From Mandrake to Modern: PCLinuxOS Stays Strong

The FOSS Force Distro of the Week — PCLinuxOS

Old-school DNA, modern-day muscle. PCLinuxOS keeps rolling forward—faster, friendlier, and ready for anything you throw at it.

Recently someone called “anonymous,” commenting on a Distro of the Week column, took us up on the offer we include at the bottom of each of these reviews and suggested we throw caution to the wind, get into our Wayback Machine, and test a classic distro from an earlier day.

So anonymous, whoever you are, this one’s for you: This week’s Distro of the Week is PCLinuxOS, usually just called PCLOS.

But first, a little history lesson might be in order. That said, class is now in session.

A Brief History of PCLinuxOS

Bill Reynolds – better known as Texstar – developed RPM packages for Mandrake Linux, which would later become Mandriva Linux. According to Wikipedia, “From 2000 to 2003, Texstar maintained his repository of RPM packages in parallel with the PCLinuxOnline site. In an interview, Texstar said he started PCLinuxOS ‘to provide an outlet for [his] crazy desire to package source code without having to deal with egos, arrogance, and politics.'”

Texstar created a fork of Mandrake 9.2 in October 2003, which retained a similar look and feel to its parent distro. Mandrake was renamed Mandriva in 2005, and even though it ceased to exist in 2011, PCLOS remains cognizant of its Mandrake roots to this day.

Installing PCLinuxOS

Tackling the basics first, the minimum system requirements for PCLOS are a 64-bit Intel or AMD processor, 512MB RAM (1GB RAM recommended), and 10GB storage. For best results, PCLOS suggests 2GB or more RAM, 20GB storage, and a multi-core processor.

PCLOS comes in three main desktop flavors: KDE Plasma, Xfce, and MATE. There’s also a fourth option called Darkstar, which is a modified KDE desktop that performs about the same as Plasma but installs fewer apps by default. The Darkstar ISO is 2.7GB, while the other ISOs range from 3.2GB for Xfce to 3.6GB for KDE Plasma.

The ISOs downloaded fairly quickly, and we installed the Xfce version on the Dell Inspiron and the KDE Plasma version (and then subsequently the Darkstar version) on the ZaReason Alto. Both handled the Live USB version of the distro well, but during installation, there were a couple of quirks.

Namely, the screen resolution in the Live USB version is relatively small, which made using the installer impossible because the buttons at the bottom were off the screen. This turned out to be only a slight annoyance, since I was able to change the resolution to 1366-by-768 using software on the live thumb drive, which did the trick.

After connecting to Wi-Fi — a step I always take out of habit — I found that the installer guides you through the usual setup details, such as language, keyboard layout, and location. Then it throws you a curve: in classic old-school fashion, the installer asks for a host name and a root password before having you create your user account and password. It also requires you to include a symbol — thank goodness for the ubiquitous exclamation point, though you can use any symbol you like — in both your root and login passwords.

But once all that is taken care of, the install is relatively quick, which is a surprise considering the amount of software installed by default. During the installation, a warning on the screen cautions you to not turn off your computer during the installation process — um, OK — and a few minutes later you’re ready for a reboot that reveals a real treat. Specifically, all the software necessary for the full ride – and then some – is installed by default, so there’s no real need to add software post-install.

This may be a minor thing to some, but in comparison to some of the newer distros, PCLOS provides a textbook case of how installs should be done. Included in the mix is a wealth of configuration tools such as Catfish File Search, GParted, the Thunar file manager (with “open as root” enabled), Ventoy bootable USB creator, and many others.

Among the apps installed by default: Firefox web browser, Thunderbird e-mail client (thank heavens!), the LibreOffice suite, the GNU Image Manipulation Program (otherwise known as GIMP), Synaptic Package Manager, VirtualBox, Spotify, the Easy Flatpak Manager, and the pièce de résistance, the VLC Media Player.

For some reason, there’s an Install Me button still included in the menu, but clicking it displays the message: “Installer must not be run from an installed system!” Go figure.

Using PCLinuxOS

PCLOS is a joy to use right out of the box, and not having to add any software after the post-install update was absolutely wonderful. The distro is very user-friendly and simple, providing a seamless experience for both new and experienced users.

The number of apps available by default may be a bit daunting for new users, and even those of us who have been around the block a few times may find it a bit much. However, there’s sort of a “security blanket” effect for having so much software at your disposal, even if you never activate it. For example, in the Configuration section of the menu there is a wide range of ways to configure your system, and the Control Center provides some options that I would never use, but it’s good that they’re there just in case.

There are two ways to download additional software: Synaptic Package Manager for installing RPMs — the distro’s package management system of choice — and Easy Flatpak Manager for those who prefer Flatpak packages. Both worked quickly and admirably.

PCLOS is a rolling release, meaning users receive updates continuously rather than having to perform major upgrades. This approach helps keep the system constantly up to date with the latest software and security patches. For example, there were about 400 software updates when I did the first post-install update, and the distro updated effortlessly. As the rolling release model tends to be a hallmark of stable distro design, PCLOS is known for its reliable speed and performance, making it beneficial for both everyday use and for more demanding applications.

PCLOS also plays well with web-based apps such as Google’s family of software. Using Google Drive, for example, was a breeze.

Final Thoughts

PCLOS hits all of the marks as an everyday Linux distro that would serve both new users entering the Linuxverse as well as the most grizzled graybeards who configure their own systems. While I didn’t do much in the customization department, PCLOS provides a high degree of customization, allowing users to tailor their settings using the wide range of available tools.

Though its userbase may be smaller than that of larger and well-established distros, the PCLOS community is both active and supportive, and they have a very detailed forum providing users with documentation and support resources.

To download PCLOS, visit the download webpage here.

And with that, class is dismissed.

Do you have a distro you think would make a great feature for FOSS Force’s Distro of the Week? Don’t be shy—let us know! Offer your suggestions in the comments below (or use the “contact us” link under our masthead) and we’ll make an effort to make it so… No suggestion is too mainstream or too niche—let us know what you’d like to see!