What makes PCLinuxOS unique?

[sling-shot]

Please list things that make PCLinuxOS unique compared to other Linux distributions.
Keep things objective and numbered for easy discussion.

I will start with these :

• 1. Rolling nature - Users / aspiring developers need to note this. This will necessitate some discipline such as doing regular full updates, avoiding software installations from outside the repository etc. Anything else? Ah. Kernel is not part of this rolling attribute. So that needs to be updated separately.
  
• 2. Is an RPM based distribution but uses apt/Synaptic for package management. Not many out there use this combination.
  
• 3. Our default kernel uses BFS scheduler. Meant for desktop performance /  use. Might be important people while selecting a desktop distribution.
  

The items below are being added following posts in this thread :

• 4. Applications of and for PCLinuxOS Eg. MyliveCD, LOManager, GetVirtualBox, Live USB Creator, AddLocale etc.
  
• 5. Does not advise use of 'sudo' but instead advises use of 'su'
  
• 6. Packages - built with the traditional way of packaging where as many distros have moved on to newer, more automated methods, like mockbuild. Our pkgutils-kde and pkgutils-thunar are scripts to assist our packagers in simplifying the tedious tasks.
  

OK. Nothing else is coming up in my brain right now. What am I missing?

What about file system? Do we use a different layout than a standard Linux? Do we install to a different location? /bin /sbin/ /usr things like that...

We use PCLinuxOS Control Centre. Probably related to Mandriva Control Centre. But is it something a developer should note? Probably a theme developer.

[T6]

the forum

[sling-shot]

Everyone else has a forum too. And opinions about its members / their nature - that becomes subjective.

Let us keep this objective. I intend to combine these things into a separate wiki page later on.

[T6]

ok, our forum

[sling-shot]

[Old-Polack]

We have mylivecd to create our own individualized remasters to backup and reinstall, or just to install for a friend, with a fully up to date system, between official quarterly updated .iso images.

[pinoc]

yes, definitley mylivecd but we have also other unique tools like
- lomanager to easily upgrade or localise LibreOffice
- addlocale: localise your system even after installation with uptodate translations
- getvirtualbox: easy tool to install VirtualBox including Guest-Additions
- Live USB Creator put PCLinuxOS on a stick and more...

and any other distro has a desktop like FullMonty? 

-p.

[sir_herrbatka]

We don't complicate simply things, no nonsense like separate repo for evil non-free packages.

We are rolling and desktop user friendly distro. The only one?

[aguila]

I have searched for anything comparable to PCLinuxOS, but there seems to be nothing out there.

What I love about PCLinuxOS is the combination of

- one repo for all packages (okay, not counting megagames repo)
- rolling release
- main DE is KDE, others are available
- no abuse of sudo
- new packages can be requested in the forum
- small footprint of .isos
- easy to use "managers" for locale, libreoffice, virtualbox, etc.
- mylivecd and Live USB Creator

It's the mix of usability, actuality, completeness, and pragmatism that makes it my distro of choice.

And even though there has been some "bad air" since Tex had to step back, I have never thought about leaving PCLOS behind.

Because nothing compares to you, PCLOS  

Kudos to the dev team that keeps it rolling!

[Bald Brick]

We don't complicate simply things, no nonsense like separate repo for evil non-free packages.

We are rolling and desktop user friendly distro. The only one?

It's easy to use but it's not a dumbed down system. It's equally useful for preteens and septuagenarians, newbies and old Unix hands.

[smileeb]

We have the best magazine.

[Old-Polack]

We have the best magazine.

+1

[Archie]

Packages. We "borrow" the best that other distros have AND we build new ones from startup projects. By "borrow", I don't mean an exact replication of the distro's package. We adapt it to our own specifications and requirements.

Although our count may seem minute compared to Debian or Red Hat, our packages mirror the spirit of our community members to contribute to the pride and stability of PCLinuxOS.

[ternor]

I think it is the combination of features which makes the distro unique.  I like having a rolling release, mylivecd and the guis for many things for which you have to use the command line elsewhere, including installation.

I have to confess to having looked for a plan B over recent months.  The best I can find uses the word 'simple' to mean 'light' (in other words there are few guis and you have to use the command line for many operations).  I believe it would take me a month of Saturdays to get it installed and working and I would have to make hard copies of many wiki pages before starting.

[Archie]

I might be one who would ask a user with a problem to use the CLI but only to facilitate a speedy process. If in determining that a user cannot follow, I would not hesitate to switch to GUI.

But sometimes (quite rarely), there would be users (especially with an attitude) who would insist on themselves as being the ones correct, there's where I would stop.

Getting a user to use a bit of command line is never a bad thing. It might even help users understand that it isn't really a scary, empty window where a user is expected to use more (all ten fingers) than the subtle twist of the wrist and the fore+middle fingers.