OSNews: Review of Xandros Desktop 1.0

“Linux users might be a little surprised that during boot up
Xandros doesn’t have kernel or init messages scrolling up the
screen. Instead there are a couple of little messages ticking off
the completion of their tasks (Checking root filesystem…OK,
Checking all filesystems…OK). It’s just one of the touches
designed to bring Linux a little closer to the Windows experience,
kinda like the little flare music as the desktop opens and
closes.

“The Xandros desktop itself is a customized KDE 2.2.2 (the
Launch button has the Xandros logo) on XFree4.2. After the initial
reboot and login the user will encounter the First Run Wizard. The
Wizard guides the user through a few further simple setting options
such as mouse button settings, regional settings and date and time,
printer settings, and some system behaviour (such as Windows look
alike options, among them the Default, KDE etc.). Not to mention
electronic registration of your shiny new Xandros product.

“Xandros has it’s own desktop file system manager that’s quick,
configurable and more or less looks like Windows Explorer (more
Windows 9X than XP). Xandros automatically mounts all other
partitions under the folder Other Filesystems (from the command
line they’re parked under /disks.). Some of the intricacies of
Linux are still there. Click above /home and a Windows user might
get confused by /root, /usr, /etc. The key to sorting it out is to
remember that more or less the same names and look are present.
Keep it in mind and no one should get terribly confused in normal
user mode in the home directory…”

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