Hey. I don’t know if this is the right place for this but I wanted to say that the download is very user unfriendly.
The process to download the iso is too complicated: 1. Click download on the main page. Now there are 2 ways to get to the download: 2a. Click ROME after reading everything. 3a. Open the menu (for example ROME Plasma). 4a. Select the version you want. For me the names are obvious but probably not for everyone. Even Void Linux, a distro for experts has a more user-friendly design. 5a. Now you get to the page with the builds. Click on one of the options on “Product” and get redirected to the same page where you already are. 6a. After some frustrations figure out that you have to click on the Id for some reason. 7a. Click on the iso file to finally download the iso.
Alternatively you could do the following: 2b. Click on Get Started because I’m in doubt. 3b. Click on the mirror download. 4b. Navigate the files while remembering what all the code-names mean. No “If in doubt” option in sight. 5b. find the correct download.
BTW. This page (abf.openmandriva. org/platforms/rolling/products/) a new user might also find bombards you with options without really explaining anything.
There are too many steps and finding the correct way to go to the next step is too complicated. At least make the “If in doubt” option directly link you to the correct sourceforge file. Thanks.
If you don’t find what you are looking for, try an Internet search. One can find out a lot from documentation or forum posts at other Linux distros. If user finds something written for another distro but you have some doubt ask at OpenMandriva Chat.
For serious technical issues and package/feature requests please file a bug report here.
Note: We are a small group. All the contributors and developers here are unpaid volunteers.
You can make OpenMandriva grow and improve by getting involved
Any help with testing would be appreciated whether one is technically proficient or a very non-technical user. The more people and more hardware we can get involved the better we can make OMLx releases and packaging. We do a lot of testing in VM’s as well. Developers tend to use Qemu, most user level testers use VirtualBox.
I had the same thoughts while searching for the ISO. I think the “which version should I download” page should just be a feature on the home page to show off the rolling and stable and testing versions. Then have each link to a page describing a single release version with a download link.
True before I downloaded the iso i runned around in circles for good 5 to 10 minutes.
It is an IQ test kind of download thumbs up for @abcdef@LeeTalbert
You have two versions of the system with few desktop flavors
So maby it is worth to consider two inital buttons for versions with links / butttons to iso files and checksums of chosen flavours. In the style of fedora or manjaro site. Among a distro I’ve tested thing fedora have best solution to the given issue. Definitely not debian! If thery is somting that debian suck then it is their download site
Ok I will STFU
Take care good people
You have enough stuff on your heads
A thought would be that under the ROME picture the “Discover ROME” button would download the ROME Plasma6 x86_64 iso. The same for Rock, “Discover Rock” would download the Rock Plasma6 x86_64 iso. And where that “Download” button is it could say “Download” and in smaller type “Other versions of OMLx”. Just a for instance.
Having said that @rugyada is working on this and she is much better at this sort of thing than I am.
Note: Rock Plasma6 x86_64 iso is not available yet. Plasma6 will come to Rock in a major upgrade for Rock soon. Was thinking ahead,
@ben79 Is there any way for me to send you and the team my journey to download openmandriva iso. Its a 7 minute, 29.4MB matroska (.mkv) file recorded with obs with my explanation of what im doing in horrible english. Sorry for that
Ah, OK, post the video here using the download icon (icon with up arrow) in the area where you write your post. I do not know exactly what file formats are accepted though.
I consider myself tech savvy, yet, I had a little hard time finding the link to download. Also I had to righ click to “save link as…” and then authorize it because Brave has blocked it.
Ok let me write down everything in a list to save your time
1 open google write open mandriva in search bar
2 shocker openmandriva org is not indexed by google in poland you will get forum along the line source forge and few other things about not the main site.
3. I made it my self by deleting wiki. openmandriva .org /en/home from forum link
4. Now i click on a big download button and a shit show started to emerge itself
5. Now i click on rock link with pc computer icon
6. now i click OMLx 5.0 Plasma and see following info
The Plasma Extended version is basically a complete desktop for most non-technical users. It features software from KDE.org and other Qt based software. It includes software for most day to day tasks.
The links here below will open the relevant product main container, please click on the product ID then on the .iso file name.
And they do not work
Anyways after about 10 to 15 minutes clicking back and front on the site i stumble on get started button and do to sourceforge part of a site.
Ben first thing you see on a site is big download button then rock and rome icons. The get started button looks like something related to manuals not an iso installers.
So it is practically Invisible for some on who want iso download. You see it but you do not see this important at all at this point. So it is invisible for someone who want an installer.
Things that looks like they should give you installer download option gives nothing
One must have determination to download your system I had and im glad I had.
Also sourceforge download breaks about 20 times just at the end of a 3GB iso download
On top of that you got the ventoy issue with Open mandriva installer.
But im a stubborn person. I got the system up and running in the end.
Ps It is impossible to add video files with upp arow (send option) on forum. I also can’t (have no rights) to put /add links in to posts
Downloading OMLx isos will work in Firefox. I do not know why it would not work in other browser but it doesn’t in some. I do not download using any browser myself, seems like we see less problems with downloads in terminal using curl, wget, or aria2c. I use aria2c.
In Brave (or any other browser) right click on the actual .iso file and select ‘copy clean link’. (Or select ‘copy link address’, either should work)
Open terminal and navigate to the directory you want to download to.
Type aria2c space.
Then paste that link. It will look something like this in terminal:
@ben79 Put that exact info on a front page seriously.
I do not want nor try to be F*ing smart ass here but… in a distro with Graphical Repository Selector tool which btw works like charm and a full blown KDE on top of that, you will not have big group of tech savvy users who will use “console voodoo” just to get an iso.
Im a debian / slackware guy who configure everything by hand in config files. And use bunch of other distros along the way. Yet im not a programmer i just know my way around linux and File Hierarchy System
And im stubborn as an OX if i have problem i will nut run away i will work on problem as long as i solve it
Now I extensively learn dnf and search for openmandriva specific console tools.Am also lurking around directory tree to know what is where and why
Is the process to complicated? In my opinion yes, so we agree on that. Next I am trying to reproduce what you encounter and I get this at the moment:
This is being fixed. I do not use google but today if I type openmandriva in DuckDuckGo I see this. (2 days ago there was no link to openmandriva.org there)
ON laptop I have debian with firefox and firefox-esr but I downloaded those iso using brave so that may be the reason why the do not work as intended.
But i didn’t know that before hand.
This kind of info would be extremely useful for other people on the main site somewhere around download button.
Or at last something like it best to use firefox to download our iso
Im aware none of you have influence on google index behavior nor stability of sourceforge download links for different download destination across the globe
Those who want to use “console woodoo” like wget, aria2 to download the iso probably will find your post
or you can pin it somewhere probably
Big thank you for all your help and patience for my rummbling about downloading process
Take care and all the best to you and a whole openmandriva crew
I think the likely problem is that the links in ABF are http instead of https and that does not work in Chrome browsers. I have asked devs if this is the problem and if it can be fixed. I think the better fix is to correct whatever the cause of our files not downloading in Chrome based browsers.
IMO the links should be https anyway.
As far as changing any our out web pages that is not something I should be doing. I know @rugyada is working on this.
Edit: I do see a possible need for a paragraph or two about “What to do if you encounter problems Downloading” on our Download page or pages.
Ok I should go for now and anyway at this point I talk to much as for a new regular user.
And have nothing valuable to add.
When I made My YT video on open mandriva I will post it here on form somehow.
Probably I will send it to the devs beforhand for link approval or somethig.
Take care @ben79
ahead,
to download the iso probably will find your post