UserLinux Beta 1: The Precursor to the Next Enterprise Linux Distro? - page 3

Setting The Enterprise Stage

Since UserLinux Beta 1, is also by definition a 'Beta,' it's not exactly production ready. Nowhere is this more evident than in the current state of its Net ISO installer, which in its current form is a far cry from where it should be. The installer lacks some of the basic description and options that a user should have to make the proper decisions about installation.

For example, the installer gives the user the choice of installing for a Small/Home Office or for a larger enterprise, though no description of the difference(s) in packages or even total download size is given. I downloaded both versions (at different points) and--short of doing a package-by-package comparison--had a hard time finding a difference between the two.

In fact, the installer (unless I missed something) doesn't allow for the granular level of control or even a moderate level of control in terms of installed packages. On my first installation of UserLinux Beta 1, I really didn't know what services and applications I had installed until the system was up and running. Doing a simple netstat vat showed literally dozens of services and open ports, some of which I would want and others I would never have selected had I been given the choice.

I also encountered a significant amount of trouble getting the X-server to work after going through the initial installation. At first I thought it was perhaps a hardware problem, but when I got the LiveCD to work without issue (which autodiscovers most settings), I couldn't blame faulty hardware. Also, for some reason, UserLinux uses XFree86 version 4.3.0.1 and not the new X.org release--which I found a bit odd.

The Net install process was neither painless nor fun. For the timid there is a LiveCD though. Although the LiveCD lacks the myriad features the Net install provided, it does still give the 'basic' UserLinux desktop experience.