admin October 25th, 2008
This is the second review I’m doing of Linux distros while I wait for an updated Mepis to be released. First was PCLinuxOS and it did okay. Now I’m trying sidux, which is based on Debian Sid (unstable) but designed to be stable. To repeat my self I consider my self a typical home desktop user, I don’t push the edge, except I use Linux. This review is being done on a unbranded Intel Pentium M 1.8ghz laptop with 512meg ram and 60gb drive, it’s a few years now.

sidux
1. Not very pretty, a rather plain KDE implementation, but don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
2. I had to configure my wireless manually, but that was simple enough with the supplied utility Ceni. I’m not getting any system sounds but flac plays fine with Amorak. I haven’t bothered checking into it, hopefully it’s just a few clicks in the KDE Control Center.
3. sidux stays true to the free philosophy of Debian. I applaud the effort, but alas some us listen to mp3s, have to use Java and Flash and of course bow down to the mercy of Microsoft. I wish it weren’t so. Still there is nothing to stop you from installing the required codecs, and the process is relatively painless.
4. Using Konqueror I was able to read and write to my hard drive and USB drives with out issue. Kontact, Ice Weasel, OO, Gimp etc were the supplied apps. There is also a lot more, most of which I’m unfamiliar with.
5. sidux is designed to be updated, including the kernal and KDE, often, daily if you wish. To that end, it recommends using apt-get to manage the upgrades and with that comes a learning curve for me. In fact I’m quickly learning how much I relied on Mepis to do things for me and how little I know about the basic functions of Linux.
6. Everything is working and since it’s KDE I’m pretty familiar with it, still nothing is setup for you, so I have to learn how I want my programs to work.
7. To that end, I’ve installed it to my drive. It’s a simple tab interface that goes along pretty easy. I was able to partition my drive and get up and running without any issues.
Conclusion: While not very pretty, it is fully functional and up to date distro. There is a learning curve here for us newbies, but I personally think it’s a worth while challenge. So I’m leaving it on my laptop for now.

Tags: Linux, Mepis, review, sidux