CTK Arch: Fast and Furious

"When reviewing different distributions, I always try to do this in Live mode, being it Live CD, Live DVD or Live USB. There are some reasons for this."

I'd like to add a fourth reason - because you are lazy.

Yes, running a distro as a live cd (if it is offered) should be part of a review, but it should not be the only part. The installation process should be covered as well Plus I think I am hardly the only one that has see quirks develope in a distro after installing+using it for awhile.

~Jeff Hoogland

If it were a mainstream publication doing the review, I might be inclined to agree... After all, such outfits should have PCs around specifically for that purpose. However, a "fan-zine" article shouldn't be held to that standard. For that level of article, paricularly if just a first impressions article, reviewing just the Live distro is enough.

Well, I don't know. I think the structure of most systems is a bit different then if it would be installed. This will effect performance, and some things will not work. Certain proprietary might not run, and this will effect lots of other stuff.

I think to make a good and fair review, for whatever reason, do it good. Use it how it is intended to be. Some user might for example complain that certain things are lacking, but if they would use it for a little longer while they would find that it is replaced by something better. If you only test a distro in life mode, I think this is real unfair, and you don't give the developers a chance.

Just my 2 cents :)

It looks to me like this is an example where "consider the source" plays an important role. The author disclosed his methodology to his readers, so anyone who reads his review can decide for themselves how much or how little credibility they want to give it.

I will often load up a live image and write about the initial experience. I avoid the words "distro" and "review" in the same headline, even when doing a "distro review."

I don't do the kind of continual installs I did when I first got involved in Linux and BSD. But I do have a test machine available, and now with bookmark sync in Firefox and Chromium, Dropbox when GNOME is present, etc., it should be easier for me to get deeper into using a test distro.

Jeff91,

Would you like to write a review yourself? Any distro you chose, from Bodhi to LFS. I'll be more than happy to publish it on my blog!