Mandrake or Slackware

[Aaron Grewell]

>
> I see I wasn't clear enough.  I don't have to do the install. 
> Professionals will do that.  I only have to choose from the options of
> Slackware or Mandrake.  I've never used either, so I have no familiarity. 
> I have some reference texts on Red Hat, and I understand that Mandrake is
> closest to that, but I'm hoping for some more information on compatibility
> with "standard" ( ;-}9  <== tongue in cheek) Linux layout & configuration. 
> I'm most familiar with SuSE and Gentoo for my own experience, have built an
> LFS and installed Red Hat.
>

Oh.  Well, what are they going to use it for?  In theory, Mandrake is more 
"standardized" with regard to LSB, but with all their proprietary config 
tools they're probably just as strange as Slack (which uses BSD init among 
other non-LSB things) if not more so.  The advantage for Mandrake is that the 
un-initiated will find it easier to set up and use.  Slackware will give you 
exactly what you want as long as you're willing to do the work.  If the 
installer isn't familiar with exactly what the user wants then they won't get 
it, since Slack's policy is 'if you didn't ask, you don't get it.'