About PL
What is Puppy Linux?
Puppy Linux is an operating system for computers. Other well-known
operating systems are Microsoft Windows, Apple OSX, and MS-DOS. Puppy
Linux is based on GNU/Linux. It is completely free and open source software.
Is there a HowTo?
HowTo for Puppy Linux. Also try the WikiBook, or the Getting Started in the Forum.
How is Puppy Different?
- Small size, around 100MB! This lends itself to some very useful and unique features
- 'Live' booting from CDs, DVDs, USB flash drives, and other portable media.
- Runs from RAM, making it unusually fast for older or modern PCs and netbooks with solid state CF drives
- Very low minimum system requirements
- Boot time, well under a minute, on most systems 30-40 secs
- Usability and Compatibility
- Includes range of applications: wordprocessors, spreadsheets, internet browsers, games and image editors. Extra software in the form of dotpets. There is a Puppy Software Installer included
- Puppy is easy to use and little technical knowledge is assumed. Hardware is automatically detected.
What are Puppy's Aims?
Puppy Linux Mission Statement (Barry Kauler):
- Puppy will easily install to USB, Zip or hard drive media
- Booting from CD, Puppy will load totally into RAM so that the CD drive is then free for other purposes
- Puppy will be extremely friendly for Linux newbies
- Puppy will boot up and run extraordinarily fast
- Puppy will have all the applications needed for daily use
- Puppy will just work, no hassles
- Puppy will breathe new life into old PCs
How is Puppy organised?
It depends on what is trying to be achieved
Version 4.2 of Puppy is run by project leader Warren Willson
Individual projects are run by individuals or a core cell of individuals
Because Puppy is both flexible and fast, we can set up an organization as required for a given aim
Who owns Puppy?
We all do. Puppy is covered by the LGPL license, an open source license
Who created Puppy?
Puppy Linux was first released in June 2003 by Barry Kauler The community, is completely organic, without any formal agenda or structure. It often takes newcomers a while to realise that there aren't really any rules to Puppy, if you want to do something, make a new Puplet, offer your skills or take things in a new direction . . .
Where does the name come from?
"The real Puppy, the mascot for Puppy Linux, was a very tiny dog, a Chihuahua, but totally fearless. He didn't seem to know that he was vulnerable because of his small size. Once when my sister was visiting my country property, she brought her Blue Heeler, a very solid middle-sized dog named Muti. We were out walking, and suddenly there was a substantial rustling of branches of a large bush, something was in or behind the bush. Muti took fright and ran back behind the legs of my sister, whereas Puppy got into launch position in front of the bush and barked furiously. It turned out to be my dad playing a trick on the dogs. Puppy used to chase kangaroos and other big wild animals. Anyway, Puppy Linux is like that, reckless, unshackled, in memory of the mascot" - Barry Kauler
Added by admin July 19, 2009 (8:49AM)
Gassman on August 30, 2009 (2:04PM)
I have been using Puppy 4.1.2 and have found it to be one of the best systems for this old computer, The machine has 128 meg of memory and uses an AMD processor running at 450 MHZ and works faster on the Internet than the Main coumputer that uses Wind XP. Love it!!! Thnks Barry!!! and thanks to all that keep improving on the great system.
TaNGO on August 31, 2009 (8:38AM)
This is the best Linux ever. Install time less than 15mins and all hardware works right out of the box... All other takes over 30mins - at least another retry - and not all hardware working. I wish there is an option for video out GUI interface. But, best of all my wife can surf the WEB for her shopping and Flash enable "weekly" ads works (and not crashes like the big name distros), without reverting back to Vista/WinXP. Keep up the great work. I hope Dell pick this as an option to Ub....
Keep up the great work...