Getting Started with PCLinuxOS

Getting Started with PCLinuxOS

In this article we will explore PCLinuxOS, interesting Linux distribution available with KDE desktop environment; LXDE and Mate.

PCLinuxOS KDE
PCLinuxOS is a Linux distribution created primarily to provide an independent operating system stable, secure and up to date. In fact, PCLinuxOS is a rolling release, once installed we will no longer install new versions every 6 months or 2.5 years as it constantly receive new updates. To ensure greater stability to the operating system, developers PCLinuxOS test before each packet, once verified will be introduced in the official repositories of the distribution, all this slows down a bit for the arrival of new versions (from a week to months). Another feature that makes it very interesting PCLinuxOS regards packages, since the distribution is based on rpm but using as a manager no less apt and the graphical Synaptic manager.

The combination of APT and RPM allows you to speed up the upgrade or installation of new applications ensures reliable package manager, also the commands will be the same as the Debian and Ubuntu, here are some examples:

To update the repository for PCLinuxOS:

sudo apt-get update

To update PCLinuxOS:

sudo apt-get upgrade

To install new applications in PCLinuxOS:

sudo apt-get install packagename

example, to install GIMP in PCLinuxOS just type:

sudo apt-get install gimp

To remove a package in PCLinuxOS:

sudo apt-get remove packagename

example to remove GIMP from PCLinuxOS just type:

sudo apt-get remove gimp

Alternatively we can use the Synaptic graphical package manager that can boot from menu or from the link in the panel.

Synaptic enables us to carry out targeted searches of applications, upgrade of the distribution as well as be able to work in the official repositories. In case of problems with some corrupt packets, errors in the repository or more, Synaptic includes tools to easily solve these problems.

Another feature of imported PCLinuxOS Control Center is definitely namely the control panel of the entire distribution.

PCLinuxOS Control Center allows us to configure the most of our operating system, for example, we can properly set our graphics card properly installing open source drivers or owners of Intel, Nvidia or AMD, we can also operate the audio system enabling such support systems 5.1 or operating on different levels of volume and so on. In addition to this PCLinuxOS Control Center allows us to properly configure our connection, configure any web servers, DNS, Proxy, SSH, manage the sharing of files and directories with Windows via Samba, configure access to cloud storage services with WebDav, and more. Also note MSEC manager dedicated to setting the security parameters of the system with useful tools to scan the operating system for notifying us any problems email.

PCLinuxOS has un'installer graph that allows us to easily install the distribution, there is also the default PCLinuxOS LiveUSB Creator with whom we can create a USB pendrive distribution, also interesting Redo MBR tool that allows us to properly include Microsoft Windows bootloader grub.