Mandrakelinux is a GNU/Linux distribution supported by Mandrakesoft S.A. which was born on the Internet in 1998. Its main goal was and still is to provide an easy-to-use and friendly GNU/Linux system. Mandrakesoft's two pillars are open source and collaborative work.
The following are various Internet links pointing you to various Mandrakelinux-related sources. If you wish to know more about the Mandrakesoft company, connect to our web site. You can also check out the Mandrakelinux distribution web site and all its derivatives.
Mandrakeexpert is Mandrakesoft's support platform. It offers a new experience based on trust and the pleasure of rewarding others for their contributions.
We also invite you to subscribe to the various mailing lists where the Mandrakelinux community demonstrates its vivacity and keenness.
Please also remember to connect to our security page. It gathers all security-related material about Mandrakelinux distributions. You will find security and bug advisories, as well as kernel update procedures, the different security-oriented mailing lists which you can join, and Mandrakeonline (see Chapter 20, Mandrakeonline Services). A must for any server administrator or user concerned about security.
Mandrakesoft offers a wide range of advantages through its Mandrakeclub:
download commercial software normally only available in retail packs, such as special hardware drivers, commercial applications, freeware, and demo versions;
vote for and propose new software through a volunteer-run RPM voting system;
access more than 50,000 RPM packages for all Mandrakelinux distributions;
obtain discounts for products and services on Mandrakestore;
access Mandrakesoft's Knowledge Base, a wiki-based site which holds documentation on many subjects such as administration, connectivity, troubleshooting, and more;
chat with the Mandrakelinux developers on the Club Chat;
enhance your GNU/Linux knowledge through Mandrakesoft's e-training lessons.
By financing Mandrakesoft through the Mandrakeclub you will directly enhance the Mandrakelinux distribution and help us provide the best possible GNU/Linux desktop to our users.
Mandrakesoft offers a very convenient way to keep your system automatically up-to-date, keeping away bugs and security holes. Consult Chapter 20, Mandrakeonline Services Visit the Mandrakeonline Web site to learn more about this service.
Mandrakelinux users may purchase products on-line through the Mandrakestore. You will not only find Mandrakelinux software, operating systems and “live” boot CDs (such as Move), but also special subscription offers, support, third-party software and licenses, documentation, GNU/Linux-related books, as well as other Mandrakesoft goodies.
The skills of the many talented folks who use Mandrakelinux can be very useful in the making of the Mandrakelinux system:
Packaging. A GNU/Linux system is mainly made of programs picked up on the Internet. They have to be packaged in order to work together.
Programming. There are many, many projects directly supported by Mandrakesoft: find the one which most appeals to you and offer your help to the main developer(s).
Internationalization. You can help us in the translation of web pages, programs and their respective documentation.
Consult the development projects page to learn more about how you can contribute to the evolution of Mandrakelinux.