Xandros is the new name of a project of distribution given up by Corel and taken again in 2001.

It is a commercial distribution directed towards the simple use of an OS Linux based on Debian. With this intention the graphic fitter is very simple, the layer of interface can be a KDE modified by the team of Xandros or a Gnome. Thanks to the Cross-country race Over Office provided, installed and supported in commercial release, it is possible to use in Xandros a great number of software of the world Windows, like: Internet to explore, Office, Photoshop, Real Player to quote only some-ones of them. To note that the license of Xandros 3.02 and Xandros 4 includes the official support of all these software continuations. Other application, not supported officially by the Over Cross-country race, can be installed: Emulate, various editors, Flash Player, etc

The management of the software system and software is done by the means of Xandros Networks (XN) which guarantees (included in the license) the compatibility of the packages suggested including the plays. All can be done in a transparent way for an not-informed user. The installation of parcellings supports also directly the packages RedHat and Debian in Expert mode. It is possible also to include a list of repositories as large as wished and to let the XN operate all the installations.

One can make his Xandros distribution a system really directed towards the multi-media one: installation automated of all codecs and multimedia players, support of Internet Internet to explore, Mozilla, Firefox etc

The free version named Open Circulation is attached: engraving CD/DVD, functions firewall etc, and in particular on the level of parcellings installables via Xandros Networks. Xandros is thus not a free distribution.

Compared to free distributions, such as ubuntu, OpenSuse, Fedora or Mandriva, one can underline:

• a support hardware much broader, in particular of the graphics cards and a database of the equipment tested;

• the customer support of the Xandros team;
• reliable and sophisticated software management, but leaving the hand to handling purely Linux;
• the official support of many plays (Quake, Doom etc);
• an integration of irreproachable KDE without crash landings.

The disadvantages are:

• paying distribution;
• rather poor multilingual support.

External bonds

• Official site
• official Forums
• QuebecOS - Test of Xandros 2.0
• QuebecOS - Test of Xandros Desktop 3.0 Deluxe
• QuebecOS - complete Article: In the middle of Xandros
• GuideLinux.Org: Tutorial on Xandros 3