last night and early morning made public the first release candidate Mandriva 2011 , and if in its early stages of development and we have a very seductive promise, what is can see right now is awesome with all the letters. But not everything is shining, there are also contrasts. Let’s take a look, right?

Before this tour which offers Mandriva 2011 RC1 , we do things backwards, and then offer you the download links as well as going down unto you (if not you have done already), going reading (remember it is a trial version, not suitable for production equipment).

The first two are direct downloads, the second is a link to the full list of mirrors, if the previous very slow you down (yes, not all are updated yet):

Mandriva 2011 RC1

Mandriva 2011 RC1

Servers

What is not

not seen the technical issue is the most boring subject. In this regard Mandriva 2011 is risking software offering “bleeding edge” as RPM 5, but removing this, it will have to prove at the time, the news that we can find in this version of advanced development are typical: new versions of basic components to any system based desktop Linux has today .

Essential

but boring, so it will give a good account of the making of Mandriva 2011 at the time, as you play. Today we repeat this exercise (almost all distributions offer the same) in pursuit of more interesting things, starting with the first to be noticed, than meets the eye …

Elementary, but scented ROSA

of the complaints were beginning to emerge in my mind due to all the visuals of the distribution was going to completely style based on the Oxygen Elementary lately is up in the soup as desktops GTK + refers . It is a style (colors, windows, widgets, icons) very elegant, but overexposure to make us weary of the most distinguished, and especially with the icons of this theme was missing more stuff.

first and found it pleasant change to the system boot image – LiveCD mode, or installation, it is the same, you can see in the header of this article. Those icons are part of the team’s work is incorporated ROSA in this release, are a delight and WIN , really. A picture is worth a thousand words:

A little before reaching the desktop, where it is proper startup animation system , the change is small but very subtle, very happy, from dolphins (Penguin !) to a very delicate Mandriva logo on a pale blue, albeit with the same animation. It was time for more or liked that style, either way here’s the picture to judge for yourselves:

But back to the desk because the first image of this section gives rise to the curious: the visual theme of the entire desktop Elementary with a PINK , a combination that is leaving death and computer desktop configuration adapted to its end, look at Dolphin.

There are many people who say how difficult it is KDE, if you have a thousand configurations … and it is true, this is one of its main strengths. Why any distribution seems to have wanted to take advantage until now, that possibility configuration, is a mystery, because many users have their own hands (myself) things similarly. The penalty here is that they have dared to configure all applications in this way (all possible at least), there is still time but it is difficult to put on it now.

far “the makeup of the Blonde,” which dazzles everyone to watch and certainly they are staying out of ten, except maybe some loose detail.

new desktop

ROSA talking about the desktop, but is that ROSA and Mandriva are one now, or if they were, because removing some really interesting things that we discuss below, much of the new essence of Mandriva 2011 will belongs to this group of Russian developers , the real architects of this twist to KDE as never before had ever done.

ROSA

desktop up all the visual style of the distribution, but also includes some pieces shaped plasmoid really interesting that despite being a bit green yet . From the new application launcher screen almost completely with timeline included-you can see in the image below, via the configuration panel, a both PCLinuxOS if I may say, up with so many possibilities StackFolder defects.

I consider the added

practical ROSA, given their total commitment to them, as a fundamental part of what will be the user experience of Mandriva 2011. But we still are not ready and have little time for them to be.

For example, the behavior of the new menu is much improved since Beta 3, but still feels heavier than it should a component of these features. The panel configuration is somewhat burdened by default (anything that does not solve a couple of clicks) and StackFolders, folder views these vitamins do not work as , do not care what is shown on screen as if they are resized themselves. We will see in its final version.

arrives “Mandriva One”

called that, but we understand, Mandriva 2011 includes its own storage service and synchronization of files in the cloud as Ubuntu One, exclusively for its users. With up to 2 GB of free space, is still in beta testing and all that is done in the service until its coming-out will be removed so we repeat: just testing .

2Safe and this service will be called, is supported on the desktop by a client created by ROSA Labs A couple of sample images:

We could not test this synchronization, but look good as new, we are afraid to stay only for users of Mandriva , so for anyone with different systems is not very useful, just as with Ubuntu One For the time being should focus on upgrading the security certificates, because you get a notice the browser is not a good presentation.

Applications

predetermiandas

applications that comes with any GNU / Linux are usually the least of the problems of the user, as a few clicks are enough to leave things to taste. Still, what he’s doing little things Mandriva is a little strange, a pro-KDE distro that has as main tools for Firefox and Thunderbird … well, we accept octopus, but what looks Shotwell instead digiKam or pitivi instead of Kdenlive? What’s the big GTK +

Passing

user applications, what about the developments expected in the system tools that relates? The new additions such as Mandriva software manager or users are not ready yet, so it is doubtful that are within a few months , especially if we consider the importance of that software.

, no problem with the previous point as the Mandriva Control Center business as usual , perhaps with some drake less, while retaining the other functions . Speaking of Linux distributions, Mandriva is still high in this section

There is much more to tell of Mandriva 2011 RC1, but there is time to do so. What appears at the end of August can be very large or a house of cards bright but brittle, and this assumption merits explanation: Mandriva has always had a very clear strengths as a GNU / Linux accessible to the new user stable and finished , and I mean finished quite round, like it or not what they offered.

This time

Mandriva 2011 is betting strong , and issues such as its new desktop style, still unfinished, can upset the expectations of many. There is a saying, redundant, “ much covers little press “. It would be sad with all the eggs in one basket, Mandriva does not reach the required level. I worry a little user experience and stability of the system, as I say, because things will break, but not reach the excellence we all expect.

Because, friends, with all due respect, Mandriva distro is no more , and that this statement is true must be validated each time you enter the arena. In two months we’ll know.