* Readers want some Puppy love
I noticed a trend in the reader response e-mails to an earlier newsletter sampling various Linux distributions that can boot up from a USB keychain. Here are some of the comments I received:
* “Puppy Linux would have to be the premier distro for installing on a USB drive.”
* “Although these can be very nice, you forgot to give note to the best of them all – Puppy Linux!”
* “You failed to mention Puppy Linux; it does have some serious virtues.”
I am not one to leave a neglected puppy out in the cold, so this week, the doggie gets its due.
Puppy Linux, like other distros mentioned in the previous newsletter, is a stripped-down version of Linux, optimized to run off of bootable media, such as a USB drive, a flash memory card, CD or DVD. The software’s virtues include a tight footprint – around 50MB to 70MB – that includes applications as varied as word processing, instant messaging, Web browsing, audio/video tools, and even a small Quisp SQL database. According to Puppy Linux’s handlers, what sets the package apart from other small Linux distros are the wide range of applications, and a hand package management/image building tool. PupGet is a package management tool that can be used to add new applications – 300-plus apps are available – to a Puppy Linux image.
Earlier this year, a new version of Puppy Linux “puppy2” was released, with several improvements over puppy1. The new version boots faster – due to a smaller image file (around 900KB, instead of 6MB). Puppy2 also runs on PCs with as little as 32MB of memory. The new version also makes it easier to save files and to install new updates to the software.
Get the scoop on Puppy Linux here.
