Damn Small Linux 4.2 Polishes its Visuals
Version 4.2 of the miniscule (50MB) DSL (Damn Small Linux) distribution has just been released.
The major changes include the replacment of Xpaint with Mtpaint, however, most changes relate to visual aspects of the slightly ancient looking system. Icons have been replaced; DSL now has generally improved support for backgrounds, and there are new thems for the JWM window manager which the lean distribution relies on. At the same time, the developers have tidied up and remove a couple of excess files, modules and directories.
The incredibly lean distribution is extremely well suited to older hardware that is low on RAM resources and processor power. According to the website the distribution will run on a 486 CPU with just 16MB RAM, and is quite happy on a USB stick. From a usability point of view, DSL targets experienced users, although it does include GUI-based tools to help set up the network configuration and other system components. DSL can act as an SSH/FTP and HTTP server, supports a number of WLAN adapters, and includes applications such as Firefox, XMMS and Naim by default.
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
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.