Category: Linux
Why did Mageia shoot up the charts in Distrowatch? Now, before making anything else out of this, Linux users out there already know (or should know) that Distrowatch isn't all that accurate in terms of gauging a Linux distribution's adoption. It just tracks user interest, nothing more and nothing less. However, there's no denying that the increase in ranking of Mageia is suspiciously similar to the rise of Ubuntu-upstart Linux Mint almost a year ago.
Unlike Ubuntu, Fedora, and Linux Mint, however, I haven't seen much increase in blogs, articles, and general coverage about Mageia. I do believe that there are a few obvious reasons why Mageia is doing well and how there's a possibility that user interest may remain for quite awhile:
1. It's not Ubuntu - There are dozens of Ubuntu-derivatives out there, not to mention the still-popular parent version by Canonical and the user-friendly (and massively beloved) Linux Mint. Linux users have either settled into Ubuntu/Linux Mint or are sick of Ubuntu altogether. As Dell Inc. has formerly announced, there's a lot to love in using Ubuntu as a base system, but long-time Linux users bored with Unity and Ubuntu's hand-holding are all looking elsewhere for a different Linux system altogether.
2. No Mandriva and nature abhors a vacuum - Ok, so there's PCLinuxOS and other long-running Mandriva forks, but Mageia currently not only has the blessing of the Mandriva company itself, but is maintained by veteran Mandriva developers. As much as Mageia tries to move away from being associated from Mandriva, anyone who has loved and used Mandriva would recognize the signature style and workings in Mageia. No matter how bad Mandriva Linux's last releases were, Mandriva has a long history in the Linux community and it will continue on in one form or another - Mandriva, like openSUSE and Fedora, is a unique open source product even if it has to live on using a different name (Heck, it used to be called Mandrake).
3. Fedora and openSUSE are still awesome . . . but still not for everyone. As a longtime user of openSUSE, it doesn't really matter to me that the next release has been delayed. I'm pretty happy with openSUSE 12.1 KDE and my current setup is just fine as it is. As I detailed in my Fedora LXDE review, Fedora is a great choice for serious and above-average users. However, both Fedora and openSUSE are clearly not for the iOS and Android generation who are used to everything just working at a press or long press of the touchscreen. Mageia retains characteristics of the Mandriva of old where setup was done via a user-friendly GUI (Mageia control center). It also presents itself as a democratic product and flashy friendly product. . . and as Don Draper would tell you, presentation is everything.
Personally, I'm pretty happy with my current Linux boxes running on Ubuntu, Fedora, and openSUSE. The first Mageia release, although slick in appearance, wasn't noteworthy. As I run tests on Mageia 2 I find myself wondering what are the compelling reasons to select this distribution. I haven't touch any Mandriva-esque distro since the ill-fated Mandriva 2010 so it's been awhile. Hopefully, I'll find out soon enough what is the magic behind Mageia.
Dr. Strange goes off to learn the magic behind Mageia 2.
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