Xandros is a company that produces linux distribution. It is the creator of one of the easiest to use and popular distributions of Linux called Xandros Desktop.

Founded in 2001, the company is located in New York City and Ottawa, Ontario. Their distributions are based on Corel Linux, a Debian-based distribution which was acquired from Corel Corporation that same year after Corel decided to leave the Linux distribution market. Xandros is also a founding member of the Desktop Linux Consortium.

= Products =

Xandros makes products for both the consumer and business markets.

== Workstation Operating Systems ==

Xandros Desktop is for the home user, which is cheaper and easier to use than higher end versions. There are three editions, Standard , Deluxe and Surfside Linux . The Deluxe edition includes a user manual and support for running Microsoft Windows applications. Its installer can resize NTFS partitions, and also bundles more software. Alternatively, Surfside Linux bundles a wide array of Internet software including several versions of Skype. Surfside Linux also includes a USB headside for communications and gaming.

Xandros Business Desktop is more expensive but includes support for Active Directory, and advanced microprocessor features like symmetric multiprocessing and Hyperthreading. There also tools for the administration and deployment of Xandros desktops within a company or institution.

Finally, Xandros Open Circulation Edition is a freely redistributable edition for non-commercial use. This has a limited set of additional software; for example, its cd-burning is restricted to 4x speed only. The web browser Mozilla Firefox and the email client Mozilla Thunderbird are included.

== Server OSs ==

The current beta test of Xandros Small Business Server or xSBS already runs both Apache HTTP Server and Samba software servers. The server works with Linux and Windows environments. It is expected to ship by the end of the year 2005.

Xandros Desktop Mangement Server or xDMS is already available. It easily sets up repositories as it deploys customized Xandros Desktop configurations across a large organization.

= Look and feel =

The Xandros Graphical user interface uses a modified version of the K Desktop Environment (KDE), which includes replacing Konqueror with its own proprietary file manager called Xandros file manager. It also uses a package manager known as Xandros Networks, which handles installation of software. Installation of Xandros is done by a wizard that asks questions about partitioning and the administrator (root) password.

The KDE interface has been modified to resemble Microsoft Windows, with a rectangular launch button similar to the Windows Start button, modified context menus, and a file manager with a Windows 98 appearance.

The package includes several other themes including KDE, Mac OS 9, and Unix.

= Awards =

Xandros has won awards for their products, including the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo s Best Front Office Solution , various editor s choice awards in several magazines, and the CNET Editor s Choice award.

= Litigation =

One-time partner Linspire filed a [http://www.linux.org/news/2004/05/10/0007.html lawsuit] against Xandros in 2003. Linspire claimed that Xandros failed to repay a $750,000 loan, and that the company and other defendants engaged in fraud and criminal misrepresentation during the negotiations leading up to Linspire s investment in Xandros. The information came to light when, on April 20, 2004 Linspire (then named Lindows, Inc.) filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering (IPO) of common stock. The two companies reached an out-of-court settlement in July 2005.

= See also =

*List of Linux distributions *Comparison of Linux distributions

=External links=