Diskless Linux ROMs

[Freehold Fred]

Anyone here play with or know of a source for Linux diskless workstation ROMs to boot from? How big is the Lunix Kernel? What else is ESSENTIAL to the operating system + a browser?

[Tortanick]

My kernel + initial ram disk is aproximately 6mb.

But for a browser you'll need quite a bit more, Xorg, a window manager. Core linux utilities and libaries. No idea how much this totals too, I think Puppy linux is about 50 MB but that includes extras like E-mail and word processing.

Of course the lightest way of makeing a diskless boot would be to have a thin client / server setup. Edubuntu will do that quite easily. Its possible to set it up with non-ubuntu distros, but its harder. On the plus side you won't be stuck with ubuntu

[qldit]

Good Morning Gentlemen, there is a Puppy Version that contains a basic browser called "Puppy Barebones", actually I think it is only about 40 megs, it has the ability to easily be added to as wished.
The program repository is easily accessed and all programs are free.

http://puppylinux.org/wikka/BareBones

I haven't tried it but will download it myself now and see how good it is.

There is a lesser version again at about 30 megs called "Puppy One Bone" but it is only commandline, it is supposed to be lightning fast, (the fastest ever!) but I like the GUIs and am not clever enough to even consider trying it.
(My machine is OK but I am memory challenged!!)
It can easily be added to, but needs command line knowledge to do it.

The standard Puppy Linux (currently ver 2.1.3) can easily operate a machine as a live CD, but is around 80 megs and requires a minimum 128 megs of unshared ram.
Once the load is made to ram the CD can be removed, the entire system and all it's programs are loaded in all cases and if the machine has a burner and the CD is not closed it can save back progressivley to that CD. (until it runs out of space)

No harddrive is required but this system can easily be loaded to a hard drive and also contains all the programs to make a dual-boot system if the drive is already populated with some other antique kind of operating system.
(There is a wizard included to achieve this)

If the CD is closed and used in that manner for online use or whatever, it is almost impossible to be affected by any kind of viral thing.
If by some remote situation some devious program did manage to access the machine it would be gone at switch-off.
In that case if any saving is required it would need some media, flashdrive or CD-R or whatever.

The only possibility of destructive invasion would probably be some kind of BIOS malware.
This is really a low possibility.

No material is placed on the machine and no evidence of having used it remains unless the machine has a hard-drive and it is intentionally saved.

The 80 meg version comes complete with an enormous amount of programs for any purpose, including drive preparation and partitioning stuff.

Anyone trying this will be amazed at it's speed and potential, it is an absolute pleasure to use.

So much for root kits and viral stuff!!!! LOL!!!

During the load process the machine is simply switched on, the CD is placed in the tray (with the boot CD priority) as the CD is read there are some different options available but 90 percent of cases simply hitting enter begins the ramdrive load, a screen will ask for keyboard type, (the default is a standard US qwerty) so hitting enter takes you directly to the desktop, another screen will ask what size window you wish to use, selection is simple and when everything looks good, close that box you should then get a welcoming screen with a happy puppy barking in your sound channel and away you go!!

So you see there are several keystrokes needed to load it, bit it is about as simple a load as could be, (apart from Knoppix, which only requires one enter if you wish to load it, but that is a 700 meg system and much more sophisticated than Puppy)

To get online there are included wizards that have simple operation, so most machines would be online in a few minutes.
Winmodems for dialup are not really catered for but most conventional modems are.
DSL, cable and wireless access is pretty well catered for, also using wizards.
Networking is also wizard addressed.
There is actually a wizard-wizard to help select a wizard you might need. LOL!!

This system is incredibly fast for opening programs and most operation even on old slower machines, it certainly makes going back to MS stuff feel like a drag.

This program has the ability to read and write to most mounted drives including NTFS, even in cases where a drive may have a windows malfunction and be unrecoverable to windows.

If you might give it a try and have any problems any help is immediately available either from the Puppy forum, from the online tutorials, or from any of the Linux people on this site.

Cheers, Lawrence.

[qldit]

Back Again, that is interesting, the 39.9 Meg version of Puppy Barebones does not contain a browser, but the Barebones 46.5 meg version is reported to have one.
This is available here..
http://mymirrors.homelinux.org/puppy/
The file is Puppy Barebones 2.01R2.ISO
For some odd reason I couldn't access the other D/L URL.

I am currently D/L this file without problem and am very interested to see give it a try and see what it has.

The major thrust of progressive activity is obviously in the larger version.

Cheers, Lawrence.

[qldit]

Good Afternoon All, my apologies, I just D/L and made abootable CD with the puppy barebones version and it obviously is unsuitable for any newbie, I now understand why it wasn't listed on a lot of other D/L sites!
Obviously due to the rapid acellerated progress with this distro, all concentration is on the main 80 meg version, not only does the 46.5 meg not have a word processor, but many of the newer innovative gadgets for wirless networking and other advances are not present in it.
Six months is certainly a lightyear with current Linux Progress!!

I suspect it is now history unless it is revamped.

Anyone interested should avoid this one and go with the larger 80 meg version not less than Puppy Linux version 2.13

Have you given it a run Tortanick, what is your opinion?

Cheers, Lawrence.

[Tortanick]

Never gave puppy a run, too happy with debian. Everyone says its nice though :)

[qldit]

Good evening Tortanick, oh you must give it a try, it is quite amazing, certainly at the bleeding edge of progress, beautifully set out and incredibly fast in comparison to windows.
Do get a copy of ver 2.13 or later and give an opinion.
The wizards in it are really good.

I have just gotten a copy of Absolute linux, just released, haven't had time to play yet, it is a 700 meg distro looks pretty good, but seems to want to install to a drive, so I will give it one as soon as I have time. It appears Slack based.

Keep warm, Cheers, Lawrence.