Some developers build desktop Linux for a living, and some build it with heart. Some developers understand the needs of desktop users and some just seem to live inside your head. Some may argue that Linspire, Inc. is either, neither, or both, but I am here to clear the air. For good.
Many of our steady readers are well familiar with my discontent with Linspire (then known as Lindows) and their seemingly foul intention as far as the community was concerned, but let me tell you I am a changed man. To me, Linspire came from nowhere, a completely different angle than their founder Michael Robertson's previous venture, MP3.com (currently owned by CNET Networks, Inc.). I believe that to many of us, it seemed that Michael was attempting to cash in on the desktop Linux boom that was sure to come. They were taking applications from the Open Source community, renaming them, and adding them to their Click N Run warehouse. CNR is basically Linspire's own apt-get repository with a web-based front end not unlike an online shopping mall.
I can go into further detail but it really doesn't matter now, and it won't do service to our readers to hear me drone on about my past grievances. What I can tell you is this: my opinion of Linspire has changed drastically over the years and for good reason. When you're Adam Doxtater, you tend to be pretty opinionated and stubborn to change the first impressions made by others. It's something I've been working on all my life to get past. I think many of us suffer from the same problem to one degree or another, and it's a tough habit to break away from. For me, I started to realize what was going on with the whole Linspire scene when I actually sat down and thought about it. What would make me want to sit down and give any amount of thought to another companies place in the community? End users. It was that simple really. I was able to witness first hand how Linspire allowed technically challenged PC users to actually become functional... and happy with their new purchase. Linspire has created a product that is so simple to use that even someone who has never used a computer before is able to sit down and learn it with ease. All the while they have no problems with spyware, popups, etc. that are common in legacy operating systems. I was blown away.
After seeing that kind of response to desktop Linux, I knew that these guys had to have something solid so I decided to open communication with them and review their next release. Sure, they rename applications, but it's with the user in mind. Clicking on an icon that says “Instant Messenger” is much more conducive than clicking one that says “Gaim” or “Kopete” right? It sure is, at least for the everyday user who might not be familiar with the names we've all become accustomed to saying over the years. Some have argued the point, that there should be some form of brand recognition, and that's exactly right... with an exception. Linspire is doing a service to Linux in that it's bringing on new users who might never have tried Linux before, and that's a great service. Those people will learn the application names in time, but for now, let's be happy that they've found a formula that works.
So, I say let's give them the credit they deserve, in that they are bringing Linux to a much larger audience, and a demographic we've only been able to scratch the surface of until now. Linspire is also giving back to the community modifications they've made to packages on the system, and that says something for their credibility and purpose, so even if for some reason the company tanks tomorrow, we can all still benefit from some of the innovation they've made on the desktop. In any event, let's get on with the review...
I really hate to go on and on about installing Linux because it seems like such a mundane topic that gets pounded into our heads over and over again in distro reviews all over the net, but let me say this: installing Linspire has to be the easiest Linux install I've ever done. Their version even trumps the Xandros version, and that's a tough act to follow. Xandros, another Debian-based distribution and close cousin to Linspire, so far had my vote on the most simple install that even the most basic of computer users could accomplish.
The reason its so simple is that it almost completely eliminates the need for human input. Now, before all of you start crying foul, bear in mind the purpose of this distribution. It's targeted at people who might never have used Linux before, let alone a computer. During the entire install, the only thing that is required of you is whether or not you want to use the whole drive, what you want to name the computer, and what the root/administrative password will be... and that's it. The first question you're asked is if you'd like a basic install or advanced install, but don't let the term advanced fool you. It isn't. The basic install skips the partitioning part of the install and skips ahead to naming the PC, choosing a password, and installing. The advanced install allows you to view partitions and make basic changes. Don't expect a full-fledged fdisk, cfdisk, or anything of the like because just about the only thing you'll be able to do is select which partition you want Linux to be installed on and not too much more.
There is one outstanding feature here that is worth noting because it's the first I've seen of it's kind so far, and we're still pretty early on in the game: Reiser4. Yes, you read the feature list correctly. The new Reiser4 file system is indeed an option on the system (Reiser3 is still default for obvious reasons) during the advanced install. You can choose to format with it by right-clicking the partition you want to format and choosing Reiser4. On that note, it should be said that Reiser3 and Reiser4 are your only options in Linspire so if you're an EXT or XFS fan you better keep walking. Not a big deal for me since I've been using ReiserFS for years reliably... much more reliable than it's EXT counterparts I might add. So if you're into taking a bit of a risk in favor of drastically improved file system performance, this is the first distro that I'm aware of that will let you take it for a test drive. A pleasant surprise.
That's just about all there is to it. Like I said, the required intervention is minimal. Xandros has been publicized as having the 10 minute install, and they deserve the honor, but Linspire is damn close. They claim an 8 minute install, but I wasn't able to do it. I wonder what kind of hardware is required to achieve that goal? On a Intel Pentium III 550MHz/512MB machine the entire install (from the time I placed the CD in the drive to the time I saw the desktop for the first time) took almost exactly 25 minutes. Now, that same install on an AMD Athlon XP 2400+/1GB took 15 minutes total. This is obviously a more modern machine, but let me tell you that 25 minutes isn't really anything to laugh at either. This is especially important considering the fact that this machine falls below Linspire's recommended minimum system requirements (they recommend 800MHz or better). Think about it... unlike Windows, the entire operating system plus a ton of applications are installed and configured for you in that time. No need to spend hours finding CDs, downloading apps, and installing/configuring after the fact. It's all done for you. To add insult to injury, Windows takes longer just to install a base OS with a notepad, calculator, email client, and web browser. I won't even get into the price difference either, because you can figure that out for yourself. Get some aspirin ready...
L to R: KDE splash screen; Initial desktop setup
Running Linspire 5.0
I have to admit that this is the first Linux distribution I've reviewed that has so many features available that I found myself trying to decide which ones I could fit into this review without making it six pages long. Seriously. They've really spend a good amount of time fine tuning and polishing this distribution to the point that it's ready for prime time as far as I'm concerned. On your first voyage into the system, it asks you to verify (and optionally adjust) system settings and preferences such as date/time, sound volume, and display settings to name a few. The next stop is the desktop, but before you are able to use the system an animated HOWTO/tutorial is presented. Almost the same thing is available online (flash required) if you'd like to take a look. It's the best I've seen so far. The only thing I noticed was that it appeared to be incomplete. Audio was missing from many portions, and it told you so. That gives the appearance of the “we have the new release ready but the tutorial isn't. Let's get it out now and finish the rest later” syndrome at work. I could be wrong, but that's the way it appears to me. Moving along...
The initial desktop is something to behold. You can definitely tell Everaldo (creator of the KDE Crystal icon theme, among other things) had his artistic hand in this, and from what I've read he designed the icon set for Linspire 5. It's very attractive, but I have to tell you this can be a bit of a biased opinion since I'm a big fan of his work. The panel, desktop background, icon set, window style/decorations all go to complete a very unique look and feel unlike any other distribution thus far. As I've always said, the overall appearance of any desktop Linux distribution add to how it's perceived by consumers. This is most evident upon first sight of a product, and we all know how this works in simple marketing terms... it's call impulse buying. For instance, when my wife saw Linspire 5.0 (then in beta release) her first words were “I want that”. She's already running Linux, so no sale was really necessary on my part, but just the sight of it prompted her to 'need' a copy. This is a single example, but proof positive that their work will pay off. Linspire development has their head in the right place.
L to R: The Linspire desktop; Properly organized menus
L to R: Mozilla Mail; Click N Run Warehouse (CNR)
The Linspire Internet Suite
The included application selection was pretty close to being stellar. Even if a few of the applications included weren't my personal favorite I could understand the reasoning behind inclusion into the final product. Mostly because they fit together well. The Linspire Internet Suite is one of those examples. They packaged the Mozilla 1.6 (yes I know, a bit outdated but still passable as an excellent browser) suite which includes the email client and web page editor, plus did some of their own enhancements. They've included a calendar to compliment the suite, which by all accounts looks like it was built from Mozilla Sunbird. A couple ultra cool and ultra useful enhancements were made to the suite which makes you even that much more productive on your computer. First, a global spell checking function was put in place which allows inline spelling checks on web sites, email, IM, etc. As you type, misspelled words are underlined. You can right-click them to get a listing of potential replacements or the ability to add the chosen word to the dictionary. A very nice feature.
Another key feature in the Mozilla browser is the new Hot Words functionality. Basically, the way it works is simple. You hover your mouse over any word you're interested in and it will turn yellow. Click the word and a context menu will be displayed allowing you to search news, online shopping and auctions, thesaurus, dictionary, catalogs, books, directories, and many more. There is so much functionality here I have no clue if any one person could ever use it in their lifetime. There is a service called MailMinder, which enables you to trigger automated alerts to individual email messages at scheduled times. For instance, if Narayan were to send me a request to meet with him and Frederic next week regarding the new mail server I could not only schedule an appointment in my calendar, but have the service resend the email to me at a later date as a reminder. This way I can get the message anywhere I might be.
Lastly, while on the topic of the Linspire Internet Suite, the Nvu 0.90 web authoring tool was included, but was not integrated into the suite like it probably should be. Nvu is built from the Mozilla Composer application, but Composer is still the default choice for editing pages from Mozilla.
