I used Ubuntu and Kubuntu for over an year, but I recently switched back. Ubuntu has its strengths, but its fans forget its weaknesses. Software installation with Synaptic is superb (the best on any OS), as is the range of packages available. However, other admin tools are lacking.

Any Windows users reading this probably need a brief explanation. Most Linux users install all, or almost all, the software we use from online repositories. This means that we simply pick the software we want from a list, using a special program, and the computer both downloads (from a trusted server) and installs it. Imagine you had 10,000 programs listed in your add/remove programs section on Windows, and you get a rough idea of how it works. Ubuntu has a particularly good implementation of this, copied from Debian.

Anyway, onto what I switched back to: Mandriva. If you want to know the difference between Mandriva and Ubuntu, download a Mandriva live CD, and try the Control Centre. Almost every section is better than the Ubuntu equivalent, and there are more sections: more advanced users will install the Drakwizard package will get even more. Kubuntu is far worse than Ubuntu: it has the standard KDE Control Centre and nothing more.

That brings me to my biggest problem with Kubuntu: KDE runs slower than on other distros, and Kubuntu is generally rather unpolished.

As I said, Ubuntu does have more packages in its repositories, and the repos themselves are faster. I have found some things missing from the Mandriva repos, but most of it is stuff few people will want (like tdom).

The big problem with Mandriva is that its package installer (RPMDrake) is nothing like as good as Synaptic: its search is not as good, and it tell you less about what is going on. Synaptic shows all dependencies, recommended and suggested packages (that is to do with packaging as well) as the front end, and generally works more smoothly. There are also a few minor, but annoying bugs in RPMDrake. However, it is perfectly usable, and is still far better than installing software on Windows!

Yes, I do know that I could use the command line tool (urpmi) and avoid the problems with RPMDrake. Sorry, I just prefer to point and click. In any case it would still leave me with the problem that if updates are stopped, they restart from the beginning.

However, apart from this one area of weakness the smooth and pretty working of KDE on Mandriva and the amazing Control Centre puts it way ahead. I use it, and I would definitely recommend it to newbies (although I would show them how to solve a few common problems).

Mandriva also has more tricks up its sleeve. Not only is it easy (a few clicks: did I mention that the Control Centre is good?) to get a 3D desktop working, but it offers a choice: Metisse, as well as the usual Beryl/Compiz. Metisse is lightweight and actually useful.

Mandriva also has friendly forums where questions are often answered by Mandriva staff as well as other users.

So far Mandriva has been a pretty good experience. If I use it smoothly for another month or so I will pay for a mandriva Club subscription.