Explore the rise and fall of these groundbreaking Linux systems, and how their legacies live on.

While some Linux distros have stood the test of time, others have fallen by the wayside, remembered only by their users.

Nothing lasts forever, not even operating systems. This article will take a look at some distros that offered some innovative features, but for one reason or another, aren’t available anymore.

  • rozodru@pie.andmc.caEnglish
    3·
    56 minutes ago

    I remember in like the late 90s/early 00s my Dad and I tried to install Mandrake linux on the home PC. it went about as well as to be expected.

    We used to watch The Screen Savers and Call For Help together so because of those shows and Leo Laporte and Patrick Norton always going on about Linux we decided we’d make the switch. We went to a Software ETC and bought, yes bought, a copy of Mandrake. My Dad figured he could get it running because he knew DOS (well, in hindsight, claimed to know) and figured it couldn’t be that hard. It came with a huge manual so sure lets go.

    We didn’t duel boot it, just erase XP completely to install it. it didn’t go well. completely borked the family PC and we couldn’t get it installed. Thankfully my brother in law was an IT guy and had an extra copy of XP so he came over and reinstalled windows.

    We probably could have got it working if we either had another PC or hell if smart phones existed to look online to see exactly what to do but even back then wikis weren’t a thing and I highly doubt there was a basic to follow tutorial on how to install it.

    Linux has come A LONG way and is a hell of a lot more user friendly to install now. Arch or Gentoo are probably easier to install now than Mandrake was.