Most of the Linux distributions that we cover on It’s FOSS are based on either Ubuntu or Arch.
No, we have no affinity with Ubuntu or Arch, although personally I really enjoy using Manjaro. It’s just that most of the new Linux distributions are based on these two.
During discussions in the team we thought, why fixate on new distributions. Why not rely on the classic distributions? Distributions that do not belong to the DEB / Arch domain.
So today we’re going to be looking at an independent distribution that tends to swim against the current. We’ll look at PCLinuxOS.
What is PCLinuxOS?
In 2000, Bill Reynolds (aka Texstar) created a series of packages to improve Mandrake Linux, which later became Mandriva Linux. PCLinuxOS In 2003, Texstar first became a separate distribution when Texstar split up Mandrake. He said that he took the step because he “wanted to provide an outlet for my crazy desire to pack source code without having to deal with egos, arrogance and politics”.
As I said earlier, PCLinuxOS doesn’t follow the rest of the Linux world. PCLinuxOS does not use systemd. Instead it uses SysV init and “will continue to do so for the foreseeable future“.
It also has one of the strangest package management systems I have ever come across. PCLinuxOS uses apt and synaptic to handle RPM packets. Unlike most distributions that use either apt or rpm, PCLinuxOS is a rolling distribution. It also supports Flatpak.
The PCLinuxOS team offers three different versions: KDE, MATE and XFCE. The PCLinuxOS community also has a number of Community Publications with more desktop options.
- Modern Intel or AMD processor.
- 10 GB or more of free space recommended.
- At least 2 GB of RAM. – Recommended 4 GB or more.
- Any modern graphics card from Nvidia, ATI, Intel, SiS, Matrox or VIA.
- 3D desktop support requires a card compatible with the 3D instruction set.
- Any Sound Blaster, AC97, or HDA compatible card.
- A CD or DVD drive.
- Flash drives can also be used for installation, with PCLinuxOS LiveUSB script just for this purpose.
- In general, any onboard network card is sufficient.
- A high speed internet connection is recommended for updates / software installations if necessary.
Experience with PCLinuxOS
I originally met PCLinuxOS when I first stepped into the Linux world over 7 years ago. Back then, I tried distributions like crazy. I didn’t quite understand that at the time and ended up at Lubuntu.
Recently I was reminded of the distro when Matt Hartley, Community manager at OpenShot mentioned it on the Bryan Lunduke Podcast. PCLinuxOS is Hartley’s daily driver and has been for a while. Based on his comments, I decided to watch it again.
Smooth installation
After the installation, I booted into the MATE desktop environment (because I had to). In a dialog box I was asked if I would like to activate the update notifier. It’s always best to be up to date, so I did.
Handy set of utilities
In addition to the usual list of utilities, office programs, and web tools, PCLinuxOS has some interesting additions. Both Zoom (a video conferencing tool) and AnyDesk (a remote desktop application) are pre-installed for your remote work needs. The menu also includes an option to install VirtualBox GuestAdditions (if you have PCLinuxOS installed on VirtualBox).
Strong community
One of the cool things about PCLinuxOS is its strong community. This community creates a monthly E-magazine. Each issue contains news, tutorials, puzzles, and even recipes. The only other distribution (or family of distributions) that has supported community publishing for over 15 years is Ubuntu with the Full Circle Magazine. Make sure to check it out.
No hardware problems found (for my system)
This will be one of the last distros I’ll be reviewing on my Dell Latitude D630. (I’m upgrading to a newer Thinkpad.) One of the biggest problems I’ve had in the past has been with the Nvidia GPU working properly. I didn’t have any problems with PCLinuxOS. It just worked out of the box.
Final thoughts