I haven't installed a new linux distro since Mandrake 7.0. And why bother? With autoconf and such, it's relatively easy to download and compile your own apps. Even building a new kernel isn't too much of a hassle, and since I built 2.4.20, I've had no real need to update anything.
Boy have I missed out!
I just brought an old machine (an ancient K6-233 with 64 Mb RAM) back to life with a fresh install of Mandrake 10.1. Instead of rolling my own kernel, making my own partitions, and compiling my own apps, I just let the installer do its thing. And it was flawless, working fine on the first boot, and auto-detecting all hardware, including a WinTV card and a Belkin PCMCIA WiFi card seated in a PCI adapter.
SSH was configured out of the box, so remote management was a piece of cake. And with the help of the Easy URPMI site, I was installing new software packages with ease.
I'm so impressed with Mandrake and URPMI, I'm beginning to wonder: are the days of rolling your own linux distro over? Or have they been gone for a while, and I'm just now finding out?
