Clic
on the link to go to the official DSL website.
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A screenshot
captured from the QEMU window, running DSL over XP!
I was scouting the releases
available for OS's of the Linux flavour...
There was an older established 'Live' (will
boot/run from your CD/DVD-ROM) flavour of Linux that I was familiar
with by the name of 'Knoppix'...
The screenshot above is of an offshot of Knoppix,
called 'DSL' (Damn Small Linux). Yes, the name is a genuine namesake,
as 'DSL' is only about 50mb! Under Win-XP, I've used 7-Zip to extract
the files from the DSL iso and copied those to a formatted 256mb USB
pendrive. ( be careful to insure that the dir structure remains the
same, and that all files remain 'without' attributes ). The screenshot
was during a session where I was running DSL through QEMU (an emulation
layer) included within the iso's files. QEMU is, simply, another window
open on the XP desktop. I've not had any luck, yet, using SysLinux to
make the USB pendrive bootable, as there are some hardcoded variables
that keep directing the system to access itself from the CD/DVD ROM it
thinks it's booting from. That's really not a problem with SysLinux, as
the USB pendrive will start to boot the kernel... then the unresolved
reference to the CD/DVD ROM.
Though DSL is only 50mb by itself... There are
expansion options to install more apps that are pre packaged for the
DSL releases.
Even though I don't expect
to be able to store much of a full-GUI OS on a 256mb USB pendrive, I
now can see how I could strip down a distro to get runnin' live in alot
less space than what I'd once thought possible.
Below is the QEMU window showing Linux loading...
( This was during an active XP desktop... )
Open Source amounts to alot of good at times...
Even in smaller sized portions. If nothing else, DSL would make a nifty
tool to keep somewhere handy in case your Win32 Box goes south and '
...ya gotta bring in the Big-Guns!' for the task of repairing your
'Nowhere to be found at boot' Windows system.
Ok, there's some teadious times under Linux also.
Mac has 'misfires'... Alright, every system has it's times of sorrow.
DSL would just be nice to have there when 'whoever' fails.
Older systems that don't support USB booting can
still boot DSL from the CD-ROM. ( Where do ya think I got my DSL to put
on my pendrive ? ) Remember, the DSL iso ! Just use that DSL iso for
what it was intended for... Burn that DSL iso to CD,
configure to boot from CD-ROM in BIOS, REBOOT...
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