Linux-100-Criteria

I have over 200 distributions and images stored all over my hard disks and CDs and DVDs and I continue to download at least a few more of them a week to test.

My search for (looking for) best hundred has being of no avail.

It is time for me to do it myself for the benefit of Linux fans and newbies.

Internet has being immensely helpful.
First of all I must thank the guys / girls of the following non-commercial sources and few commercial sources.

Number one goes to www.Distromania.com since they keep a catalog of old distributions and and also list the new and latest distributions.

www.Distrowatch.com also doing a good job of it but unfortunately they seem to miss some of the old ones.

Softpedia com has enormous number of pages and like Distrowatch.com do not keep a repository of old distribution images and their links.

Linux online also list distribution in their site.

Linux Live CD list is the only one which list the distributions according to to the types, education, games. desktop, multimedia. science, medicine etc.

I recommend this site for anybody who is choosy for a particular type say for kids, education.

Elive for at least releasing the development version free.

There are many more and thanks to all of them.

Couple of years ago the story was different one had to browse or read a Linux Bible to gather information, Now these guys who write books do not bother to update them since the task is extremely difficult due to the pace at which Linux is moving.

Only a rocket scientist can keep pace with.

My attempt is to fill this void.

I thought of using somewhat scientific approach using my own criteria.

My criteria are based the practical difficulties we face in this country due to poor (comparatively better compared to India but no where near the capabilities of Singapore) Internet service and download speed.

It is practically impossible to download a DVD more than 1 GB. 

It takes ages even for that.

So I have concentrated on CD rather than DVDs.

My impression, it is better for us to have number of CDS rather than DVDs.

I used to download up to 7 Debian CDS in the past when we had only Redhat and Mandriva.

To decide my 100 Linux distributions of choice I will use many criteria.

1. Live CD which can be installed on hard disk 25 points

2. Easy access to Internet 20 points

3. Automatically Configure Internet 30 points

4. Browser (ideally FireFox) Capability 10 points

5. Other browsers 05 points
6. Google gadgets but not essential 10 points
7. Skype 15 points
8. Office Package (Abiword or Open office) 15 points
9. Light Weight (very important) 30 points
10. CD burner, very important(ideally K3B) 20 for K3B and 5 for others
11. Stable Grub configuration 30 points
12. Partitioning tool is essential(ideally Gparted) 30 points
13. Light weight games 20 points
14. Ability to clean up the temporary file at boot up 50 points
15. Updates and Package management 10 points
16. Reliability (most of them are) 50 points
17. Many versions form Mini to LXDE to Standard and Children's 25 points for each
18. Speed at start up (most of them are slow except YOPER) 100 points
19. Quick installation 20 points
20. Multi-Language in addition to English 25 points
21. Separate administrator in addition to normal user 50 points
22. Digikam and Gimp 20 points
23. Media Players including ability play itunes and divx 30 points
24. Type of Desktops (Genome / KDE/ Fluxbox) 25 points
25. Down loader that start from where one has left / stopped earlier 50 points
26. Infrequent Cycles of Change (new distributions) but frequent updates 50 points
27. USB boot op 30 points
28. Live CD creator 20 points
29. Wine (window emulation) 20 points
30. Apple Emulation 30 points
31. Innovative approach like GOBO and YOPER 100 points

32. Home web site and the facility for registration and writing reviews 100 points
33, Scientific packages like statistics 100 points

34. Blender (Maya equivalent) 200 points

35. Children Educational packages with games 300 points

I will start with Linux Mint, gos 3.1 gadgets and Berry to begin with, which is a cute one. 
Children educational packages I have given bonus marks since they should be developed as separate distributions such as youknow4kids, Knoppix for kids and sugar.
Asoka

4^th April, 2010

Paradox-03

March, 31, 2010 

Geopolitics is changing
And especially so
In Sri-Lankan terms
And its demographic
Activities and outcomes


I fail to understand
Why the so called
Political pundits
Educated only in Sinhala
Especially the journalist and media
Have failed to recognize
The fact of life
Of current politics


Nearly 4 million voters
Have not utilized
The franchise
This time around
Which is nearly 30%
Who have no trust
On the system
Or the system has failed
To recognize
Their need to participate
As living souls


If I break this down
Further
1.5 million
Which is 75%
Of the Tamil vote
Disowned
And turned a blind eye
To their aspirations


That is 15%
Of the total population


Nearly 50%
Of the Muslim community
Which add up to
Half a million
Abstained from voting


In other words
Nearly 20%
Of the ethnic minority
Did not engage
In participatory democracy



Why is this indifference
In our 5 Star democracy?


2 millions
Of the Sinhala majority
Especially the young
And the first time voters
For some reason or the other
Have not participated
In this activity
In spite of the
Freedom gained from
The ruthless conflict
Of violence


Abstained
And no true participation!


When we add
The little over 4 million
Who voted against
The ruling majority
Staggering figure
Of 8 million
Which is almost
60% of the total
Have no leader or leaders


This is an aberration
Which the Professor Edward De Bone
Highlights in his new wisdom book
"Think before it is too late"
Meant for the new millennium
Of geopolitics


A lateral thinking
In true practice


The fact of the matter
Of our democracy is
That the 40%
Of the vociferous extremists
Of the ruling elite
Run the show
Disregarding
The silent majority


My guess is that,
Come the Sinhala and Tamil New Year
Another 1 million
Will not vote
Adding the number
Of disenchanted mass
To over 5 million
Of the total electorate
Which is staggering 40%


In actual fact
Over 6 million (43%)
Twice as much
As my forecast
Did not participate
But doing shopping
For the New Year
Instead of polling

Edited on the 10th of April

Paradox-02

March, 29, 2010 

Many moons ago
When we got together
On a social occasion
With spirits high
Both in verbosity
And alcohol content
We had analyzed
("I" eliminated on copyright basis)
The undergraduates
Who would take up
Politics
Instead academic
And intellectual activities

On a case by case basis
In the yesteryear scenario
The analysis
Would emerge like this

There was a guy
Who was not handsome
And unable to get hitched
To to suitable element
Of the opposite
Take respite
On the unthinkable



Another guy
Not so smart in physique
Unable to compete
Or take part
In any sport
Including rugger
Becomes an instant
Socialist


Then there was a guy
Who could not crack a joke
Or enjoy a flash
Of irrelevancy
In good spirit
Or take part in
The Sing Song Band
Or the "Gonpart Army"
Just like the "Barmy Army"
Take up
The Marxist ideology


Then there was a guy
Not eloquent in "Kaduwa"
But had all
The vulgarity
In his mother tongue
Ingrained in his system
And the life style
Paste and posted
All the "Kela Paththara"
On the walls


Then there was
A shadowy guy
Who frequented the
Unauthorized quarters
Especially at night
Lot to hide
But little to show
In character
Was the most vociferous


Unfortunately
These guys
Even though few in number
In our times
Repeatedly
Failed their examinations
And were the unwanted
In their own backyards
Ended up as
"Permanent Gajayas"
Existing on the
Union money
Use politics of the extremes
To regain
Some sort of identity


And there was
No other way
In this democratic society
Of ours
For the these guys
To survive
Other than parasites
In the vague politics
Of little substance
Or relevance


Fortunately
In our times
These guys were
Extremely intelligent
Who did come
On merits
Not on area basis
Realized their fallacious
And out of the fray activity
By the time
They failed the examination
For the third time
Rehabilitated
Out of politics
In good time
And never entered
The august assembly
Or the legislature


But strangely enough
When I analyze
The current situ
And the state of affairs
Of our modern society
There is striking coincidence
That the very same type
Of guys without rehabilitation
End up in our parliament
Who fail in our
Free
School Education System
Some of them
Even as Ministers
Holding important portfolios
Providing instant jokes
To the Media
And the Masses


For them
It is their very
Survival that matters
But not the welfare
Of the voter
Who voted them in
In the day to day
Affairs of our democracy


If that
Is not a wonder
What would be
The paradox
Of our times?

Paradox-01

March 27, 2010 

In democracy
It is the voter
That matters.

But not so
In our democracy.


It is the elected
That matters.

That also the highest!

The lowest of all
The House of
Not so commoners
Does matter
As mouth pieces
Of democracy
But subservient
To the dictates
Of the party boss