But the star of the show is an item developed at home - the Libranet AdminMenu. This is a Swiss army knife with everything plus the kitchen sink included. And unlike many other graphical user interfaces to system management provided by various distributions, this one works.

Admittedly, Libranet has a good pedigree - the packaging system used by Debian is, arguably, the best among distributions. AdminMenu builds on this, providing a graphic interface to adding and removing software and for nearly every function which one needs in order to keep one's computer in order.

One feature we really appreciated was the automatic fetching of applications that cannot be distributed on the CD set due to licensing issues. After launching the Libranet AdminMenu graphical administration tool, we were able to easily tell the system to grab Microsoft Web Fonts, Macromedia Flash, RealPlayer, and Java. Thanks to the underlying apt-get system that is the crown jewel of Debian, it is also very easy to grab more software from the Libranet CD's or the standard Debian package repositories (according to Libranet, their distribution is 100% compatible with Debian).

My yearning for a trouble-free installation coupled with rock-solid Debian was finally fulfilled when the gentle folks at Libranet decided to release Libranet 2.7 Classic, essentially Libranet 2.8 with an older kernel (2.4.19 instead of 2.4.21 in Libranet 2.8.1) and a smaller selection of packages; but with APT the system can easily be extended and upgraded.

All the major applications are here. If anything, this is the one minor gripe I have with Libranet - that there may be too many packages in the default install. This is a matter of personal preference, though. Some people like the kitchen sink with multiple versions of different types of applications installed, I happen to prefer picking the "best of breed" (in the distributor's mind) for each class of app, and then letting users install others if they wish. Mozilla was version 1.4, OpenOffice.org was 1.0.3 and KDE was version 3.1.3 - all very recent versions of the respective applications. The shipping kernel is 2.4.21.

How Libranet evolves is itself evolutionary. Libranet 2.7, the predecessor, had a small beta group. For Libranet 2.8, about 80 users with skills ranging from beginner to guru were brought in. The beta testers talked to one another and the developers on a special mail-list. Every issue raised was discussed and resolved in an open forum that included all of the beta testers. While some of the beta testers posted problems that experienced Linux users might dismiss as sophomoric, they did identify a number of potential pitfalls a first-time Linux user could encounter. For example, a simple change to a configuration dialog box reduces the likelihood of selecting the wrong CD drive as the Libranet package installer's default. For all of these bugs and issues, beta testers could communicate directly with the programmers and watch the changes and development take place as a team.

Libranet 2.8 is the result. It is built on Linux kernel 2.4.20, XFree86 4.3, KDE 3.1.1 and GNOME 2.2.1, along with IceWM, Fluxbox and Xfce.

...the feature that sets it apart from other main stream Debian distros such as Ubuntu and MEPIS Linux as well as most non-commercial distros in the world... the Libranet AdminMenu (See It In Action). This little gem has what it takes to maintain control over your system(s) no matter what your needs. Forgive me for taking so much space to describe its features, but they are worthy of the real estate I'm about to give them.

From the Libranet web site: "Libranet's aim is to build a good system for people to use. We are not really a distribution; rather Libranet is a system that we produce. This system is stable, fast and comprehensive. When we first began using Linux it was to replace SCO UNIX and Microsoft Windows. We built it for our own use and used Debian Hamm and Debian's archive to do so. Thinking that we now had a good product on our hands we decided to sell it. So what we do is build a system for people to use which is easy to install and requires little, if any, support. People wanting to run a Debian system can start with Libranet and be ahead of the game."

Libranet 2.8.1 comes with 2 CDs. Installation procedure was fairly easy. I pop in the first CD and boot it up. The text based installation looks like some advanced and complicated installation routine is prepared ahead for me. However I was fooled, the installation is extremely easy, and well prepared to guide users throughout the installation one by one.

Libranet has a very strong selection of applications for everyday use, especially when it comes to the Internet. Included are email apps like KMail, Sylpheed, Balsa, and Mozilla Mail. Browsers also get a fair go with not only the ubiquitous Mozilla, but also the likes of Galeon, Opera, Epiphany, and Netscape Communicator 4.77. Office users will be happy too with not only GNOME and KDE's office apps, but also a full OpenOffice.org suite. As their 2.8.1 release is getting long-in-the-tooth however, I'd recommend grabbing the latest releases of Firefox and OpenOffice.org.

The heavyweight classification I give this latest Libranet comes from its distribution size--five CDs or one DVD--and its comprehensive list of included applications. Although a number of Debian-based distributions are available at less or no cost, none include as many programs as Libranet 3.0 does. This is of primary interest to me and other Linux users who lack broadband or simply don't want to spend their time downloading packages in order to get the functionality we want.

Libranet 3.0 does not move like a heavyweight once installed, however.

I am not a geek. Let this be known to all. But to give a clear picture of just how much joy this adminmenu can bring, let me tell you something. One of the first things I (the non-geek technical writer) did after installing Libranet was to jump onto the adminmenu and recompile my kernel. Not because I needed to. Because it was fun. Libranet has taken one of the most hair ripping experiences that an end user can possibly endure and turned it into a playful pass-time. I would have needed to recompile the kernel on my secondary system anyway in order to install the Lucent drivers. But I did it just for the fun of it. On both systems. Because I enjoyed it.

I couldn't use apt-get properly, and a few other apps caused me to give up on Debian. With Libranet all this is easy, so easy that I have managed to get the installed 2.0 upgraded to kde 3.0.5 and the system updated to the Debian sid (sid is the newest non released version-- still in testing), and it wasn't hard at all, not if I did it.

This distribution certainly seems to be geared towards power users at home, who want a trim multimedia machine that can jump on the net and not have to worry about missing parts, whilst doing everything in a nice environment. I know I've done a lot of bagging in this review, but these fellers from Vancouver have made a great product at the end of the day. There are some curious and annoying oversights, but the good areas really highlight this distro.

While Libranet 2.8.1 may be only a dot release, it is a compelling offering for desktop users looking for an easy to install and maintain Linux distribution. Anyone looking for a distribution that arrives ready and able to do some serious work should give this Debian distribution a try.

Libranet is Canada's foremost Linux distribution. They have succeeded where others have failed. As far as I know, they are the only commercial distribution based on Debian left standing. Perhaps their success is due to the added value they provide to what is essentially an easier to use Debian 3.0 release, or perhaps it's their attention to detail; making the small things easy for new users. They have actively fostered a growing and enthusiastic user community that willingly participates in their beta releases and in educating users new to both Libranet and Debian. People from Libranet also interact very openly with the user community paying attention to their praises and concerns. Whatever it is that they do right it seems to be paying off.

The Libranet forums are the best linux related user forums i've ever been a member of. Friendly. Helpful. Polite. Knowledgeable. What more can you ask for? You can join the forum prior to purchasing/trying Libranet and check it out. You'll see what I mean. It's a strong knit community and i'll make mention of two very helpful individuals - xmixahlx (Mike) - his homepage is http://xmixahlx.com/, and DanielK (Daniel) - his homepage is http://www.taickim.net/

The Libranet distribution is for developers who are looking for a solid desktop distribution to do their daily work.

Libranet is a debian based distribution and is a progeny of Libra Computer Systems Ltd. Based in Vancouver Canada, they have been producing the great desktop targetted distribution for public consumption since 1999.

A number of my colleagues have said that the only reason they haven't switched to Linux is something called “dependency hell”. Every program you install may have dependencies, that is other applications and libraries that it needs to work correctly. For example if I install a popular 3D game, TUXRACER, it may also need to install xfree-dri for graphics acceleration.

Libranet, being based on Debian, uses the synaptic package installer, which makes installing new packages almost as easy as it could be.