Running with the Pack
Distro Walk – Puppy Linux

© Photo by Thomas Bonometti on Unsplash
Not just one operating system, Puppy Linux is a diverse collection of lightweight operating systems designed for efficiency.
All distributions are different, but Puppy Linux [1] is more so than most. In fact, some who develop or use Puppy Linux assume from past experience that media coverage of the distribution will inevitably misrepresent it. The truth is, Puppy Linux is not a single operating system, not even one with multiple editions, flavors, or spins. Instead, Puppy Linux is a collection of lightweight operating systems built on common code with some common applications and a few points of common philosophy (Figure 1) – rather as though Debian, Ubuntu, and Linux Mint were all part of the same project. Little of this definition of Puppy Linux is spelled out. As a result, most reviews of Puppy Linux concentrate on the more popular Puppy operating systems, which makes most reviews misleading.
Puppy Linux was founded by Barry Kauler in June 2003. Kauler's efforts were a response to the increasing hardware requirements of other distributions. From early on, the Puppy Linux Discussion Forum was central to the distribution, and it remains so to this day. However, Puppy only began to assume its current form in its third release. The third release included both a remastering app that allowed users to select what they compiled and the forerunner of Woof, which allows Puppy's infrastructure to be used with the binary of another distro – today, usually Slackware or a specific Ubuntu or Debian release. Using Woof, a user called Jemimah added the third distinguishing feature of Puppy: the ability to load drivers, firmware, and kernels into RAM, which not only increased the speed but simplified updates (Figure 2).
With this structure, Puppy Linux assumed most of its present forum, with features such as Woof that are common to all Puppy distributions, and other features that are unique to a particular distribution. Today, Puppy Linux recognizes three different types of distributions:
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Fedora 39 Beta is Now Available for Testing
For fans and users of Fedora Linux, the first beta of release 39 is now available, which is a minor upgrade but does include GNOME 45.
-
Fedora Linux 40 to Drop X11 for KDE Plasma
When Fedora 40 arrives in 2024, there will be a few big changes coming, especially for the KDE Plasma option.
-
Real-Time Ubuntu Available in AWS Marketplace
Anyone looking for a Linux distribution for real-time processing could do a whole lot worse than Real-Time Ubuntu.
-
KSMBD Finally Reaches a Stable State
For those who've been looking forward to the first release of KSMBD, after two years it's no longer considered experimental.
-
Nitrux 3.0.0 Has Been Released
The latest version of Nitrux brings plenty of innovation and fresh apps to the table.
-
Linux From Scratch 12.0 Now Available
If you're looking to roll your own Linux distribution, the latest version of Linux From Scratch is now available with plenty of updates.
-
Linux Kernel 6.5 Has Been Released
The newest Linux kernel, version 6.5, now includes initial support for two very exciting features.
-
UbuntuDDE 23.04 Now Available
A new version of the UbuntuDDE remix has finally arrived with all the updates from the Deepin desktop and everything that comes with the Ubuntu 23.04 base.
-
Star Labs Reveals a New Surface-Like Linux Tablet
If you've ever wanted a tablet that rivals the MS Surface, you're in luck as Star Labs has created such a device.
-
SUSE Going Private (Again)
The company behind SUSE Linux Enterprise, Rancher, and NeuVector recently announced that Marcel LUX III SARL (Marcel), its majority shareholder, intends to delist it from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange by way of a merger.