Damn Small Linux V4.0 RC3 released

newsguy 0 554 Views

The latest version, V4.0 RC3, of Damn Small Linux was released today and it is really very small indeed. Described as a 50Mb mini-desktop oriented Linux OS, DSL is actually small enough to fit and boot from a business card CD as a live Linux distribution.

Originally developed as something of an experiment in order to try and find out just how many perfectly usable desktop applications can fit inside such a small live CD, DSL has grown from a personal toy to a fully fledged community project. A community project which has seen hundreds of hours of development time resulting in an accomplished automatic remote and local application installation system, versatile backup and restore system and the ability to boot from within a host operating system. Yes, DSL can run inside Windows if the user so wishes. Perhaps most interestingly of all, it will transform into a Debian OS with a traditional hard drive install.

Using a JWM window manager, DSL loads four usable desktops with applications including a swathe of web browsers (Firefox, Dillo and Netrik), MP3, CD and MPEG players (XMMS), email (Sylpheed), word processor (TED), graphics editor (Xpaint) PDF viewer (Xpdf) file manager (emelFM), a web server, FTP client, and even a selection of games.

Sure, there are going to be some compromises with a distribution this size, but there aren't many desktop operating systems that will fit on a business card, now are there? If you need any more convincing of the innovation that DSL has brought with it, how about this list of firsts:

  • First liveCD desktop offering backup/restore capability
  • First Live CD which used download scripts to add additionally software to ramdisk.
  • First complete Linux distribution to also deploy extendable modules which may be used either from a Live CD or on a partitioned hard drive.
  • And, of course, the first desktop oriented Live CD small enough to fit on a business card CD…

Dani AI

Generated

A few practical clarifications and updates tied to the posts above.

The tip from is correct: DSL can be copied into RAM so the live image runs entirely from memory. At the DSL boot prompt use the cheatcode dsl toram (you can combine it with mydsl= to load extensions from a disk or partition). Example:

dsl toram mydsl=hda1

This mode copies the live image into RAM and lets you eject the CD/USB; DSL historically expects ~128 MB as the practical minimum for toram. (beginlinux.com)

About ’s comment that “almost every other livecd” can do this: many popular live systems (Knoppix and several rescue/minimal distros) provide a similar copy-to-RAM option, but names and behaviour differ. Some distros copy the whole ISO (requiring lots of RAM); others copy only the compressed root filesystem. Always check the live image’s docs for the exact cheatcode and RAM expectations. (knoppix.net)

Quick troubleshooting and workflow notes: press the boot-key options (F2/F3 on many ISOLINUX menus) to see available cheatcodes; if you use a GRUB menu add the distro’s toram parameter (some people add --toram in the kernel line for GRUB-based setups). When running from a persistent USB, toram may not move every persistent file—removing the USB can break things unless persistence is configured appropriately. If toram fails, free up RAM (close other devices), try a lower‑memory boot option or use a “low-ram” build where available. Also note the project returned with new 2024 RC builds and different goals (larger ISOs and added “low-ram” modes), so check the current DSL release notes before testing on very old hardware. (linuxquestions.org)

Member Avatar for AustinK
AustinK 0 Newbie Poster

One of the coolest things you can do with Damn Small Linux is load the entire operating system into your RAM. It requires a boot option (google for it, I don't remember). No more waiting for programs to load!

Member Avatar for Sturm
Sturm 270 Veteran Poster

I believe almost every other livecd ever made can do that.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.

Edit Preview