7 replies to this topic

[Bruno]

From Freshmeat:

Quote

The changes in this release are as follows:A new "secure" boot time option was implemented, which prompts forroot and DSL passwords. A "protect" boot time option that prompts foran encryption password and then triple DES encrypts the backup filewas added. A "host" option can also be used to pass the host name.Webdata, a triple DES secure backup/restore to remote FTP servers wasadded. lspci now displays textual description from the PCI database. A"Add2Filetool" button was added to emelfm to easily select and addfiles to the filetool.lst. This also works from the CLI. Word view,Excel view, and PowerPoint view were updated to accept spaces infilenames.

ISO: ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/os/Linux/distr/dam...ent/dsl-1.1.isoSum: ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/os/Linux/distr/dam...1.1.iso.md5.txt Bruno

[havnblast]

I keep recommending this one to all those looking for a distro for an old computer that is low in ram.

[linuxdude32]

Nice! I bought a 256 MB flash drive a few days ago and want to try it with one of these distros so I can store /home on it. Now, if only my BIOS allowed for booting from the flash drive.

[jetman]

D Small is nice i use the live cd yes if only mine did so too Linuxdude32you have the 2mb so you can update your BIOS ?i do but i don't want to use it LOL.

[burninbush]

havnblast, on May 5 2005, 04:46 PM, said:

I keep recommending this one to all those looking for a distro for an old computer that is low in ram.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

++++++++++++++Which reminds me to ask -- what is it that makes one distro less memory-hungry than another, or more suitable for an old cpu? I mean, it is surely not the small size of the iso file -- couldn't a small-size distro start just as many services and daemons as a 'big' distro?   And/or, couldn't the large distro be pared-down just as easily as a small one?   What prevents a Suse [for example] from running one of the really spare window managers?   The kernel, if it includes modules for all of your hardware, is going to be about the same size on all distros, I'd think.

[misunderstruck]

burninbush, on Aug 1 2005, 11:25 PM, said:

Which reminds me to ask -- what is it that makes one distro less memory-hungry than another, or more suitable for an old cpu?

That is an awesome question. We have a low-memory Pentium III laptop sitting around the apartment here, and while it currently has Fedora 2 on it, I was going to switch it over to a more streamlined distro. The DSL live CD worked pretty well in the laptop as well. Perhaps I'll just install that!   I know DSLinux uses Fluxbox, which is a great deal smaller than any of the desktop environments like KDE and GNOME, plus it is easier on the memory.  And their choices in applications tend towards small and light for the most part. (According to the website, they even customize Firefox to reduce its size.)So is it just the applications one chooses? Or is there actually something at a more fundamental level (like the kernel) that makes one distro better for an old computer than another?

[mvent2]

Usually speed is based on two things:1. Optimised code. The lower the level of code you program with, the faster the computer can process it. (ASM is the lowest level I can think of besides 1100, but its really hard to comprehend, C is at the next level, VB and and Java are high-end)2. The processes that are running. The less processes that are running, the better. Some processors use up more memory than others. eg, vim wouldn't use as much memory as OpenOffice.org Writer. DSL, I think, uses Busybox instead of Bash (please correct me if Im wrong).Fluxbox would be better than KDE becuase of much less mem usage.

[Bruno]

Hi MisunderstruckI know there are more people with D Small installed to HD of an older computer and they all are raving about it. With the ability to add software with MyDSL it is possible to make that distro really fit your personal needs.Me too I have it installed to HD but then on a P4 and I can tell you that the install process is really really simple . . . so go for it ;) BrunoPS: Don't forget to get the latest: DSL 1.3.1 . . . . . see here: http://forums.scotsn...showtopic=12615PS2: I posted the announcement of 1.4 today . . . you could try that one but I would still advice 1.3.1 until we establish that the 1.4 is bugfree