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Spawn of Debian faceoff: LibraNet 2.8.1
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LibraNet didn't connect anything for me: not access to the Internet, and not the shared printer. What they did was provide AdminMenu, a wonderful tool which in my eyes is their great piece de resistance. It handles just about all the system admin chores I am likely to ever need, including access to the Internet and the shared printer. As wonderful as a tool as it is, however, it still requires that you know a little bit more about your system (and LAN) than a neophyte is likely to know.
Software maintenance
LibraNet has very recently (as I was writing this review) unveiled its new "update-safe archive" to provide its users with the latest security/bug fixes. At present, it is only available for users on release 2.8 and 2.8.1. This allows LibraNet users to keep up with the latest Debian releases without compromising their stability and support by mixing repositories. The kernel is not yet included, but it's coming.
Security
Security is not a strong point for LibraNet. While they do require a root password and segregate chores that can be done only by root from those a normal user can do, they don't do much more than that. No default firewall is installed, and there is no automatic checking for security fixes at the end of the install, leaving users in an insecure state from the time they install until they perform their first safe-update.
That first safe-update, by the way, was handled easily and gracefully by the Admin Menu. I found 13 packages with security issues waiting to be updated when I clicked on Security Update.
AdminMenu also puts a GUI-face on installing a firewall and controlling what services are running at start-up.
Support
LibraNet does not provide support for the free download version other than what is available in the Support Solutions Database, but it does provide email support for registered users. The LibraNet "up and running" (TM) support offerings are designed to "get you up and running and keep you there." So long as your system remains in the "shipped configuration," that is.
The final score
LibraNet does not score as well on this review as the other distributions. But there is a reason for that. It comes down to this: LibraNet does not do all the hand-holding and babysitting the others do, and it is that babysitting and hand-holding that form the basis for comparison.
LibraNet doesn't skimp in those areas because of oversight or neglect. They tread lightly there simply because its primary target audience, Debian users and/or wannabes, neither want nor need such care. They know how to use apt-get to maintain their software and keep their system secure. And unlike me, they probably know the CUPS URI for their shared printer.
I'm willing to wager a donut, that were these same distributions to be reviewed by Debianites, using their own criteria for the benchmarks instead of mine, the standings would be reversed.
LibraNet is an excellent distribution for the experienced/advanced Linux user, and I would have absolutely no compunction about recommending it for same. But I would not recommend it for a noobie.
| Category | LindowsOS 4.5 | MEPIS 2003.10 | Xandros 2.0 | LibraNet 2.8.1 |
| Installation | 90 | 90 | 75 | 70 |
| Connectivity | 95 | 95 | 85 | 75 |
| Security | 85 | 95 | 95 | 85 |
| Software maintenance | 95 | 90 | 95 | 85 |
| Free/Included Support | 75 | 90 | 90 | 85 |
| Price as tested | $49.95 | $17 | $89.00 | $74.95 |
| Upgrade software maintenance | $49.95 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Final Grade | 88 | 92 | 87 | 80 |
Comments
on Spawn of Debian faceoff: LibraNet 2.8.1Note: Comments are owned by the poster. We are not responsible for their content.
Hey, mrpierce. Thanks for your comments. Please be sure to weigh with them when the series finale appears next week. Among other things, we ask for ways to improve the criteria for ranking distributions. As you point out, the score doesn't tell the whole story.
How is that wrong?
And there are many others who like LibraNet at least as much as you do. Stay tuned for the conclusion next week. Maybe you can help establish different criteria for reviews than I used in this series.
Well, except FreeBSD, which I'm thinking of putting on a spare I managed to piece together.
...it also costs $75.It's just not worth *that* much. Sure, the Pro versions of SuSE and Mandrake cost more, as well the deluxe version of XandrOS. But SuSE and Mandrake Pro include much more software than Libranet, and the deluxe version of XandrOS includes Crossover. I'd be more charitable if it included anything original besides the adminmenu, which I agree is a wonderful tool, and I agree they did a great job putting it together. But it's no better than some other desktop Linux distros, many of which are free. Perhaps they still think APT is a great advantage? Many other distros have it now, or something similar.
I almost hate to trash them like this, because Libranet really is a great distro, but it's simply too expensive in comparison to others that are just as good. And yes, I know from experience. I was expecting it to be better than SuSE or Mandrake for that price, but it wasn't
Besides you get a tremendous value for money and service. We have been offered a very easy kernel upgrade and a fantastic dist-upgrade. Now I have a bleeding edge system. If I did that on my own from the Debian archives I'd almost certainly fail. In fact they have created a script which has improved apt!
I also like Suse, but I don't agree that it has more software. Apt4rpm (unofficial) tells me that there are about 3800 packages available.
If I remember correctly Libranet's synaptic was telling me that I had 18000 packages available!
And with Suse you don't get a free upgrade, that is for sure!
18000 packages? That's Debian you're talking about there. Debian is well-known for having a huge variety of packages in their repositories. I'm running Mepis right now and I'm seeing the same thing that you are with synaptic. That includes an improved verion of apt, although it might not be the same improved version, I don't know.
2.8.1 costs $10 more than 2.8. How much will 3.0 cost? SuSE's prices are going down since Novell bought them. And SuSE Pro includes more bundled, non-free software for about $5 more.
I'm not saying Libranet is bad. On the contrary. But they need to take a look at the market out there and compare their products and prices objectively before they start alienating potential new customers with their prices rising after being fairly high to start with. Then I'll sing their praises along with the others, and I'm sure many new customers will too. I don't want to see Libranet go down like Corel Linux did until XandrOS bought them. But I'm afraid that's what will happen if they stay out of touch with the market like they seem to be now. When there are products of comparable quality, most people (especially on many Linux forums) just consider them overpriced no matter how good Libranet is.
As a last note, I'd like to add that I don't see how Libranet isn't for newbies. I thought it was quite easy to install, about as easy as Mandrake, which is usally recommended for newbies.
But as I already said, you'll have to pay the full price only once, because existing customers pay only $50.
And if you are 'cheap' you can downoad 2.7 for free.
That is what many people do and they are still very welcome in the Libranet community.
People will pay for their favourite distro anyway.
If anything Libranet's sales have gone up, not down.
The install is *much* easier than the Debian woody. I think there is an editing problem at the beginning of the article.
The install has never failed to reboot my machine automatically. It has equally never failed to bring up the Internet as soon as the install finished.
Since at least v2.7, it has consistently recognized my four year-old high-end monitor by name and by precise specs. The install CD (which, I believe, uses RedHat kudzu) clearly has access to an extensive database.
Your negative comments about security overlook the point that Libranet, as installed, is among the most secure out-of-the-box distros around. Others have tested it with, for example, nessus and have found it solid.
Another major plus of Libranet is the user mailing list. It has a wide range of users, young, old, newbies, Linux gurus<nobr> <wbr></nobr>... etc. The tone is friendly and the signal-to-noise ratio is high.
I am disappointed with your overall lukewarm conclusions<nobr> <wbr></nobr>... but I am an unabashed fan of the distribution.
More generally speaking I'd agree that Libranet is not exactly ideal for absolute newbies, but it took me only a couple of months of linux practice to deal with Libranet rather easily.
It is WAYS easier than 'pure Debian'.
In fact I have found it even easier than Knoppix once installed, because Knoppix doesn't have many tools to make your life easy.
Libranet was my first successful Debian system
Posted by: Administrator on January 30, 2004 10:09 AMThe first time I tried a Debian system, I had a rather old set of CDs and I had a lot of trouble setting up my X server. I was about to get it right, anyway by noting my settings in another distro and sneaker netting them over, when a friend gave me a copy of Libranet 1.9.1. It installed right off the bat and got me up and on the air.
It took a few miscues with apt-get upgrade to get the hang of things, but once I did, I've been a converted Debian fan ever since.
At this point, any Debian distro, including the raw Debian stuff, can get the job done for me. I do, however, find Libranet to be about the most complete system, out of the box. Since I evaluate a lot of software, Libranet makes an easier starting point for me than anything else. Perhaps the other alternative I'd go with would be Mepis. It has a better hard disk installer than the other Live CD distros. Even so, it has less software than Libranet. Knoppix is great, and even Mepis benefits greatly from Knoppix, but Knoppix itself doesn't have a very good hard disk installation program compared to the well polished Mepis. But these three, Libranet, Mepis, and Knoppix work best for a guy with my interests.
I do, however, also give high marks to Xandros and LindowsOS. Each of them has really matured over the past year and meet their respective target markets well. I'd definitely consider Xandros if I wanted software that interoperates well with Windows yet has the Debian flexibility. You can't go wrong with LindowsOS if you want a really simple, fast, easy to install and use consumer grade Linux OS - one you can even order preinstalled.
So I think there are at least five really good Debian OS commercial choices, and which one to choose really depends on who you are and what you like to do. I still like Libranet best for my personal interests, but I have no hesitation in recommeding any of the five distros I've just mentioned.
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