I installed Gentoo Linux a while ago and got a mail server working on it. I really love having an IMAP server. It basically let’s me see the same mailbox wherever I am and with whatever mail client I use (Outlook, Thunderbird, SquirrelMail).
However, I had been disappointed by the fact that I still hadn’t gotten an X desktop set up. I’d tried doing that before, but I didn’t want to blow up my LCD this time or spend 3 days getting it to work. I figured it was time to find a linux distribution that would meet my needs:
1) Free - I’m still me after all
2) X desktop configured for me
3) Decent applications pre-installed
4) Contol panel must exist - I modify enough config files at work
5) Package manager - allows for install of new programs
I began my search…
I came across a couple different choices.
Slashdot had just done an article about PC-BSD and the screenshots were awesome. However it was still in a 0.5 beta state. I downloaded a copy anyways, but I probably won’t install it. I like BSD, but Linux has more apps right now and my mail server is already on Linux so it might be easier to duplicate my setup on another Linux environment.
There was also an article about Libranet and Ubuntu. Libranet’s free version is a little old, so I said no. The current one requires you to give up some cash. Ubuntu looked pretty good, so I downloaded and burned a copy.
Sun released a free version of Solaris 10recently, so I started to download the DVD, but it is still going. Wow is that slow. We use Solaris at work and it is a nice environment, but I don’t care much for the Common Desktop Environment. Also there is no control panel that I know of. Not like in the Debian Linux distros.
Finally I found Xandros Linux. It is positioned as a Linux for Windows users. It comes with a ridiculously simple installer, pre-configured desktop, Windows-like control panel, a bunch of Web plug-ins already set up, and a graphical package manager. It can even run some Windows applications if you buy the CrossOver plugin. They have some pay versions, but they also have a nice free version. I downloaded that one and installed it. In fact, I’m writing this entry from it now.
The install was so simple. I had thought I was going to spend a good part of this weekend setting it up, but it only took about 2 minutes to go through the install screen after booting from the CD. Then I left while it was formatting. When I came back, I rebooted the machine without the CD and just logged into my new Linux desktop. It is an incredibly polished environment. I changed the screen resolution my normal way. Right-click the desktop and go to properties. The control panel was a little different, but I found the resolution section easily. Then it restarted my desktop and I was in 1280×1024 goodness ( the max for my LCD 
).
The graphical package manager makes installing stuff ridiculouly easy. However, Xandros lists their own supported packages separately from the general Debian packages. I added the general Debian package source to the manager and it is still downloading package information. Dang those Debian Linux package makers have been busy.
Once the debian package list is complete, I can start the transfer of my mail services over to the new Linux machine. It’s a Dell SC420 I bought a few months ago for $300. It’s so quiet and fast. I wish I had some more memory for it, but oh well. When it’s ECC unregistered DDR Ram, it’s kind of hard to get that specific kind. I’ll get another 256 stick sometime when prices come down.