The Phoenix Master
Kori, aka Sproggy, is one of the newest PCLinuxOS Global Moderators on the PCLinuxOS Support Forum. He is also an Administrator at MyPCLinuxOS as well as project lead of the PCLinuxOS Beautification 2009 Onwards Project. He exchanged emails with Andrew Strick about the PCLinuxOS XFCE, the Phoenix Edition.
Q: How long have you been using a Linux operating system? If any, what Linux distributions have you tried? How can you best compare these other Linux to PCLinuxOS?
I have been using Linux exclusively about 18 months now. Prior to that I have tried several different Linux distributions. My first taste of Linux was Mandrake 7, but I couldn't get it to connect to dial-up AOL so I binned it. Since then, I have used Suse, Fedora, Mepis and even the rounds with the Buntus. I had previously tried PCLinuxOS but it would never work with my hardware until the 2007 release. And that was it. Once it installed, everything else went. I no longer use Windows on my PC. I do have it in VM. I still have the NTFS drives but I guess until I can actually move that data to another storage, they will stay NTFS for now.
What has made me love PCLinuxOS and stick with it was I didn't have to do anything. Things was already done and were even better than windows. I didn't have to configure a single thing which meant I was able to get on and start using it as a workhorse instead having to repair it all the time like a lame donkey.
It has made my computing life a pleasure just to be able to just get on with things instead of being held back by a super slow machine.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Well, my name is Kori. I turned 35 last March. I am married and I have been with my wife for 17 years - married for 12. We have 3 beautiful babies although they are growing up fast and hate me calling them my babies. I live on a De-commissioned RAF base, in a little village about 40 minutes north of London.
I work in a software house producing software for schools and Government. I don't really enjoy the work but it pays the bills. I'd much rather be playing with my PCLinuxOS at home. My job is a software support analyst supporting the B2B processes between the schools and the government.
I have always been an artist. I used to be a "mad Windows themer" and was for many many years. Now I have found my way to Linux and applying themes to PCLinuxOS. It is great because it is easy, and making artwork is what I enjoy in life. So putting them both together has been a harmonious union. Now my computing life consists of working on my PC instead of the occasional email and playing games.
Q: What made you decide to do an XFCE remaster of PCLinuxOS?
Why did I choose Xfce? I didn't. I was talked into it by a few people. With the previous XFCE version of PCLinuxOS moving to another base, I realized that the XFCE version would be warmly welcomed. So Phoenix was born ... rising from the ashes of being abandoned. I have managed to breath new life into a dead bird.
Q: What has been the most enjoyable part of working on the Phoenix?
Reading back positive posts about what has been created. As an artist, I like creating things so this has been a challenge. And my fruits are showing in how people are responding to the final output.
Q: What has been the most difficult/least enjoyable part of working on Phoenix?
It had to be changing the theme. It was very hard at times to decipher it's code but I am slowly doing it.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about doing their own remaster?
Prepare. I was not prepared for this. I would have loved to have had an understanding of what I was about to create other than that I enjoyed the ride.
Q: What's your favorite desktop environment?
Well, I have only really used KDE and Gnome. and to me KDE wins hands down but to ask me what my favorite desktop environment is, well, it is fast becoming XFCE. It is light, it is fast and like her Big Brother, she just works.