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PCQLinux 2006

author-image
PCQ Bureau
New Update

What is different about this year's PCQlinux? 



The most visible difference is definitely the Lite and XtraLite desktops.

But there is definitely more in this release than just Lite and Xtralite. When

we first started seriously looking at the new release, we tried to identify what

are the issues that are at the top of our readers' minds. All the feedback we

got pointed to four key directions.

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Infrastructure and datacenter issues were at the top of the

list, but quite a large number amongst you wanted more on the workstation

desktop. And then there was this strong feedback we were getting about the Linux

that was shipping with the sub-10k PCs that was hardly useable. As our own tests

showed, OO.org for example, took ages to even start up on these machines. So, we

took up these four areas to work with, with this year's release of PCQLinux.

The

Lite and Xtra Lite Desktops
What's

in it for developers?
Linux

on the Go...
SysAdmin

Workstation
Games

on PCQLinux 2006
Run

Windows Applications on Linux
KDE

and GNOME
New

Apps in PCQLinux 2006
Workstation

Update Management
Full

Partition Backups
Installing

the Fedora Directory Server
Failsafe

Cluster for critical apps
Grid

Computing with PCQLinux
Organize,

Manage and Publish Web content
Enterprise

Patch Management
Remote

Installation of PCQLinux 2006
Terminal

Server
Help

Desk
A

Local Wiki
Manage

your Firewalls
Intrusion

Detection Tools
Run

a forum like that for PCQuest Forums

Lite and XtraLite are a result of the last of the four

inputs listed. The other options grew out of the other feedback we got.

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How good is PCQLinux 2006? Obviously, there are many

shortcomings. Some key applications had to be removed at the last minute because

of un-resolvable installation or dependency issues, even as we struggled to get

the CDs out to manufacture. In fact, we had to stop production midway and create

fresh CDs, because of a show stopper bug that was identified after we sent the

CDs to production.

Where can you use PCQLinux? Our effort is not to compete

with commercial distributions or other operating systems. PCQLinux is not

something we recommend for production use, nor can we guarantee support for it.

The philosophy of PCQLinux



We are not out to produce a production-class, system. That is for the

commercial distributions out there; we are a magazine, primarily. Our aim is to

produce a distro that exposes our readers to the potentials of the platform, and

more importantly, let you experiment with some of the stuff that they would

otherwise only hear about.

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So, while we may provide proven software like Apache and

Postgres, we do not expect our distribution to be used in a 'production'

environment. That said, we do test our distribution exhaustively, to ensure that

it works on almost all common platforms.

We would like to provide as many different types of

software as possible, so that you can experience them. That is why we try to

limit the number of choices within a genre (eg. Media players) to a maximum of

two (mostly one, Mplayer in the current example of media players), unless there

are exceptional cases (like say, browsers).

Given the spirit of experimentation, we try to add stuff

that is commonly not done, that is commonly not available elsewhere, out of the

box. A good example of this is the clustering and grid solutions we add

currently, and the earlier Oscar, which PCQLinux was perhaps the only Linux

distribution to have ever carried.

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Our primary focus is the desktop. So, we try to provide the

maximum options there. The second focus is the workgroup server. On the desktop,

we try to provide equal focus to the developer and to productivity usage. This

year, seeing the market penetration of low priced PCs, we have tried to make

Linux works well on such platforms. KDE or Gnome? Frankly we are not taking

sides. Currently we carry both.

What is PCQLinux based on? Earlier, we used to be based on

Fedora Core. But this time around, all we can claim is that this is an RPM based

distro. Software has been added from and Updates have happened from repositories

all over.

On the articles front, there have been complaints that we

have dummied down the configuration part by using webmin and that we should have

continued with the command line based method instead.

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We believe that webmin makes it easy to do the

configurations and the management. Our objective is to make the

"experimentation" that I spoke of earlier, easier, not esotheric and

of limited use. Ideally I would like the entire installation and configuration

to be done from a GUI.

PCQLinux 2006 is dedicated to all of you who have helped us

put it together, with inputs, encouragement, suggestions and reminders; to you

who will use this distribution to understand and even challenge the

possibilities that technology offers; and finally to you, who will participate

in discussions about this and will support each other at the PCQuest forums.

PEOPLE SPEAK

Ours is

a small private sector organization in the business of power generation

and have our power plants operating in the North Eastern and Eastern

states. The company has set up three thermal power plants running on low

grade fuel and two combined cycle thermal power plants running on natural

gas. These plants have been designed, engineered, constructed, operated

and maintained on a BOOM basis (Build Own Operate & Maintain). The

primary business is generation and sale of power to the state electricity

boards and also directly to Govt. owned companies. While the power plants

operate in remote areas, the performance of the plants are monitored

centrally from the head office located at Gurgaon, Haryana.



Performance

monitoring involves data collection from the plants on a daily basis and

analysis of the data followed by suggestion of corrective measures.

Data collection involves gathering all vital parameters such as bearing

temperature, vibration levels, speed (RPM) of major rotating machinery and

critical process parameters such as pressure, temperature, flow of steam

and water through all stationary equipment in the power cycle. The data is

logged on to the MIS website by data entry personnel.



Engineers

at the HO download the data and perform a technical analysis. Every number

is looked at with a magnifying glass and if there is a deviation in any

parameter from the design norm, queries are sent back, and after receipt

of satisfying answers, the analysis is concluded. This is usually done

through technical discussions among a team of engineers from various

disciplines at the head office. The performance analysis of the power

plant is then posted back on the MIS website along with necessary

suggestions/modification measures so that the operating personnel at

remote sites and the top management can take note of it and implement the

same. The technical database and the models used in the analysis also form

the basis to the finance department for calculation / projection of

revenues.



Our

Head office houses the Engineering MIS and Finance MIS servers apart from

user desktops for the engineers and account officers and other support

staff.



We have

deployed PCQ Linux 2005 in about 15 user work stations in our office.

We had previously installed PCQ Linux 2004 on the MIS Engineering

server. This was later changed to Knoppix as PCQL 2004 started giving

problems when squid was configured. Although the issues with squid on PCQL

2004 were resolved subsequently through the PCQuest forums, I was too lazy

to switch over the server from Knoppix to PCQL 2005. I am planning to do

move this server to PCQL 2006 after March 2006.



Shiva_IITM

@ PCQuest Forums



(The

full article is installed on your desktop when you install PCQLinux 2006

Workstation)



Anindya Roy,

Krishna


Kumar, Sanjay Majumder, Shekhar Govindarajan, Vijay Chauhan and Vinod Unny

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