David Flynn12 November 2009, 8:30 AM
The netbook-friendly edition of Mandriva Linux boasts full hardware support for every currently-available Eee PC netbook, along with a USB flash drive installer.
Sure, there’s loads of desktop goodness in the fresh-baked Mandriva Linux 2010, but it’s on light-spec and low-cost netbooks where Linux enjoys its best chance of scoring a win over Windows.
So it’s understandable that Mandriva 2010 was built with an eye on the littlest of laptops, and even tucks a few firsts under its belt.
It’s the first Linux distro to include the complete Intel-backed Moblin 2.1 environment, which been designed for devices from netbooks down to mobile Internet pads. An alternative offering is the ‘Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment’ or
LXDE, which marries a rich interface with a minimal hardware.
Mandriva 2010 is the first Linux distro to bundle the full package of the Intel-backed Moblin Linux
Mandriva Linux 2010 also contains “full hardware support for every currently-available Eee (PC) model”, boasts the
Mandriva 2010 Tour.
“All the Mandriva configuration tools have been tested and tweaked where appropriate to fit into the lower resolution screens common on netbooks, and we have also tweaked some third-party applications for this restraint.”
The Mandriva 2010 ISO can also be copied onto and installed directly from a USB flash drive.