|
|
Like many distributions of Linux, Mandriva Linux has developed a split personality of sorts.
Mandriva distributes value-added versions of Mandriva Linux complete with numerous utilities,
applications, and support. The core Mandriva development effort produces an unsupported, but
just as useful, version of the core Mandriva build. With this "free" copy, called Mandriva Linux
Free, you get the OS and the basic utilities and applications but no access to the Mandriva Club or
commercial add-on software (DVD players, multimedia plug-ins, and so on). Mandriva One represents
a live CD, reduced set of the Mandriva Linux Free software.
Mandriva Club allows folks with a paid membership to access early builds; the full suite of downloadable
one-click applications; and forums, support, and downloads of current releases using its
club-memberonly bit torrent system. It also gives you access to commercial software (such as
Flash plug-ins and NVIDIA drivers) that cannot be freely distributed. For someone trying to make
Linux a desktop system for use by folks coming from Apple and Microsoft GUI operating systems,
these added features are extremely useful.
RPM Repository on Mandriva Club
The Mandriva Club Web site (http://club·mandrivaˇcom) has a massive collection of software
that is tested for use with Mandriva and is directly accessible to members. (A nonmember can view
the available packages, but will not be able to access the files without providing a valid Mandriva
Club membership.) A search tool and various precompiled lists by category, creation date, product
name, maintaining organization/user, and distributor are features of this site.
To find mirror sites that host packages for Mandriva, refer to the Mandriva Club Mirror Finder (see
http://club·mandrivaˇcom and select Downloads Mirror Finder). In addition to finding
software in the main Mandriva distribution, you can search Club software repositories that include
commercial software, JPackage software, club contributions, and software that is still in testing.
|
