Xandros
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Xandros_desktop.png
Xandros is a company that produces linux distributions. It is the creator of one of the easiest to use and popular distributions of Linux called Xandros Desktop.
Founded in 2001, the company is located in New York City and Ottawa, Ontario. Their distributions is based on Corel Linux, a Debian-based distribution which was acquired from Corel Corporation that same year after Corel decided to leave the Linux distribution market. Xandros is also a founding member of the Desktop Linux Consortium.
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Products
Xandros makes products for both the consumer and business markets.
Workstation OSs
Xandros Desktop is for the home user, which is cheaper and easier to use than higher end versions. There are three editions, Standard, Deluxe and Surfside Linux. The Deluxe edition includes a user manual and support for running Microsoft Windows applications. Its installer can resize NTFS partitions, and also bundles more software. Alternatively, Surfside Linux bundles a wide array of Internet software including several versions of Skype. Surfside Linux also includes a USB headside for communications and gaming.
Xandros Business Desktop is more expensive but includes support for Active Directory, and advanced microprocessor features like SMP and Hyperthreading. There also tools for the administration and deployment of Xandros desktops within a company or institution.
Finally, Xandros Open Circulation Edition is a freely redistributable edition for non-commercial use. This has a limited set of additional software; for example, its cd-burning is restricted to 4x speed only. The web browser Mozilla Firefox and the email client Mozilla Thunderbird are included.
Server OSs
The current beta test of Xandros Small Business Server or xSBS already runs both Apache and Samba servers. The server works with Linux and Windows environments. It is expected to ship by the end of the year 2005.
Xandros Desktop Mangement Server or xDMS is already available. It easily sets up repositories as it deploys customized Xandros Desktop configurations across a large organizaton.
Look and feel
The Xandros GUI uses a modified version of the K Desktop Environment (KDE), which includes replacing Konqueror with its own proprietary file manager called XFM. It also uses a package manager known as Xandros Networks, which handles installation of software. Installation of Xandros is done by a wizard that asks questions about partitioning and the administrator (root) password.
The graphical user interface has many changes compared to other Linux distributions that make it look similar to a Microsoft Windows GUI, including a rectangular "launch" button similar to the Start button, modified context menus, and the file manager features a Windows 98 style look. While this has been criticized for making Linux look like Windows, it is also said that this aids the migration to Linux by minimizing the need for re-training.
The package includes several themes styled after non-Microsoft OSs, including KDE, Mac OS 9, UNIX, and its own style.
Awards
Xandros has won a significant number of awards for their products, including the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo's Best Front Office Solution, various Editor's Choice awards in several magazines, and famous Editor's Choice of CNET's web site. Xandros Desktops are also informally recognized by the tech industry for being the easiest to use among all the distributions of Linux.
Litigation
One-time partner Linspire filed a lawsuit (http://www.linux.org/news/2004/05/10/0007.html) with Xandros in 2003. Linspire claimed that Xandros failed to repay a $750,000 loan, and that the company and other defendants engaged in fraud and criminal misrepresentation during the negotiations leading up to Linspire's investment in Xandros. The information came to light when, on April 20, 2004 Linspire (then named Lindows, Inc.) filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering (IPO) of common stock.
See also
External links
- Xandros (http://www.xandros.com/)
- Careers at Xandros (http://www.xandros.com/about/careers.html)
- Beta Testers (http://www.xandros.com/beta/)