[luau] Red Hat vs. Mandrake vs. SuSE

[W. Wayne Liauh]

I have always considered Red Hat to be the mainstream and always wanted 
to use it on a daily basis.  However, because it is missing quite a few 
key packages, it should really not be considered a good choice for 
desktops.  For example, today, I discovered that it does not have dosemu 
included.  Of course, I can always download and install the package 
myself, but configuration of dosemu is a loyal pain.

In comparison, Mandrake (8.2) not only includes dosemu, it also 
configures it such that you don't have to run it as root.  Red Had also 
does not have IceWM, which, again, is properly pre-configured in 
Mandrake.  Furthermore, Mandrake is the first distro to have the RPM for 
Win4Lin 3.0 and Xcdroast v. 10.

I used to think SuSE (7.3) is the best desktop distro and had great 
hopes for 8.0, which I pre-ordered before it came out.  However, I 
believe SuSE 8.0 actually took a step backward even in installation.

All things considered, I am convinced Mandrake 8.2 is the best distro 
for desktops, and sincerely hope that it will survive.

I will greatly appreciate counter comments about my conclusion that 
Mandrake is the best distro for desktops.