Freespire

Ray2047 · Joined: Nov 01, 2003 Posts: 766

I'm using the first beta release. I have to say it is promising. Things like multimedia including streaming video just work with out any fussing. Of course that is partly because unlike many other free Linux distros it contains licensed software. No trying to install programs fom third party "maybe legal" sources after the fact.

Now I have some annoyances to work out some maybe most because of my preferences. It uses Firefox for the browser but I much prefer Mozilla or Seamonkey. I don't see either one in the CnR so will probably have to install Seamonkey from source. As usual when KDE is used menu and toolbar fonts in Mozilla based software are too small. I'll need to install the GTK engine to fix that probably.

For beginners to Linux though it has promise as a very good Linux to start with. Even installs easily in a very short time.

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6299

Ray, I'm gonna give it a whirl too. I was very impressed when I tried the live cd this morning. Quick question though. Did you sign up for their newsletter? I'm assuming that also gets one into the forum to post. If you did, how long did it take to get the confirmation email to activate it? I'm still waiting on mine. It's been a couple of hours. Most forums usually don't take that long.

Thanks.

Ray2047 · Joined: Nov 01, 2003 Posts: 766

I did originally but there were just too many e-mails. Now I use only the forum. It's easy to join and they are very helpful.

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6299

Lot's of emails? Gee, I wish I'd get just one. Ok, I went back and signed in where I think that might actually be for the forum, but it looked exactly like what I filled in early this morning. Used the same information I filled in this morning and nothing popped up saying my user name or email was already taken. I have a feeling it's all going into a black void.

Ray2047 · Joined: Nov 01, 2003 Posts: 766

The forums are here: http://forum.freespire.org/forumdisplay.php?f=4

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6299

Thanks but I know where the forum is. I just can't get registered anyplace. I even tried the forgot password link. I'm not in the system yet. I don't know how long it takes, but it's been 24 hours since I signed up for the email notifications and about 12 hours since I signed up at the forum link. Both "forms" I filled out looked identical. And as I said, when I registered the second time with the exact same information, nothing came up to tell me that email address and user name was already taken.

Gary66 · Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 8353

MB,
I just joined and I got the email confirmation back immediately. Try again using a different Email addy and name.

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6299

seaeagle

Freespire review (very positive too): Linux.com | First look: Freespire

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6299

Before people fall out of their seats, there is a mistake in the article. CNR subscriptions start at 19.95 a year, not a month.

I've played with the last two Live CD releases and can't wait until it's out of beta. I'm waiting until then to install it since right now you can't upgrade over the older versions. Each one requires a clean installation.

I've tried Xandros, PCLinuxOS by install and had problems with both. I've played with 4 or 5 other Live CD distros too. Didn't like them for one reason or another. I bought Linspire when it was Lindows and had lots of problems with it. But I knew nothing about Linux back then. Still don't know a lot, but I know enough that at least the basics should work right out of the box so then the Windows convert can play around with learning apt-get and all that; but still be able to actually use their computer in the meantime.

In fact, I've looked at Linspire again and I can say I am very impressed with it now. They've come a long way. I seriously considered buying it again to have the latest version. But then I saw Freespire...

I like it particularly because it starts with only some basic apps; but they all work! I'm not bogged down with 5 different media players and neither of them do the same basic functions, without a lot of tweaking or digging for more dependencies to get what you want it to do. Anyway, I'm excited.

Oh! I may be closer to actually getting into the forum. I tried Gary's suggestion to register with another email address. I still wanted to try to keep mommabear though. Well, this time I got a message that mommabear was already taken. So I go looking at the member list to see if I might be that mommabear (or maybe I do have to pick another name) but she's not on the member list. I seem to still be in limbo, but I might be getting there.

Edit: btw, Gary. I looked for you in the member list but didn't see you. Did you use a different name?

Gary66 · Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 8353

Ray2047 · Joined: Nov 01, 2003 Posts: 766

{General Reply: Not in Reply to Gary 66}

My most frustrating and still unsolved problem is getting CNR to work. I still haven't succeeded in getting a single download. I even signed up. That in itself was an oddescy of problems. Also not happy with the actual CNR interface. One problem is there seems to be no way to adjust the font size. Also the screen seems cluttered.

Given all the hype over CNR I see a certain irony that as usual Synaptic is easy to use. Simple easy to use uncluttered interface with resizable default font.

Of course on the other hand almost all of the sources in the sources list included when I installed using apt-get were unusable either 404 or other problems. There is though an updated sources list.

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6299

Gary66 · Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 8353

I never use a primary email ady to join any forum. Idea

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6299

Actually the one I want is for convenience but through my ISP, because I don't like downloading hotmail and yahoo into my OE. So I always go through the webmail for them. There are some forums that always go that route. Wink

This one that I would like is a still a backup of a kind...I can always delete it if something bad happens. My private email has separate addys.

Edit: Tuesday. mommabear is finally in!

seaeagle

Freespire 1.0 (Final) has been released:

Distribution Release: Freespire 1.0

Ray2047 · Joined: Nov 01, 2003 Posts: 766

{A general Statement not a reply to Seaeagle}

Just installed it tonight so haven't really taken it for a test run. I did though find Seamonkey has been added to the CnR which makes me a happy camper. I prefer a suite but the Linspire's version of Mozilla was problematic for me. Very inferior to the Debian Sarge package in my estimation.

The version of Seamonkey comes with Flash, WMP, and Java already installed whic makes it really sweet IMHO. No trying to find and figure out how to install and get them to work.

I might have been able to adapt to Firefox but as bad as I spell I really need Spellbound but the Linspire Firefox was so tweaked Spellbound just wouldn't install. It did install no problem in Seamonkey.

Supposedly by next version apt-get dist-upgrade should work. Sure save on the CDs. Very Happy