What is Mageia?
Mageia is a free and open-source Linux distribution that has its roots in the Mandriva Linux (formerly known as Mandrake Linux) project. After Mandriva S.A, a French company, went bankrupt in 2011, many of the core Mandriva developers decided to fork the distro to create Mageia, which would be community-driven without corporate interests.
Mageia is an all-round distro, suitable for both server and desktop use. It uses a zip-based installer with a simple graphical interface, making it very user-friendly for novice Linux users. Mageia comes with a wide range of standards-compliant software, including many language support, accessibility and even RAD tools out of the box.
Some key features include:
- Rolling release development model after version 7, allowing easy upgrades without reinstallation
- Uses RPM package management with the urpmi command for easy installations and updates
- Strong security focus including SELinux and AppArmor support
- Good selection of desktop environments like KDE, GNOME, MATE, and Xfce
- Live DVD ISOs for easy evaluation without installing
Mageia is a popular choice for users seeking the stability and ease-of-use of Mandriva Linux while supporting an open community project. It has attracted many former Mandriva users as well as newcomers to Linux.
Windows 10, Ubuntu, macOS, Linux Mint, Arch Linux, elementary OS, Debian, Fedora, Manjaro Linux, openSUSE, Kubuntu, UwUntu, Serenity OS, BlackBerry QNX, Node OS, Septor, GeckoLinux, Tanglu, Pisi Linux, HardenedBSD, Black Lab Linux, ULinux, NeXTSTEP are some alternatives to Mageia.