Review: Pardus Linux 2007.2

I'm having some issues with Wolvix's HD installer crashing when it hits 86%, so I might not be able to review it. I'll try a USB install- assuming I can get my corrupted 512MB key formatted. If it's hardware-level, I'm fscked. If it's block-level, it's fscked. (You have no appreciation for geek humor...) For now, it's on to Pardus.
Wait... Par-what?
-Pardus is a rising distribution.
-Pardus is made in Turkey.
-Pardus has superb hardware detection. Right off the Live CD, it detected my native 1280x800 screen resolution and wireless networking card, a feat that only ELive 1.0 has matched.
-Pardus uses KDE.
Should give you a good idea of what to expect.
Pardus comes in two varieties, "Calisan" and "Kurulan" images. The "Calisan" image is a live CD, while the "Kurulan" disk installs almost 3 gigabytes of software. (I did a "df" after the install.) The "Calisan" disk worked flawlessly, with the exception that I wasn't close enough to get any Wifi signals. It even, as I said, detected my native screen resolution. W00t.
Once I was done with that, I moved on to the Kurulan disk. I read somewhere that a Pardus install takes up about 3.4 gigabytes of disk space, yet fits onto a single CD. The install itself recommended 4 gigs, but in reality, it only needed 3 for me. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that my /home folder was on a separate partition.
The install was simple enough, easier than Ubuntu's, but it had 3 major flaws. Despite it taking up 3 gigabytes of disk space, there wasn't a package selection option. Second, it's impossible to install from a "Calisan" disk, which means that you'll need two disks in all. Finally, the install took a whopping 35 minutes- which could have been reduced by package selection.
With 3 gigabytes of disk space to use, the install was more than complete. I didn't see Blender on the menu anywhere, but it included some of the more common add-ons, such as MPlayer, OpenOffice, SuperKaramba, Java, Flash, and a ton of games.
But there's more. Pardus comes with some programs of its own. PiSi is the default package manager, with features such as searching, automatic updates, and dependency tracking. Mudur is the init system replacement, and because of it, the system boots noticeably faster. Configuration is handled by Kaptan, a first-run configuration system, and Tasma, a somewhat-expanded control center that looks suspiciously like KDE's control center. It also came with a custom icon theme. It also comes with a proprietary installer and firewall. Package numbers were limited, but I found everything I wanted except for XFCE. That was annoying.
Performance was another matter. KDE runs slowly, and without XFCE at my disposal, Tremulous was only slightly faster than on Ubuntu, and was left in the dust by Elive. GLXGears said otherwise, but since when was it reliable? Still, Pardus with KDE is faster than Ubuntu with GNOME, and that's saying something.
Pardus is a distribution worth watching. It's friendly, relatively fast, and complete. There are some issues, like the limited repository size, but that's just because it's in its nascent stages.
Pros:
-Easy to install and use
-Install includes a ton of programs
-Faster than most distributions, including you-know-whobuntu
Cons:
-Installer and packaging need work
Friendliness: 4/5- The team clearly put some effort into usability.
Performance: 4/5- KDE slows it down, but just a bit.
Features: 5/5- Uber-complete single-CD install.
Packaging: 3.5/5- Interesting proprietary installer. It would work well with a bigger repository.
Artwork: 2.5/2.5- Custom icons look good, and Kaptan allows you to get the desktop set up exactly the way you want it.
Community: 1.5/2.5- It's a Turkish distribution, and the English community isn't all that big. Yet.
Overall: 4.1/5- A distribution worth watching.
From Pardus 2007.2,
The DistRogue.