The Ultimate Linux Desktop

Power and Convenience

People do not administer their system in a uniform way. Some people like to spend time configuring every minute detail, pushing the flexibility of Linux to its limits. Some people just want things to run out-of-the-box and wish to spend as little time as possible in configuration issues. PowerPack caters to both - we've tried to design tools that allow everything to "just work", without locking users out of system internals. You can hand-edit configuration files, but you don't have to if you don't want to.
Our tools save you time where they can.

Installing PowerPack

Installing PowerPack is meant to be straightforward. Everything is automated as much as possible, but there is an 'Expert' mode you can use for advanced control of the installation process. You can add new media during installation, or simply use what's provided. You can hand-pick every software package, or leave it up to the system. You can define the precise partitioning scheme, but the intelligent algorithm used by PowerPack's partitioning utility should fit the needs of most users. To sum up: defaults work fine, but are not obligatory.

Automatic Detection of Hardware

PowerPack attempts to "auto-detect" as much of your hardware as possible - and it is able to do so for an extremely wide range of devices. Here again, convenience is the master word.

Administering the System

PowerPack has a graphical Control Center from where you can configure various aspects of your system; such as user, hardware, and network settings. It's been designed for ease-of-use and so has Mandriva's package management system: urpmi. It can be used from the command-line or a graphical interface, and allows you to install software with extreme ease. It's a simple as typing in "urpmi software_name" or selecting a package in a list and clicking install (rpmdrake is a fantastic graphical tool for package management).

Our new Mandrivaonline service will also make your life considerably easier: it can update your system automatically, making it possible to have an up-to-date and secure system with minimal effort.

PowerPack is a very adaptable system. It's great for Office, Multimedia, Development and the Internet, as well as a number of advanced uses.