Out of hundreds of free Linux distributions, have you chosen yours?
List your needs. What will you use your Linux for? What features are important to you? How would you prioritize them? What features don't you care about?
Once you've compiled your custom list of needs, compare it to different Linux implementations. Linux is configurable and gives you full control (which you would expect from open source software) over yourself. So, in theory, you can create almost any Linux distribution according to your needs. But most likely it makes more sense to choose the most suitable Linux distribution out of the hundreds available.
Puppy Linux is one of the twenty most popular Linux distributions worldwide (ranked by disrowatch.com). Puppy is made for those who want from Linux:
- Includes all applications required for daily use
- Works out of the box
- Easy to use and suitable for Linux newbies and newcomers from Windows to Linux
- Works great on limited hardware
- Works seamlessly on older computers, thin clients and diskless workstations
- Installs and runs from any bootable device including USB, hard drives, zip drives, LS 120/240 SuperDisks, CDs and DVDs, and over the network
Unlike other distributions, Puppy is not based on any of them. It was created to meet the above goals.
Let's discuss the characteristics and, in summary, consider how it differs from other Linux distributions.
Fast and lightweight.
Puppy was specifically designed for limited hardware, including older computers, thin workstations, and diskless computers.
Puppy accomplishes this goal using several methods:
- Puppy's standard software covers all typical application needs with minimal resources.
- The minimum size of the operating system itself
- The whole system by default is fully loaded into memory and executed there
- Puppy boots and runs from any available device - your computer does not need to have special devices such as a hard drive or CD drive
As a result, you can take your old Pentium III, install Puppy on it and enjoy its excellent performance. Memory access is much faster than disk access. Just make sure your computer has enough memory to run Puppy from RAM.
To see how this works, read my earlier post about my experience installing Putty on a Pentium III 550MHz with 448MB of RAM. Driven by Putty, this century-old hardware tool runs typical applications as fast as it does the equivalent Celeron 2.6 GHz application with a gigabyte of WindowsXP RAM!
Puppy enables old computers to breathe new life again and work on diskless computers and thin workstations.
Flexibility.
As with many distributions, you can familiarize yourself with Puppy using the "Live-CD" version and see how it works with your computer hardware. The Live-CD is a bootable CD that you can burn Puppy to after you've downloaded it from the Internet. You should use the "Create Bootable Disc" item in your CD / DVD burning software menu. (Options such as "data CD", "music or audio CD" and "video CD" do not allow you to create a bootable disc). The LiveCD version of Puppy of course also includes CD and DVD burning software. If you are on Windows and need a CD burning program, you can download the free ImgBurn program to create a bootable Puppy disc.
If you don't want to install Puppy on your hard drive (or perhaps your machine does not have a hard drive), you can run Puppy from the LiveCD. When you want to finish using Puppy, it will give you the option to save your personal preferences, configuration parameters, and any additional software you added to the base system, on any device that supports writing data. This again can be a USB stick, hard drive, and CD / DVD recordable disks.
If you start Puppy from the LiveCD, you will quickly find another advantage of starting a system loaded into memory. You can eject the CD and Puppy will continue its work. So, after downloading, you can listen to the new audio CD you bought today, or burn the data to a CD or DVD. Other Linux versions empty the CD drive after applications have finished.
You can also use Puppy's unique support for multisession CD / DVDs. Any type of CD or DVD (or -) is supported, to which you can write your data as sessions using Puppy to continue writing the next time you use Puppy. Puppy includes a multi-session disc burning toolkit.
When installing on hard drives, Puppy offers two alternatives: full (or traditional) or "frugal disk" installations.
Peaceful coexistence with Windows.
Windows usually comes with many computers, so many users begin their computer experience through Windows. However, they soon discover that Windows has serious weaknesses despite its lightness and convenience. The only great step in this case is the additional installation of Linux as a second operating system. In this case, when you start your computer, you get a unique opportunity to choose which system to work on - Linux or Windows.
The advantages of Puppy are also obvious in the fact that you can run it from a Live-CD or from a USB stick, without replacing your existing system on your hard drive.
When you exit Puppy, it asks you if you want to save your configuration and intermediate session data by selecting "save file" and specifying the path to a USB stick or a recordable CD / DVD. you can write the file with the settings to any Windows partition of the hard disk (under Windows, the Puppy save file will look like the only large file in the root directory).
Another option for starting Puppy is to launch it from Windows. Just start Windows and unzip the Puppy file to install Puppy on Windows. Create a Puppy icon on your desktop by double clicking on it to launch Puppy. Exit Puppy and you will be back in Windows.
The GUI is launched using two graphical servers - Xorg and Xvesa. Their presence allows Puppy to provide video GUI support for the widest range of PCs.
Puppy's "helpers", which appear as interactive forms, are another ease-of-use feature that facilitates all aspects of system installation and configuration.
What sets some of the most user-centric Linux distributions apart from others is their level of support. Puppy Linux was written and developed primarily by one person - Barry Kauler. Support is provided by the Puppy community, which consists of several active forums providing technical assistance and distribution advice. Puppy contains 3 MB of documentation. You can also view (s) extensive information on the system. An active community maintains Wiki, Wiki community news and IRC chat. Puppy has tutorials written in Flash and video tutorials. Also here you will find documentation for Puppy in HTML and PDF formats. There is support for various languages \u200b\u200b(not only English).
An abundance of Puppy documentation makes it on par with many redistributable Linux distributions.
Adding Applications.
After booting the system, choosing the type of installation and saving options, and coexisting with Windows, a key aspect of being flexible with Puppy is how easy it is to access and install additional software.
Puppy also includes features that allow you to customize your system. Select "Remaster" from the menu to create your own customized boot CD. Or use Puppy Unleashed to create a Live-CD of your chosen software from over 500 official packages.
What Puppy is not for.
I praised the delights of Puppy and described its capabilities. This is Linux loved by users all over the world and proven by the size of its community.
Yet sometimes we have to say that Puppy is not intended for something. This is not to say that Puppy cannot be used for any purpose. This suggests that they are not the main impetus in its development.
For starters, remember that Puppy Linux is "little Linux". It doesn't have to include the vast amount of software libraries that "big Linux" like Fedora or RedHat contain, but you can easily turn it into one using the PETget package manager.
Puppy uses special techniques to offer users applications for daily use.
Puppy is designed as a custom system. Of course, you can install it on servers, since it has all the possibilities for this, but the goal and main direction of the project is a PC user.
For example, Puppy users always use the "root" user ID. Comparing this to other Linux systems that insist on using a different user ID from a security and multiuser perspective. The Puppy community agrees that running the system as "root" poses no security risk. Test my own systems running on Puppy and open to the world as the ShieldsUp site! and, on the other hand, invisible to the outside world, thanks to the configured firewall.
Finally, keep in mind that Puppy Linux is evolving rapidly and each version has more and more significant improvements. You can choose any version for yourself from those currently available on the release page.
The Puppy community is constantly moving towards releasing new versions. Typical applications and tools change with each release. This may not suit those looking for a "frozen" system with minimal changes.
What's your verdict?
I've covered the features of Puppy Linux in this article to showcase its potential uses. But I missed one fact of life - Puppy Linux is just fun. Having a friendly interface, easy-to-use "helpers" and built-in how-to information, it still has the ability, with your help, to turn into a full-fledged system that can be used to solve serious problems. Puppy is a charming system that has all the features that qualify it to participate in the evolving user community.
You can boot and test Puppy Linux using its Live-CD version without making any changes to the existing partitions on your hard disk and without worrying about corrupting the existing third-party system. This way you can ensure that Puppy Linux is fully compatible with your hardware and that it has the ability to control video, system devices and have the interface you want.
Visit the main Puppy Linux sites located and. Or download Puppy from here or from here. Many people try to buy Puppy, but "buy" is the wrong word since Puppy is free and available. So let us just say that usually those who just meet Puppy want to take him home right away.
Screenshots of Puppy Linux:
Puppy Linux is a small, fast and functional Linux distribution. The size of the distribution is only about 300MB. Contains a large set of installed programs and has a full-fledged graphical interface. It is able to run from LiveCD and work completely from RAM. Not demanding on computer resources.
LiveCD completely out of RAM
Puppy Linux can be run from a LiveCD or from a USB stick, but unlike regular LiveCD distributions, Puppy Linux is loaded entirely into RAM (RAM, RAM), and you can remove the disc from the drive and use the drive.
The system's LiveCD image resides entirely in RAM and applications open at lightning speed, as the access to RAM is much faster than a hard disk or CD.
Puppy Linux can be used on computers without internal read-only memory, the distribution will run in RAM. Another important feature of this distribution's LiveCD is that it can save data to CD-RW / DVD-RW disks, when you turn off the system itself will prompt you to choose a location to save data (CD, USB, hard drive or any other available media).
An important feature of the distribution kit is that all data is saved in one file named pup_save.3fs... Even the apps you install end up in this file.
The basis
The Puppy Linux distribution is not based on any other distribution. The developers built the distribution from scratch file by file - from scratch, based on the Linux kernel, of course.
Installation
Puppy Linux can be installed on a USB stick and run from it. All data will be saved to USB and you can always have a LiveUSB flash drive with your system and data with you.
JWM graphical environment
By default, Puppy uses the JWM (Joe's Windows Manager) graphical environment, and Fvwm95 is also supported. There are enthusiasts who have provided support for IceWM, Xfce, but they don't ship in the official build. The JWM theme resembles the Windows 95 interface.
For whom
The Puppy Linux distribution is suitable for beginners. The developers try to make it as friendly as possible. The distribution is supplied with a lot of documentation. There are several active Puppy forums online.
The official website www.puppylinux.com has a lot of useful information and documentation, including installation instructions.
There is a PuppyRus project - a version of Puppy Linux with Russian support: http://uco.puppyrus.org
Creator and origin of the name Puppy Linux
The creator of the Puppy Linux distribution is Barry Kauler and is a retired born in 1950. He now lives in Western Australia. Barry named the distribution after his Chihuahua puppy, which is now the mascot of Puppy Linux (puppy in English - puppy). Unfortunately, Barry Cowler writes that one day the puppy ran away and never returned. Photo of Barry's house and himself wearing a hat on the right: 
PuppyRus Linux - a project of the Russian-speaking community, initiated by Viktor Melekhin on September 5, 2007. Initially, the project was conceived as localization and Russification for Russian-speaking users of versions Puppy Linux... The project creates a family of distributions with a common name PuppyRus Linux... In addition to localization and Russification of the system, the original distributions are supplemented with additional utilities and programs.
Name: PuppyRus Linux
Version: XlupuRus-510, LupuRus-510, LupuRus-520-rc4
Latest Software Version: XlupuRus-510, LupuRus-510
Architecture: 32-bit
Disk type: CD
Treatment: not required
Medication type: not required
The size: 450 MB
PuppyRus Linux is focused on computers with x86 architecture, is optimized for maximum performance, and due to its low hardware requirements can breathe a "second" life into outdated models.
PuppyRus Linux applies to Live USB and Live CD, can be easily installed on any kind of storage medium. Small size (120-180 MB depending on the version) allows you to fully load the distribution kit into RAM. The entire OS is located in three files and is unpacked into a complete file system at boot. Another file stores the user's metadata, which makes it possible to simplify the process of backing up and transferring the OS from computer to computer, and to minimize the system recovery time.
PuppyRus Linux today it is a large well-coordinated development team that, together with the localization of the original distributions, improves the autotuning scripts, adds programs that are not in the "parent" distribution, and runs several projects in parallel.
XlupuRus-510
Kernel: 2.6.33.2
Size: 146 974 720 bytes
Description:
such as:
Control Panel;
Plugin crushed in Abiword;
Xlupurus 510 differs from lupurus in that rox, jwm, icewm are removed and replaced with xfce4-4.62.
for working on the Internet there are
midori-2.2 browser
LupuRus-510
Kernel: 2.6.33.2
Size: 143,060,992 bytes
Description:
The distribution is built on the basis of lupu-510 with kernel 2.6.33.2 and glibc2.11.1
The distribution kit is not only Russified, but additional applications have been added.
such as:
Control Panel;
Sfs hot-plug programs;
File manager Midnight Commander with support for pet packages and sfs files;
Plugin crushed in Abiword;
Added support for xz archives;
Added a script for removing programs.
Distributions have many useful programs for all occasions.
You need to edit a text document - please, you can use the abiword-2.8.6 word processor, in addition, you can use the geany_0.18 and nicoedit-2.5.1 text editors, there are also console text editors.
There are gnumeric-1.10.1 for working with spreadsheets. There are several calculators available for calculations.
Of the system programs, you can note hardinfo 0.5.1 - information about the system and gparted_0.5.1 disk partition manager
for working on the Internet there are
midori-2.2 browser
ftp download managers and torrent client
Among the programs for working with multimedia, gnome_mplayer-0.9.6 and pmusic-1.0.1 should be noted
there is an organizer, graphics programs, programs for working with disk images and recording them and many other programs.
Distribution builder: Igor Berlov
LupuRus-520-rc4
Kernel: 2.6.33.2
Size: 151,064,576 bytes
Description:
The distribution is built on the basis of lupu-520 with kernel 2.6.33.2 and glibc2.11.1
The distribution kit is not only Russified, but additional applications have been added.
such as:
Control Panel;
Sfs hot-plug programs;
File manager Midnight Commander with support for pet packages and sfs files;
Pressed spell check in Abiword;
Added support for xz archives;
xarchive is replaced by fileroller
Added a script for removing programs.
Added the ability to select from the boot menu in which environment to work: xfce or openbox and jwm. Those. in one iso you sort of have LupuRus and XLupuRus.
The distribution contains many useful programs for all occasions.
You need to edit a text document - please, you can use the abiword-2.8.6 word processor, in addition, you can use the geany_0.18 and nicoedit-2.5.1 text editors, there are also console text editors.
There are gnumeric-1.10.1 for working with spreadsheets. There are several calculators available for calculations.
Of the system programs, we can note hardinfo 0.5.1 - information about the system and gparted_0.6.2 - disk partition manager
for working on the Internet there are
midori-2.2 browser
ftp download managers and torrent client
Among the programs for working with multimedia, gnome_mplayer-0.9.6 and pmusic-1.0.1 should be noted
there is an organizer, graphics programs, programs for working with disk images and recording them and many other programs.
Distribution builder: Igor Berlov
Sums MD5
File name: XlupuRus-510-5.iso
Size: 146 974 720 bytes
MD5:
File name: lupurus-510-4.iso
Size: 143,060,992 bytes
MD5:
File name: LupuRus-520-rc4.iso
Size: 151,064,576 bytes
MD5:
Puppy Linux is a small distribution created by Barry Cowler. Its main task is to be similar in use to Windows, contain all the necessary programs, but be extremely small and simple. The distribution works great on both new and old hardware and is very fast.
Its peculiarity is that you can get a complete system simply by writing a small installation image to a USB flash drive and running it in LiveCD mode. If you think that this is also possible in other distributions, then no, there is the possibility of saving a session, which allows you to save all the data with which you worked.
Also, the distribution kit contains a very large number of utilities and tools for configuring the system, with which you can configure anything you want, and very often you will not have to go into configuration files. The last release was in 2015 and it was Puppy Linux 6.3, codenamed Slacko, based on Slackware 14.1, but the distribution is still in development. In this tutorial, we will look at how to install Puppy Linux on your hard drive as a complete operating system.
System requirements
The hardware requirements of puppy linux are a bit surprising. It looks like it can work on just about any hardware. To run, the system needs 64 Megabytes of RAM and a processor with a clock frequency of 333MHz.
Step 1. Download the image
First thing we need to do is download the installation image. The most recent version is available on the official website. But there are two versions available here, 6.0.5, based on Ubuntu 14.04 and 6.3, based on Slackware. We will install the latter.
Select the desired system architecture and download the image. The image weighs about 200 megabytes, so the download will be quick. Over time, there may be more Puppy Linux distributions. The point is that this distribution can be created on the basis of other distributions, and be compatible with their package base. Such distributions contain the same set of puppy utilities and they are all considered official. For example, Puppy Linux based on Ubuntu Xenial Xerus is currently in development.
Step 2. Burn the image to a USB flash drive
The developers advise using the dd utility to write to a USB flash drive. The terminal command in Linux will look like this:
dd if \u003d ~ / slacko64.iso of \u003d ~ / dev / sdb bs \u003d 5M
Here / dev / sdb is the device name of your flash drive, you do not need to add any numbers there. In the Windows operating system, you can use the Windows version of this utility. Here the command will look like this:
dd if \u003d slacko64.iso of \u003d \\\\. \\ f: bs \u003d 5M
Here f: is the drive letter of your flash drive. Do not forget that you need to run the command line with administrator rights.
Step 3. BIOS setup
When the flash drive is written, restart your computer. During the BIOS splash screen, press F2, F8, Shift + F2 or Del, to open the setting. There go to the Boot tab and in the paragraph 1st Boot Device select your USB stick:
Step 4. Configuring the bootloader
At the first stage of loading the image, you can enter the kernel parameters, if there is nothing to change, just press Enter or wait:
Step 5. Boot LiveCD
Wait for the download to finish:
Step 6. System setup
Immediately after the start, such a system settings window will open, it is pointless to configure anything now, because after installation the settings will still fail:
So just close this window.
Step 7. Run the installer
There is no installer shortcut, as we are accustomed to, the installer is located in the main menu, in the Setup section. The menu item is called universal.
Step 8. Selecting an installer
At this step, we can choose which installer to use, for a flash drive, for a flash drive with the f2fs file system or universal, we need a universal one:
Step 9. Select device type
In this window, we have to select the type of device for installation. If installing to a hard drive, select Internal (IDE or SATA):
Step 10. Select a device
Select the device on which we will install the system:
Step 11. Prepare the partition
System installation is performed on one partition. If the selected device already has partitions, you can select one of them. Otherwise, click the button with the Gparted icon:
Step 12. Create the partition table
If your disk is not already mapped, open the Deices menu and click Create Partition Table:
Step 13. Creating a section
Create one new partition of sufficient size. One or several gigabytes is enough for installation and full use of the entire system. You can use vfat, ntfs or ext4 and others compatible with Linux as the file system for the partition.
In the first case, you will not be able to install a complete system. The installer will create an empty file, make the necessary file system there, and only then proceed to the installation. But this option does not suit us, so we will use ext4.
Step 14. Apply changes
When finished, open the menu Edit and press Apply All Changes to save your changes.
Step 15. Boot flag
Check the box next to Boot and press Ok... After that, Gparted can be closed.
Step 16. Select device # 2
Select the device again:
Step 17. Selecting a section
In the upper right corner, select the newly created disk:
Step 18. Confirmation of the section
Confirm the installation on this particular section:
Step 19. Additional disk
If you have an additional disk with puppy linux files, you can now mount it:
Step 20. Installation method
You have two installation options. Installing puppy linux as a file, recommended when installing on ntfs or vfat, as well as full installation (FULL). For this article, we will use a full installation:
Step 21. Last confirmation
Confirm that the system needs to be installed on this disk:
Step 22 Installing Puppy Linux
Wait until the files are copied to the disk partition:
Step 23. Installing the bootloader
Select Yes if you want to install the bootloader. Grub4dos will be used as the bootloader:
Step 24. Configuring the bootloader
Select the partition on which the bootloader will be installed, and also set additional parameters, if necessary:
Step 25. Kernel parameters
Enter additional kernel parameters, if necessary, here you can also choose the name of the menu item for windows:
Step 26. Confirming Boot Loader Installation
Confirm that the bootloader needs to be installed in the MBR. Now the installation of puppy linux is complete, you just need to restart your computer.
Step 27 Reboot
Reboot the system using the appropriate button on the panel:
Step 28. Starting the system
Select the first item in the bootloader menu and wait for the download to complete:
Step 29 setup menu
After starting the system, the initial setup menu will open again in front of us. Here you can configure your language, time zone, and many more system settings.
First select the language in which you want to use the system:
Then, in the box below, select your time zone:
Step 29. Localization
To localize the system, it is not enough just to select a language, you also need to install the package with translations through the package manager, so start Puppy Package Manager from the menu.
In the list of repositories, go to puppy-noarch, then search for langpack. When the packages are found, select the langpack_en package and double click on it, then click Do It in the upper corner to start the installation:
After the installation is complete, it will remain to reboot the system. Then everything will be in Russian.
conclusions
That's all, now you know how to install puppy linux on your hard drive and are a little familiar with the features of this distribution. As you can see, this is not an ordinary linux distribution, it can be launched both in normal mode and using the LiveCD, and in both cases you get a full-fledged operating system. If you have any questions, ask in the comments!
Video of the puppy linux installation process:
