think about it .

I have different settings for different users. It remembers them all.

There is now a way to adjust your computers dual display. If you have two monitors. Granted, it could be fixed in the configuration files. Now its graphical.

They kept the ‘classic’ desktop backgrounds, splash screens and themes.

They added fonts. My gawd, I have Arial and Verdana in Vector Linux. Amen. There is a lot more fonts than just the sans serif stuff in 5.8 . Beautiful.

I could rave on, and we will in our next post. Watch the video, think about trying it.