Puppy Linux Slacko 6.3.2
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Developer | Barry Kauler (original) Larry Short, Mick Amadio and Puppy community (current) |
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OS family | Unix-like |
Working state | Current |
Source model | Primarily open source |
Initial release | 0.1/ 18 June 2003 |
Latest release | 6.3.2 (Slacko) / 22 June 2016 |
Latest preview | 7.0.0 Beta (Slacko) / October 9, 2016 |
Marketing target | Live CD, Netbooks, older systems and general use |
Package manager | Puppy Package Manager |
Platforms | x86, x86-64, ARM |
Kernel type | Monolithic |
Default user interface | JWM / IceWM + ROX Desktop |
License | GNU GPL and various others |
Official website | www |
Puppy Linux is an operating system and lightweight Linux distribution that focuses on ease of use and minimal memory footprint. The entire system can be run from RAM with current versions generally taking up about 210 MB, allowing the boot medium to be removed after the operating system has started. Applications such as AbiWord, Gnumeric and MPlayer are included, along with a choice of lightweight web browsers and a utility for downloading other packages. The distribution was originally developed by Barry Kauler and other members of the community, until Kauler retired in 2013. The tool Woof can build a Puppy Linux distribution from the binary packages of other Linux distributions.
Barry Kauler started Puppy Linux in response to a trend of other distributions being stricter on system requirements with time. His own distribution, with an emphasis on speed and efficiency and being lightweight, started from "Boot disk HOWTO" and gradually included components file-by-file until Puppy Linux was completed. Puppy Linux started as Vector Linux based until it became a fully independent distribution.
Puppy 0 is the initial release of Puppy Linux. It has no unionfs, extreme minimal persistence support, and has no package manager or ability to install applications
Puppy 1 series will run comfortably on very dated hardware, such as a Pentium computer with at least 32 MB RAM. For newer systems, the USB keydrive version might be better (although if USB device booting is not directly supported in the BIOS, the Puppy floppy boot disk can be used to kick-start it). It is possible to run Puppy Linux with Windows 9x/Windows Me. It is also possible, if the BIOS does not support booting from USB drive, to boot from the CD and keep user state on a USB keydrive; this will be saved on shutdown and read from the USB device on bootup.
Puppy 2 uses the Mozilla-based SeaMonkey as its Internet suite (primarily a web browser and e-mail client).