Linux-Mandrake 6.0 was actually my intro to Linux. Lots and lots of memories.
Still absolutely love this clunky aesthetic.
Interestingly, the old website is still up. Last post, 1999.
Another screenie for good measure:
this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2023
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It's beautiful.
The window elements each have a clear purpose without “aesthetics” overriding those.
Also, you didn't need massive resolutions and screen real estate to be able to see what you're doing.
FWIW you can 'recreate' the environment you enjoyed on today's distros. Here is one good solid option: https://github.com/NsCDE/NsCDE
Here's something even more current from 'rasat'... who is a huge proponent of the CDE on FVWM environment: https://fvwmforums.org/t/picom-compositor-for-xorg/4250
That does look quite familiar and cool.
I started on Mandrake 8.1. I owe Mandrake a lot for starting me off on Linux over twenty years ago.
Down the memory lane! At that time downloading a full distro with my poor 33.6k modem was an unfeasible nightmare, and I remember buying the Mandrake Powerpack box with several CDs, books... and stickers! I fondly remember how the included assistants (diskdrake and similar "drake" tools) tried to make things easier for newbies like me... and of course they only worked half of the time!
Powerful nostalgia vibes. My first Linux distro was Mandrake 7 or 7.1. Can't quite recall which one it was but I remember waiting hours for it to download after the boxed copy of RedHat I bought at Incredible Universe just would not cleanly install on my 486 at home.
I stuck with that distro till around 2005? I think the last version I had installed was Mandriva 2006.
I remember this distro as having a good number of newer storage drivers (cpqarray, in particular) available when installing.
Some people may not like it but this is what peak desktop interface design looks like.
Oh gosh! I remember mandrake. I don't remember version but do remember it. Was certainly an experience for me. Had no clue what I was doing. No idea how I went from that to gentoo. Stage 1 install was a nightmare I couldn't forget. Stage 3 is a breeze now.