I tested Mandrake 8.1 and I couldn't install (not my ISOs, checked with md5sum).

Then I went with Mandrake 8.3 beta2 cooker (now 9.0) after install I was never able to launch X server. It was simply not worling, and it was an installation problem !!!

Then I went back (like before from beginning full install) with Mandrake 8.2 and it hanged (many reinstallations) at reboot on X server, but I was able to reconfigure and then SURPRISE, only 480x640 at any depth was working (whatever monitor I was choosing). However, some monitors weren't letting me launch even at 480x640 (says not compatible monitor !!! - FOR VGA, DAMNED). I have an S3Virge pci 4MB which is a VERY standard card which may be supported on any distro, and any Windows. I tested all 4.2.0 and 3.3.6 X86free servers supporting S3Virge and the difference was support for 8bit depth on some of them but always all other 480x640. What the hell. I am coming from Corel Linux 1.2 (fast and working install) and used successfully before, with same hardware old Slackware (first ones), kernel 0.99 (on floppies), 1.1 and 1.2. I thought Mandrake was good enough to support my new Alcatel USB ADSL modem but NO WAY, even this fails to install, like may isa pnp Sound Blaster (unbelievable) and my isa pnp network card. When looking at Usenet I see same problems in Red Hat which seems to be the base distro of Mandrake. Those are the most used distros, but I will getback to SLACKWARE. I will be much faster at linking and compiling everything myself. Binary is only good for installation ! Another faster way would be to get Alcatel driver to work on the Corel Linux kernel. But I am not happy with the server features of that distro !

My hardware 350W AT case, Mainboard=Asus+Intel HX+128 MB ecc-edo 60ns, K6-3@400=6x66(undocumented but supported), video=S3 Virge 4Mb, 2x Tekram DC390UW UWide SCSI card, CDRW Yamaha 4260 SCSI, 1 USCSI Pioneer 6xDVD slot, 1HD Quantum 4.5GB USCSI, 1HD IBM 9GB UW SCSI, 2HD (1/IDE port) 8GB Seagate (udma33 as pio4) and Maxtor(udma66 as pio4), USB pci card. Booting on SCSI CDRW (it surprisingly works).This was able to work 24h a day (I use ECC memory) and it rocks with Corel Linux, Windows 95B.