Puppy Linux

What is Puppy Linux?

Basics

Okay, let's get the basics out the way first. If you just want to get on and see Puppy in action for yourself head off to the Manual for instructions on downloading, burning and booting ISOs. Or, if you're actually wondering what on earth an operating system actually is, or what Linux is, or what makes Puppy different, or what it might be able to do for you, read on...

Operating Systems, Linux and little Puppies

Puppy Linux is an operating system, which means it is that which makes a computer able to function at all, it is that which allows all the hardware on a computer to talk to each other and that which enables applications to run. Other famous operating systems are Microsoft Windows, Apple's OSX and MSDOS. Puppy takes its ancestory from Linux and so, like most other Linux-based operating systems, it is a completely free and open source.

There are a number of things that make Puppy different from other Linux derivatives, but the most significant is its small size, around 80MB! This lends itself to some very useful and unique features;

* 'Live' booting from CDs, USB sticks and other portable media.
* Ability to run entirely from RAM, making it unusually fast and particularly relevant to modern PCs with solid state CF drives, such as Wyse & HP/Compaq 'thin clients' and the ASUS EeePC & similar 'next generation' hand-helds.
* Very low minimum system requirements, runs happily on old Pentiums with as little as 32Mb RAM.
* Sub-60 second boot times.

Usability and Compatibility

Though Puppy is small, it's still able to offer the complete range of a applications you'd expect to see on any average computer, like wordprocessors, spreadsheets, internet browsers, games and image editors. Extra software comes in the form of dotpets and dotpups and there are a number of methods to find and install them. There is a Puppy Software Installer (for Puppy 2, for Puppy 3) that offers repository searches and automatic installations, or this website offers the ability to browse and search repositories -- the Puppy forum is also a good place to find newer or rarer applications and drivers.

Puppy is aimed to be as easy to use as possible and very little technical knowledge is assumed. As much hardware is automatically detected as possible, you will often find that, whereas on other operating systems you had to install extra driver software to get your particular device functioning, Puppy will succesfully detect and install the driver without user prompting.



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