Mandriva Blog

Dear Community,

as promised, here is a short update on what has been reached and where we’re going.
The echo from the Community is very impressive. Mandriva Linux still has its supporters and fans, but I also felt your disappointment over the years and the lack of information during the past months certainly is a key to explain why many of you felt left alone with nobody holding the steering wheel. This was never the case. We have had probably the most turbulent times that Mandriva SA ever experienced and I’m happy that this is over for now. I could unfortunately not communicate accordingly as this may have compromised our future. The moves to solve the difficulties were really like walking on eggs, with every announcement potentially being fatal for the issue of the negotiations.

The difficult situation we have experienced has many different reasons which I can’t and will not disclose here, as some are covered by non-disclosure agreements and some other related to the past and we all know that the past cannot be changed. My duty is to take the past into account and try not to make the same mistakes. This is far from easy, considering that we are a commercial company with paid employees who rely on the operations to live and shareholders who finance the company every month and want to see the results. The main reason why Mandriva SA regulary had difficulties is that, in the past, the elementary rule of revenue covering costs has not been respected. This has to be changed, there are ways to achieve this goal, but it means that we must find alternative ways to work and promote the products that have a chance right now on the market.

The Mandriva Linux project has the right to be given a space in which it may expand and the contributors and afficionados a place where they can express their talents. We are precisely working on this right now and during the next two weeks. We will announce the direction we intend to give to the project during the third week of May. It makes no doubt that it’ll be difficult to satisfy each an every expectation and wish, as they’re many of them and some are not compatible with the other, but we’ll try to achieve what can be useful and most promising for the community and, with it, the Mandriva Linux project. Stay tuned and do not hesitate to use the community@mandriva.com email address in the meantime. We’re still listening and also answer to the numerous emails received!

The general assembly of the shareholders of Mandriva went well today.

Among others, a recapitalization has been approved and will be fulfilled in 10 days. The strategy review started two weeks ago will now actively be finalized and the corresponding decisions taken mid of May.

The next annual general assembly of shareholders will be held on April, 30th, 2012 at our office address, 32, rue de Trévise in Paris at 14h00. All details regarding this assembly have been communicated to each registered shareholder per mail a few days ago.

Unfortunately, the bid proposed by the external entity has been refused by a minority shareholder and we cannot go for this solution. Fortunately, the financial situation – far better than expected – allow us to search for a new way to solve the current issue until mid-February. We’ll be able to count on the help of the Paris Region Economic Development Agency for this important move.

The decision that should have been taken today has been postponed to Friday, January 27th. The deadline for the decision on the proposal has been extended by the proposing entity upon request of some shareholders.

We would like to inform that a proposal to acquire Mandriva has been submitted by an external entity. As required in such a situation, the major shareholders have been asked to determine their position. As per today, Mandriva has not received every determination in written form and will, in consequence, wait until January, 23rd to decide on the future of the company.

The 2011 repository has been signed with the official Mandriva key (main and contrib media). This means there is no more cooker key in the 2011 repository.

This change will do a major update of all mirrors, because signed RPM are not the same, so they will be re-synced on all mirrors.

People should now import the official pubkey. They can remove the cooker one if they want, but installed RPMs on the system will stay signed with the cooker key.

You can use any 2011 repository to import the key:

rpm --import ftp://ftp.proxad.net/pub/Distributions_Linux/MandrivaLinux/official/2011/i586/media/media_info/pubkey_contrib
rpm --import ftp://ftp.proxad.net/pub/Distributions_Linux/MandrivaLinux/official/2011/i586/media/media_info/pubkey_main

To remove the cooker key:

rpm -e gpg-pubkey-22458a98-3969e7de

Moreover following the Oden’s recommendation libreoffice from media/testing has been moved to main/release, to fix #64224 and #64246. QA process has been done following http://wiki.mandriva.com/en/OOo_Quality_Assurance

Following the Mandriva Linux free 2011 Mandriva is proud to launch the Mandriva Powerpack 2011, the full version of Mandriva Linux! Based on its new product strategy, Mandriva changes the release procedure, aiming for a one-year period between major releases. However, Mandriva will also release updated versions of its products
on a periodic time on a 6-month basis.

Quicker, easier and more secure than ever, Mandriva Linux offers new functionalities which revolutionize the desktop. Mandriva Linux Powerpack 2011 is the most advanced Linux Operating System to date, a genuine concentration of technologies and innovations. It supports a wide panel of hardware configurations, making it a stable base for users. It combines simplicity with conviviality in an intuitive, high performing environment. It is the ideal distribution for all users, from the beginner to the most advanced.

Designed to meet users’ real needs in terms of security, performance and ergonomy, Mandriva Linux Powerpack 2011 is everything you ever wanted from an operating System.

Mandriva Powerpack 2011, offers:

• A complete, quick-to-install system, comprising all the necessary drivers;
• ‘Smart Desktop’, a unique technology, which offers dynamic access to all files by labeling them and grading photos, documents, emails and videos whilst safeguarding personal data through a customized approach. Ginkgo, the new graphical interface for managing data semantics, can create and explore the links between their personal data such as mails, documents, files, Web pages;
• Tools to easily secure the system, parental control is easier than ever and can control the web sites and applications used by children;
• A compatibility with the latest (and oldest) hardware platforms, including netbooks;
• A panel of applications embracing LibreOffice, Firefox, Clementine, Thunderbird varied educational software, multimedia…;
• The latest versions of Kernel 2.6.39, KDE 4.6.5 with RPM5 and leading Open Source applications: Bash 4.2 – Python 2.7.2 – PHP 5.3.8 Apache 2.2.19 – Glibc 2.13 – GCC 4.6 ;
• The fluendo DVD player to watch your movies ;
• 3 months of Web support

A wide range of complementary commercial applications in the Powerpack version: audio and video codecs, adobe flash, adobe reader, codeweaver (crossover), Java, Opera and commercial Nvidia, ATI, Intel, VIA, AMD drivers …

“As a multimedia partner, we are accompanying the new version of the Powerpack with our complete multimedia enabling suite, to provide Mandriva’s users with the latest performance for video and audio playback. We wish the Mandriva Power pack 2011 a great success”,
shares Muriel Paumier Moscardini, CEO of Fluendo.

Mandriva Linux is a convivial Operating System which will adapt to your computer and devices. It will meet all your needs and enable friends to share the experience.

Pricing and availability
Mandriva Linux Powerpack 2011 can be ordered for download at the Mandriva Store, 49
euros / USD59 (20% off for the first two days).
Purchase here: http://store.mandriva.com/pwp

To get benefit of the 20% discount please enter the following
promotion code while ordering: PCS-LCH-2011

The Powerpack subscription, allowing Powerpack download access for 2 years (two releases + updates), is available for 78 euros, or US$95. Also available for 3 years, 102 euros or US$124.
Powerpack subscriptions: http://store.mandriva.com/?cPath=149

The Mandriva online team.