If you happen to read Linux magazines that are not printed in the United States, you will recognize Mandrake and Conectiva as the names of two popular Linux distributions that have made large contributions to Linux and the Open Source movement.

Among other things, Mandrakesoft pioneered friendly installers and X Window system configuration utilities that do not require a PhD in Electrical Engineering. Similarly, Conectiva has a place in my heart forever for Synaptic, a graphical interface for system updates that has liberated thousands of aspiring Linux users from apt-get and associated xterms, all while working on an even friendlier Smart Update tool.