Ins and Outs of ELX

For the next few weeks, we’re taking a look at the ins and outs of ELX Linux, an up-and-coming distribution designed for the desktop and based, in part, on RedHat.

After a nightmarish three days of installation woes this week, the install for ELX was a refreshing break. Don’t get me wrong. I have absolutely nothing against text-based installers. That’s how I stared using Linux and, in some ways, they can be very quick and easy to use. ELX does, though, use a graphical install. In fact, it’s unlike some other graphical installers in that the option for a text-based install isn’t even presented. Once ELX has found your graphics device, the installer automatically rolls over to graphic mode. That’s the first indication when installing ELX that this is, indeed, a distribution designed for consumers and new Linux users.

Like many other commercial distributions, ELX has adopted a mascot from the natural world. “Dolli the Dolphin” is, ostensibly, your friendly guide through the install process. Well, she says she is. I actually didn’t see much of her past her introduction.

What I did see after Dolli’s disappearance was a series of install screens that were very reminiscent of RedHat. Item for item, ELX uses the well-established RedHat install process via distro-customized screens. Even the ordering is the same. Though I readily admit to being a longtime RedHat admirer, it’s not tough to be objective about this choice of install methods. The process is well-proven and easy for even novice users. Though not as pretty as Mandrake, the RedHat installation is equally easy on new and old users alike. The adoption of this process by ELX is another sign that its creators are thinking beyond the current Linux user base.

For all its “RedHatishness”, ELX has made some interesting departures. In my opinion, the utility of these install modifications is a mixed bag. The good:

• The network configuration was especially easy, though the only fundamental change was in the layout.
• ReiserFS is the default journalling filesystem in ELX.
• DiskDruid is even more simplified than in its RedHat counterpart - a definite plus for new users.

The bad?

• The application base is clearly focused on GUI apps. Several text-based standards were left out of this distro.
• A “Custom” install selects all but 5 or 6 packages. It’s up to the user to walk through each installation screen and deselect unwanted apps. Even this process is a bit unclear as the user is required to either double click the unwanted app or uncheck the “Install this application” checkbox. A better approach would be to select only a core set of components, leaving app selection (rather than deselection) to the user.

Much to my relief, all the key hardware items were probed correctly. Remember that, by the time I started this install, I’d already removed my Voodoo 3 video card. On that basis, I can’t fully vouch for the hardware detection process. However, everything left on my machine was probed and installed properly.

All in all, the install process was smooth, intuitive and painless. It was, to say the least, a relief. Per the evaluation criteria published last week in Penguin Shell, here’s how I’d score the install phase for ELX, based on a 1-5 scale:

• Install GUI Appeal: 3
• Install Ease: 4
• Install Flexibility: 3
• Hardware Probing: 4 (weighted x 2)
• Overall Installation Score: 18 of 25 possible

As you can imagine, I haven’t had much time to poke around under the hood of ELX. Catching up from the time lost during the failed installs of the week is sucking up time like a typhoon sucks up water. Within the next few days, I’ll move on to security in ELX. We’ll look at how well this fresh-faced distribution protects your system in the default configuration as well as how easily a user can “harden” their new ELX system.

Tony
Steidler-Dennison