Puppy Linux is an operating system, which means it is that which makes a computer able to function at all, it is that which allows all the hardware on a computer to talk to each other and that which enables applications to run. Other famous operating systems are Microsoft Windows, Apple's OSX and MSDOS. Puppy takes its ancestory from Linux and so, like most other Linux-based operating systems, it is a completely free and open source.
There are a number of things that make Puppy different from other Linux derivatives, but the most significant is its small size, around 80MB! This lends itself to some very useful and unique features;
- 'Live' booting from CDs, USB sticks and other portable media.
- Ability to run entirely from RAM, making it unusually fast and particularly relevant to modern PCs with solid state CF drives, such as Wyse & HP/Compaq 'thin clients' and the ASUS EeePC & similar 'next generation' hand-helds.
- Very low minimum system requirements, runs happily on old Pentiums with as little as 32Mb RAM.
- Sub-60 second boot times.
Puppy Linux was first released in June 2003 by Barry Kauler, it was and still is a project for the sheer love of it. Barry just develops his official Puppy versions, he isn't responsibile for setting up the forum or this website, these are community efforts. The community, in fact, is completely organic without any formal agenda or structure.
It often takes newcomers a while to realise that there aren't really any rules to Puppy, if you want to do something, make a new Puplet, offer your skills or take things in a new direction you can just do that, no-one will stop you! Here is what Barry has to say about how the project is run, or rather 'not run' as he puts it.
Click here to learn more about Puppy Linux
0 comments:
Post a Comment