[ Thanks to Robert
Law for this link. ]
Mandrake 8.0 vs. Red Hat 7.1: the newest of two popular distros
are compared here, with Mandrake getting a nod for being more
up-to-the-minute in the packages it includes, and the reviewer
looking upon the out-of-the-box use of ReiserFS with favor.
Readers will note a few of the related stories below, which
outline how to get ReiserFS on Red Hat 7.1, and the fact that
previous reviewers have complained about Mandrake’s GNOME 1.4
packages being suboptimal compared to what you can get from Ximian.
How much does what comes out of the box matter to you?
“Both distributions have their merits. Red Hat has
focused more on the business uses of Linux, trying to get Linux
accepted in the workplace. Mandrake has focused on the end user
experience, making a distribution targeted toward new users who are
wondering what Linux is or who are excited by the idea of escaping
from Microsoft’s software-clutches. In the end, I have to say that
I prefer Mandrake — it seems more tightly integrated than Red Hat,
and is more up to date, as well as supporting ReiserFS, a feature I
adore. I will be recommending Mandrake over Red Hat to people who
come to me interested in Linux. This is a lesson in Open Source —
Mandrake took Red Hat, and improved upon it, and now it pulls
ahead. Perhaps the lesson will be turned around — Red Hat could
learn a thing or two from Mandrake, maybe even integrating some of
Mandrake’s changes into its own distribution.”