 Visitor Reviews |
Calculate Linux
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Reader supplied reviews for Calculate Linux
Average rating
8.1 from 21 review(s)
Version: 20241101
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-11-20
Votes: 2
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I've always tried to get through the complicated installation of Gentoo /which I recognize for its flawless documentation and pleasant, relatively good support/. But like Derek Taylor from DistroTube, I couldn't do it either. Until I came to the Gentoo fork Calculate Linux. Everything I need works as it should, /I use XFCE4 modified for i3/. IDE Helix, Doom Emacs, Sakura terminal, and what I can't find in the repositories I get via flathub. I've been on Linux since 2006, I also use other distros like Calculate /Crowz, MX, Void/ so I can compare. Best way to secure /nosystemd/, fast and stable linux distro.
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Version: 20241004
Rating: 3
Date: 2024-10-16
Votes: 4
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I wish I could say more and rate it higher, but because of the confusing installation and the impossibility of the same, I couldn't even install this distro, why not just do it humanely? With a human installer, yes, yes, you know what I mean - perfect and convenient, understandable interface is Calamares! Why do developers make it difficult to install and try out the system? I do not understand, but unfortunately to try out the distribution I did not manage to repeat, even after installation, for some reason the system did not start to function, although I did everything, layout and configuration. Strange, as well as the installer itself. Sad, but I hope the developers will pay attention to simplify the installation and accessibility to their brainchild.
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Version: 20240606
Rating: 1
Date: 2024-06-09
Votes: 4
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I keep telling myself that I want to try this distro. Each time I install it, and it tells me its installed. Something happens and it just doesn't work. It won't boot , password is not right, or my favorite simple didn't install when it said it installed.
m I've tried it on lenovo's, dells hps and apples. Maybe it's just me. I didn't and still don't have this problem with redcore but I just can't seem to get a look at Calculate for some reason so I'm throwing ra the towel on this one. I've been trying off and on for two It's probably a great distro, and I'd like to see that distro but alas it is not to be
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Version: 20240502
Rating: 7
Date: 2024-06-03
Votes: 3
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The install process is.... confusing.... at times, with choices and options that aren't usually aren't part of a 'typical' install these days. One of these being the need to define an amount of space for /var/calculate, with no explanation about what it is used for or a recommendation. Leave it blank and it will allocate a huge amount of space (875G on my 1 TB drive.) Once I did get it installed, I attempted to update the system, and had lots of problems with that, mostly due to mirror problems. After 4 tries, I finally got it to update. Since, then problems have been minimal. Small things, such as the touch pad remaining active while typing (can be turned off in settings.) All that said, I like the styling - its 'retro' but in a modern way. I think this distribution is best for an intermediate user who likes the idea of a Gentoo type of system without all the hassle that goes into getting it installed.
A Lenovo T480 was the system used for this installed, with 16 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD. All hardware was properly detected and works, including audio, WiFi and bluetooth
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Version: 23
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-06-15
Votes: 15
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hello really good linux distribution. I've tried many but this one works perfectly. It is a Gentoo-based then as startup it uses Open-Rc which in my opinion is faster and more stable than the Systemd tradition used by the various linux distributions. To update you need to run the cl-update command from the terminal. But now I've been using this distribution daily for a long time and I feel great.Then emrge works much better than Fedora and Ubuntu's DNF and APT. I believe that in the future I won't change my reference distribution anymore
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Version: 23
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-05-15
Votes: 10
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Installed today, and wow, everything went greatly and worked as i wished.
It is fast as Gentoo, and it doesnt has all the hassle of compiling things in legacy hardware - which takes a lot of time in Gentoo. I installed the ISO with KDE, but i am switching to wayland, and no problem at all. Audio is the only problem that i am having, but, it's a general problem and it's happening to every distro (my graphics card isnt helping at all, bruh).
I don't recommend using if you are a newbie to the linux world, it may be more hard to you to learn about it, but it's worth the challenge - i think. I am going to update my review someday as i use it as my daily driver.
Yay
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Version: 23
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-04-12
Votes: 13
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Have been using Calculate Linux on and off for about 5 years. Switched back on April 1, 2023 and am thrilled with the results. Using KDE Plasma and I am very happy.
Everything just works and works well. It is a very tight system.
I did use Gentoo earlier this year for about a month. That experience helped me in understanding Calculate better. It is not a requirement to use Calculate but you get invaluable experience in understanding Portage.
My hands down best feature is that I can run Windows 10 in VirtualBox and I get an almost bare metal experience. I can barely notice the difference. Very happy that I do not have to dual boot anymore. When I need Windows, my work gets done and done.
Videos are crisp and tear free, audio is perfect using Pipewire.
Libreoffice is fast.
I am not a gamer so I cannot offer any experiences on that score.
Very happy and recommend you try a bare metal install of Calculate. Portage is a command line only package manager. There is a learning curve. Just use cl-update -c and your system will update and clean obsolete packages from your system.
Try it, set it up and forget it. Your distro hopping days will be over.
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Version: 23
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-03-07
Votes: 14
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Calculate is Gentoo installed in five minutes.
Easy graphical installer with many advanced options for experienced users.
Rock solid rolling model. Nothing ever breaks that is not easily resolved., it just works.
You know when you install a package in other distro and it doesn't work because it;s missing some dependencies?
No such a thing in Calculate. ALL dependencies are taken care of. Every package works as intended. Plus you can control how packages are installed with USE flags, Gentoo way.
Calculate linux has thousands binary packages, so you don't have to waste time compiling from source.
And it's fast as wind. No other distro comes close.
It is not for complete newbies, as you will need to use some basic commands to browse, install and remove packages since there in no GUI Package manager.
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Version: 23
Rating: 6
Date: 2023-01-21
Votes: 3
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Tested out the Xfce version.
Works better in Parallels than VirtualBox where the mouse pointer will not function correctly in Xorg.
Has some applications pre-installed like GIMP, LibreOffice, IRC client etc. but not too much bloat.
Not much to say really, it's a pretty standard distribution except that it's fast and free from systemd and that should always be applauded.
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Version: 23
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-01-07
Votes: 16
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I discovered Calculate as I was recently wandering around DistroWatch. It looked promising, so I decided to give it a try. The live environment was really friendly, but the installer was kind of confusing. I managed to install it with the help of the project's useful documentation. I first used the XFCE edition on an old desktop, and then used the KDE version on a modern laptop. Calculate reallly makes Gentoo easy to use, because it comes with many useful applications out of the box, it uses binary packages so you don't need to wait for hours until the packages compile and it has friendly graphical utilities to update the system etc. The packages in the repositories are in the latest version(most of the time)and they are stable too. If you are coming from MacOS or a MacOS-like Linux distribution, you are going to feel right at home as Calculate offers a pre-configured desktop environment that looks like Apple’s operating system. To use the Portage packaging system
you can type: “eix name_of_the_package” to find if it is available in the repositories and then type “(sudo)emerge name_of_the_package). If you want to install proprietary software, you can use flatpak, as it works very well with Calculate. The distribution overall feels very fast and responsive.
I can feel the optimizations made for my hardware. All in all, Calculate is the perfect distribution to bring Gentoo to the masses and the desktop. I highly recommend Calculate if you want to give Gentoo Linux a try.
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Version: 22
Rating: 8
Date: 2023-01-01
Votes: 2
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+ Easy to install and setup for whom, who are familiar with terminal commands; KDE PLASMA - who like/IS included , all messengers (whats app, viber, telegram, skype, zoom). Many information on calculate and gentoo sites
- You should keep your attention on /etc settings and update on time. WEEKLY IS BETTER AT LEAST I can't overcome very long time office and chromium compilation in spite of ccache and "notmpfs" use during update. My concern - there should be update time limit set
I would not recommend this clone for beginners. Manjaro is an alternative
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Version: 22
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-21
Votes: 29
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Grossly overlooked distro.
Installed five years ago. Never looked back.
This distro gives me everything I want in Linux, and nothing I don't want.
- No systemd
- Choose ALSA or Pipewire during install or switch easily any time
- Easy graphical installation
- Services pre-configured out of the box
- Calculate provides over 12,000 binary packages
- Extremely stable rolling release
- Choice of most popular desktops
- Always up to date packages
- Fast as wind
- Gentoo easy way
Did I mention no systemd?
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Version: 22
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-06-06
Votes: 19
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TLDR: Calculate Linux is a fantastic choice, basically Gentoo on easy mode. The Desktop editions are a breeze to install. The Scratch edition is a little more complicated, but offers a truly customized and optimized operating system.
I've been using Calculate Linux for daily desktop use as well as heavy duty scientific work for about four months at the time of this review. In that time it's proven to be the best operating system I've used. I'm using Calculate Linux Scratch on a workstation and desktop.
The installation process was simple and took no more than ten minutes. While Calculate offers a variety of well tested and stable desktop environments, I opted for the minimalist Scratch edition and built up exactly the system I wanted.
Calculate Linux has a well supported repository of binary packages, but software can also be compiled through emerge with custom USE flags ala, Gentoo. This is great, especially for scientific libraries which need to be optimized for the specific hardware on which they're running. In this way, Calculate offers the advantages of pure Gentoo, namely customized and optimized applications when you need it, but without the downside of pure Gentoo, i.e. long compile and update times.
This distribution has been developed and maintained since 2009 and has had ample time to mature into a very stable and usable system This is evident in the included Calculate Utilities, which are quite functional and beneficial in installing, modifying and maintaining the operating system. Management of sound and graphics cards is made easy.
Perhaps the strongest aspect of Calculate is the community and support. There is a strong user presence on Calculate Linux social media and chat media such as Telegram. The developers and maintainers are active participants and very willing to answer questions.
If I had to identify downsides to Calculate Linux, I would say the online documentation isn't the best, and I have frequently resorted to the Gentoo wiki instead. While the Desktop editions are very easy to install, the Scratch edition is more involved, and might be too much for a novice user.
Installed on:
Workstation:
AMD Ryzen 3950x
Asus Prime x-570
Seagate Barracuda NVME
RTX-2070 (with Nvidia drivers)
Sound Blaster Audigy
Laptop:
2014 Dell Latitude
Core i5
Intel Graphics
Crucial Mx500 SSD
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Version: 22
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-05
Votes: 5
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Perhaps the only linux that puts together all three of (1) complete system easy-to-install, fast, and ready to use, (2) very large selection of packages with selectable options for professional developers or students and overlays available for adding very broad / latest haskell and math/science support, (3) choice of nicely configured and tested desktops. From the installer you can choose either Alsa or Pulseaudio/Pipewire. I like the gnome flavor which is released by Adrien Linuxtricks (cldga.linuxtricks.fr). It's a really solid Gnome.
Caveats: you install packages from the command line using eix to search and emerge to install, just as you would do in plain Gentoo Linux. And you configure package options by setting USE flags in a text file (/etc/portage/package.use/custom) just as you would do in plain Gentoo Linux. Calculate installs pre-built binaries when it can or builds from source transparently when it needs to.
If you don't want to ever see the command line then maybe use Deepin Linux. If you need to do development or some kinds of professional work then you would enjoy the power of Calcuate. Unlike my experience with plain gentoo, with Calculate software updates have always been reliable and trouble free.
Works great with either Plasma Desktop or Gnome Desktop for me for years now.
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Version: 22
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-10
Votes: 6
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Easy to install.
Fast than others.
If you dont want install gentoo like a pro that's your distro.
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Version: 21
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-08-01
Votes: 7
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Alaka.....alaka ala...
Pros:
Rock solid/stable OS
Rolling release, install once. Nice.
Had time to mature (since 2009)
Has a good selection of everyday use apps out of the box (nice for new Linux users)
Boots faster than the devil on SSD. I have an old AMD A10-5800K box with Radeon HD 7870 and a cheap 2 year old SSD. This machine is booted and ready in less than 3 seconds and runs as fast (if not faster) than my $2000+ Dell XPS 15 laptop.
Updating is easy if you just want to use one command: cl-update. This updates your OS and cleans obsolete packages etc. If you find that boring you can learn emerge.
Also has a built in automated update check utility.
The Calculate Console tool has more useful tools built into it than I care to write about here. It's really awesome. Kinda reminds me of the Yast control panel in Open Suse. very useful indeed.
It's made in Russia. Just like the Vostok Amphibian watch, this thing is built to endure and deliver. You guys make some good stuff thank you for this awesome "tank" of a distro!
Had zero issues with AMD hardware, Asus A88X Pro mobo and even my Xonar DG Asus sound card worked like a charm. It's known to be a bit of a pain in the arse on other distros.
Overall it's a very concisely packaged distribution for those of us who are too lazy for Gentoo deployment.
Cons:
Me being lazy.
Verdict: Yes, go download it and install it. And keep it.
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Version: 21
Rating: 7
Date: 2021-05-31
Votes: 1
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Been trying the KDE version many times but always ending up disappointed because of a buggy sddm display manager that crashed at boot. After version 21 was out, I decided to give this distro another try.
Pros:
- the installer is very user-friendly and let you chose (the only one AFAIK) between ALSA and Pulseaudio;
- there are many utilities for newcomers such as an updater and a console;
- the theme is very pleasant;
Cons:
- Portage, the Gentoo package manager, is terribly slugghish, it tooks hours to install what pacman would have done in few minutes;
- I couldn't get VPN to work because the TUN module was not loaded by default (the only distro with this issue). I had to add the proper .conf file in /etc/modules-load.d, but this only worked with KDE and Cinnamon, not in Xfce;
- Chromium as default browser, not the best choice for privacy, but what's worse, the defauly homepage had links to the Calculate social networks (!?): Facebook, Instagram, Twitter...;
- sddm is still crashing, I have to manually type "startx" to login.
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Version: 21
Rating: 7
Date: 2021-05-01
Votes: 5
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It's a good "set it and forget it" distro for those in need of a reliable distribution who just want to get things done and not worry about reinstalling, upgrading etc.
Pros:
Stable
Low maintenance
Rolling release
Really shines when installed on more modern faster hardware
Made in Russia...you know they make good stuff :D
Cons:
Updating and installing software is slower than most other distros (regardless of your repos)
The installer is a bit cryptic for new users
Dog slow on older legacy hardware
Less software in repos than most established distros like Debian etc. requires unmasking some
software and compiling in order to install which can be confusing to basic users
Does not have a graphical Software Centre which can be a minus for most average users
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Version: 20.6
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-04-16
Votes: 8
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I agree with the person below, this is a grossly overlooked distro that’s been around like for ever.
In response to another comment here, and like the now defunct and also great Sabayon, the nightly images are not recommended since they often pose issues after installing. By far the best approach is to take the official release and install from scratch. Yes this will then take some time to update but the result will be worth the wait and afterwards being Gentoo based the installed system will be faster than anything else you have used previously.
Multimedia including video thumbnails play out of the box so there’s no need to hunt for codecs. Installing other stuff is as easy as typing ‘emerge-’ followed by the name of the package you want.
In many ways the Russian distros have always been near the top for desirable products but due to Covid and the general economic climate ROSA and Alt are struggling with the former looking like going under. Hopefully Calculate will not become another victim.
Lastly I always smile at the often displayed attitudes towards Russian distros because most of those I speak to think ReactOS (also Russian) is American. Go figure.
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Version: 20.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-01-26
Votes: 7
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Grossly overlooked distro. Extremely stable rolling model.
Gentoo easy way.
Although not for complete newbies, even they can follow few easy steps to enjoyment:
- Install
- Important: When first booted run cl-update. That will sync repositories and set closest mirror.
- learn few basic commands to browse/install/remove software (gentoo wiki)
- enjoy
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Version: 20.6
Rating: 4
Date: 2021-01-08
Votes: 0
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I used a nightly built from Jan 7 2021 clxf and a Dec 2020 scratch image.
Everything seems to work on live, including emerge, but when the installation is done and you boot into it emerge just hangs endlessly and will not --sync no matter what I tried. All three attempts were fruitless. Network is fine, emerge will remove packages, but syncing and trying anything else it fails. No error output or anything, just doesn't respond. The reason I tried xfce to see whether their gui updater has any fixes/setups that make it work. Same thing, it just stayed on and never completed.
That's a shame because everything else seems very functional and booting is unbelievably quick for such a loaded system.
Nothing like good old pacman or xbps .... everything else appears to be from a previous century.
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Latest Reviews
Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 20241101
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-11-20
Votes: 2
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I've always tried to get through the complicated installation of Gentoo /which I recognize for its flawless documentation and pleasant, relatively good support/. But like Derek Taylor from DistroTube, I couldn't do it either. Until I came to the Gentoo fork Calculate Linux. Everything I need works as it should, /I use XFCE4 modified for i3/. IDE Helix, Doom Emacs, Sakura terminal, and what I can't find in the repositories I get via flathub. I've been on Linux since 2006, I also use other distros like Calculate /Crowz, MX, Void/ so I can compare. Best way to secure /nosystemd/, fast and stable linux distro.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 20241004
Rating: 3
Date: 2024-10-16
Votes: 4
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I wish I could say more and rate it higher, but because of the confusing installation and the impossibility of the same, I couldn't even install this distro, why not just do it humanely? With a human installer, yes, yes, you know what I mean - perfect and convenient, understandable interface is Calamares! Why do developers make it difficult to install and try out the system? I do not understand, but unfortunately to try out the distribution I did not manage to repeat, even after installation, for some reason the system did not start to function, although I did everything, layout and configuration. Strange, as well as the installer itself. Sad, but I hope the developers will pay attention to simplify the installation and accessibility to their brainchild.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 20240606
Rating: 1
Date: 2024-06-09
Votes: 4
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I keep telling myself that I want to try this distro. Each time I install it, and it tells me its installed. Something happens and it just doesn't work. It won't boot , password is not right, or my favorite simple didn't install when it said it installed.
m I've tried it on lenovo's, dells hps and apples. Maybe it's just me. I didn't and still don't have this problem with redcore but I just can't seem to get a look at Calculate for some reason so I'm throwing ra the towel on this one. I've been trying off and on for two It's probably a great distro, and I'd like to see that distro but alas it is not to be
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 20240502
Rating: 7
Date: 2024-06-03
Votes: 3
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The install process is.... confusing.... at times, with choices and options that aren't usually aren't part of a 'typical' install these days. One of these being the need to define an amount of space for /var/calculate, with no explanation about what it is used for or a recommendation. Leave it blank and it will allocate a huge amount of space (875G on my 1 TB drive.) Once I did get it installed, I attempted to update the system, and had lots of problems with that, mostly due to mirror problems. After 4 tries, I finally got it to update. Since, then problems have been minimal. Small things, such as the touch pad remaining active while typing (can be turned off in settings.) All that said, I like the styling - its 'retro' but in a modern way. I think this distribution is best for an intermediate user who likes the idea of a Gentoo type of system without all the hassle that goes into getting it installed.
A Lenovo T480 was the system used for this installed, with 16 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD. All hardware was properly detected and works, including audio, WiFi and bluetooth
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 23
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-06-15
Votes: 15
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hello really good linux distribution. I've tried many but this one works perfectly. It is a Gentoo-based then as startup it uses Open-Rc which in my opinion is faster and more stable than the Systemd tradition used by the various linux distributions. To update you need to run the cl-update command from the terminal. But now I've been using this distribution daily for a long time and I feel great.Then emrge works much better than Fedora and Ubuntu's DNF and APT. I believe that in the future I won't change my reference distribution anymore
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 23
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-05-15
Votes: 10
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Installed today, and wow, everything went greatly and worked as i wished.
It is fast as Gentoo, and it doesnt has all the hassle of compiling things in legacy hardware - which takes a lot of time in Gentoo. I installed the ISO with KDE, but i am switching to wayland, and no problem at all. Audio is the only problem that i am having, but, it's a general problem and it's happening to every distro (my graphics card isnt helping at all, bruh).
I don't recommend using if you are a newbie to the linux world, it may be more hard to you to learn about it, but it's worth the challenge - i think. I am going to update my review someday as i use it as my daily driver.
Yay
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 23
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-04-12
Votes: 13
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Have been using Calculate Linux on and off for about 5 years. Switched back on April 1, 2023 and am thrilled with the results. Using KDE Plasma and I am very happy.
Everything just works and works well. It is a very tight system.
I did use Gentoo earlier this year for about a month. That experience helped me in understanding Calculate better. It is not a requirement to use Calculate but you get invaluable experience in understanding Portage.
My hands down best feature is that I can run Windows 10 in VirtualBox and I get an almost bare metal experience. I can barely notice the difference. Very happy that I do not have to dual boot anymore. When I need Windows, my work gets done and done.
Videos are crisp and tear free, audio is perfect using Pipewire.
Libreoffice is fast.
I am not a gamer so I cannot offer any experiences on that score.
Very happy and recommend you try a bare metal install of Calculate. Portage is a command line only package manager. There is a learning curve. Just use cl-update -c and your system will update and clean obsolete packages from your system.
Try it, set it up and forget it. Your distro hopping days will be over.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 23
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-03-07
Votes: 14
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Calculate is Gentoo installed in five minutes.
Easy graphical installer with many advanced options for experienced users.
Rock solid rolling model. Nothing ever breaks that is not easily resolved., it just works.
You know when you install a package in other distro and it doesn't work because it;s missing some dependencies?
No such a thing in Calculate. ALL dependencies are taken care of. Every package works as intended. Plus you can control how packages are installed with USE flags, Gentoo way.
Calculate linux has thousands binary packages, so you don't have to waste time compiling from source.
And it's fast as wind. No other distro comes close.
It is not for complete newbies, as you will need to use some basic commands to browse, install and remove packages since there in no GUI Package manager.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 23
Rating: 6
Date: 2023-01-21
Votes: 3
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Tested out the Xfce version.
Works better in Parallels than VirtualBox where the mouse pointer will not function correctly in Xorg.
Has some applications pre-installed like GIMP, LibreOffice, IRC client etc. but not too much bloat.
Not much to say really, it's a pretty standard distribution except that it's fast and free from systemd and that should always be applauded.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 23
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-01-07
Votes: 16
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I discovered Calculate as I was recently wandering around DistroWatch. It looked promising, so I decided to give it a try. The live environment was really friendly, but the installer was kind of confusing. I managed to install it with the help of the project's useful documentation. I first used the XFCE edition on an old desktop, and then used the KDE version on a modern laptop. Calculate reallly makes Gentoo easy to use, because it comes with many useful applications out of the box, it uses binary packages so you don't need to wait for hours until the packages compile and it has friendly graphical utilities to update the system etc. The packages in the repositories are in the latest version(most of the time)and they are stable too. If you are coming from MacOS or a MacOS-like Linux distribution, you are going to feel right at home as Calculate offers a pre-configured desktop environment that looks like Apple’s operating system. To use the Portage packaging system
you can type: “eix name_of_the_package” to find if it is available in the repositories and then type “(sudo)emerge name_of_the_package). If you want to install proprietary software, you can use flatpak, as it works very well with Calculate. The distribution overall feels very fast and responsive.
I can feel the optimizations made for my hardware. All in all, Calculate is the perfect distribution to bring Gentoo to the masses and the desktop. I highly recommend Calculate if you want to give Gentoo Linux a try.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 22
Rating: 8
Date: 2023-01-01
Votes: 2
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+ Easy to install and setup for whom, who are familiar with terminal commands; KDE PLASMA - who like/IS included , all messengers (whats app, viber, telegram, skype, zoom). Many information on calculate and gentoo sites
- You should keep your attention on /etc settings and update on time. WEEKLY IS BETTER AT LEAST I can't overcome very long time office and chromium compilation in spite of ccache and "notmpfs" use during update. My concern - there should be update time limit set
I would not recommend this clone for beginners. Manjaro is an alternative
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 22
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-21
Votes: 29
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Grossly overlooked distro.
Installed five years ago. Never looked back.
This distro gives me everything I want in Linux, and nothing I don't want.
- No systemd
- Choose ALSA or Pipewire during install or switch easily any time
- Easy graphical installation
- Services pre-configured out of the box
- Calculate provides over 12,000 binary packages
- Extremely stable rolling release
- Choice of most popular desktops
- Always up to date packages
- Fast as wind
- Gentoo easy way
Did I mention no systemd?
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 22
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-06-06
Votes: 19
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TLDR: Calculate Linux is a fantastic choice, basically Gentoo on easy mode. The Desktop editions are a breeze to install. The Scratch edition is a little more complicated, but offers a truly customized and optimized operating system.
I've been using Calculate Linux for daily desktop use as well as heavy duty scientific work for about four months at the time of this review. In that time it's proven to be the best operating system I've used. I'm using Calculate Linux Scratch on a workstation and desktop.
The installation process was simple and took no more than ten minutes. While Calculate offers a variety of well tested and stable desktop environments, I opted for the minimalist Scratch edition and built up exactly the system I wanted.
Calculate Linux has a well supported repository of binary packages, but software can also be compiled through emerge with custom USE flags ala, Gentoo. This is great, especially for scientific libraries which need to be optimized for the specific hardware on which they're running. In this way, Calculate offers the advantages of pure Gentoo, namely customized and optimized applications when you need it, but without the downside of pure Gentoo, i.e. long compile and update times.
This distribution has been developed and maintained since 2009 and has had ample time to mature into a very stable and usable system This is evident in the included Calculate Utilities, which are quite functional and beneficial in installing, modifying and maintaining the operating system. Management of sound and graphics cards is made easy.
Perhaps the strongest aspect of Calculate is the community and support. There is a strong user presence on Calculate Linux social media and chat media such as Telegram. The developers and maintainers are active participants and very willing to answer questions.
If I had to identify downsides to Calculate Linux, I would say the online documentation isn't the best, and I have frequently resorted to the Gentoo wiki instead. While the Desktop editions are very easy to install, the Scratch edition is more involved, and might be too much for a novice user.
Installed on:
Workstation:
AMD Ryzen 3950x
Asus Prime x-570
Seagate Barracuda NVME
RTX-2070 (with Nvidia drivers)
Sound Blaster Audigy
Laptop:
2014 Dell Latitude
Core i5
Intel Graphics
Crucial Mx500 SSD
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 22
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-05
Votes: 5
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Perhaps the only linux that puts together all three of (1) complete system easy-to-install, fast, and ready to use, (2) very large selection of packages with selectable options for professional developers or students and overlays available for adding very broad / latest haskell and math/science support, (3) choice of nicely configured and tested desktops. From the installer you can choose either Alsa or Pulseaudio/Pipewire. I like the gnome flavor which is released by Adrien Linuxtricks (cldga.linuxtricks.fr). It's a really solid Gnome.
Caveats: you install packages from the command line using eix to search and emerge to install, just as you would do in plain Gentoo Linux. And you configure package options by setting USE flags in a text file (/etc/portage/package.use/custom) just as you would do in plain Gentoo Linux. Calculate installs pre-built binaries when it can or builds from source transparently when it needs to.
If you don't want to ever see the command line then maybe use Deepin Linux. If you need to do development or some kinds of professional work then you would enjoy the power of Calcuate. Unlike my experience with plain gentoo, with Calculate software updates have always been reliable and trouble free.
Works great with either Plasma Desktop or Gnome Desktop for me for years now.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 22
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-10
Votes: 6
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Easy to install.
Fast than others.
If you dont want install gentoo like a pro that's your distro.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 21
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-08-01
Votes: 7
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Alaka.....alaka ala...
Pros:
Rock solid/stable OS
Rolling release, install once. Nice.
Had time to mature (since 2009)
Has a good selection of everyday use apps out of the box (nice for new Linux users)
Boots faster than the devil on SSD. I have an old AMD A10-5800K box with Radeon HD 7870 and a cheap 2 year old SSD. This machine is booted and ready in less than 3 seconds and runs as fast (if not faster) than my $2000+ Dell XPS 15 laptop.
Updating is easy if you just want to use one command: cl-update. This updates your OS and cleans obsolete packages etc. If you find that boring you can learn emerge.
Also has a built in automated update check utility.
The Calculate Console tool has more useful tools built into it than I care to write about here. It's really awesome. Kinda reminds me of the Yast control panel in Open Suse. very useful indeed.
It's made in Russia. Just like the Vostok Amphibian watch, this thing is built to endure and deliver. You guys make some good stuff thank you for this awesome "tank" of a distro!
Had zero issues with AMD hardware, Asus A88X Pro mobo and even my Xonar DG Asus sound card worked like a charm. It's known to be a bit of a pain in the arse on other distros.
Overall it's a very concisely packaged distribution for those of us who are too lazy for Gentoo deployment.
Cons:
Me being lazy.
Verdict: Yes, go download it and install it. And keep it.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 21
Rating: 7
Date: 2021-05-31
Votes: 1
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Been trying the KDE version many times but always ending up disappointed because of a buggy sddm display manager that crashed at boot. After version 21 was out, I decided to give this distro another try.
Pros:
- the installer is very user-friendly and let you chose (the only one AFAIK) between ALSA and Pulseaudio;
- there are many utilities for newcomers such as an updater and a console;
- the theme is very pleasant;
Cons:
- Portage, the Gentoo package manager, is terribly slugghish, it tooks hours to install what pacman would have done in few minutes;
- I couldn't get VPN to work because the TUN module was not loaded by default (the only distro with this issue). I had to add the proper .conf file in /etc/modules-load.d, but this only worked with KDE and Cinnamon, not in Xfce;
- Chromium as default browser, not the best choice for privacy, but what's worse, the defauly homepage had links to the Calculate social networks (!?): Facebook, Instagram, Twitter...;
- sddm is still crashing, I have to manually type "startx" to login.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 21
Rating: 7
Date: 2021-05-01
Votes: 5
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It's a good "set it and forget it" distro for those in need of a reliable distribution who just want to get things done and not worry about reinstalling, upgrading etc.
Pros:
Stable
Low maintenance
Rolling release
Really shines when installed on more modern faster hardware
Made in Russia...you know they make good stuff :D
Cons:
Updating and installing software is slower than most other distros (regardless of your repos)
The installer is a bit cryptic for new users
Dog slow on older legacy hardware
Less software in repos than most established distros like Debian etc. requires unmasking some
software and compiling in order to install which can be confusing to basic users
Does not have a graphical Software Centre which can be a minus for most average users
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 20.6
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-04-16
Votes: 8
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I agree with the person below, this is a grossly overlooked distro that’s been around like for ever.
In response to another comment here, and like the now defunct and also great Sabayon, the nightly images are not recommended since they often pose issues after installing. By far the best approach is to take the official release and install from scratch. Yes this will then take some time to update but the result will be worth the wait and afterwards being Gentoo based the installed system will be faster than anything else you have used previously.
Multimedia including video thumbnails play out of the box so there’s no need to hunt for codecs. Installing other stuff is as easy as typing ‘emerge-’ followed by the name of the package you want.
In many ways the Russian distros have always been near the top for desirable products but due to Covid and the general economic climate ROSA and Alt are struggling with the former looking like going under. Hopefully Calculate will not become another victim.
Lastly I always smile at the often displayed attitudes towards Russian distros because most of those I speak to think ReactOS (also Russian) is American. Go figure.
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 20.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-01-26
Votes: 7
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Grossly overlooked distro. Extremely stable rolling model.
Gentoo easy way.
Although not for complete newbies, even they can follow few easy steps to enjoyment:
- Install
- Important: When first booted run cl-update. That will sync repositories and set closest mirror.
- learn few basic commands to browse/install/remove software (gentoo wiki)
- enjoy
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Project: Calculate Linux
Version: 20.6
Rating: 4
Date: 2021-01-08
Votes: 0
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I used a nightly built from Jan 7 2021 clxf and a Dec 2020 scratch image.
Everything seems to work on live, including emerge, but when the installation is done and you boot into it emerge just hangs endlessly and will not --sync no matter what I tried. All three attempts were fruitless. Network is fine, emerge will remove packages, but syncing and trying anything else it fails. No error output or anything, just doesn't respond. The reason I tried xfce to see whether their gui updater has any fixes/setups that make it work. Same thing, it just stayed on and never completed.
That's a shame because everything else seems very functional and booting is unbelievably quick for such a loaded system.
Nothing like good old pacman or xbps .... everything else appears to be from a previous century.
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