What: Puppy Linux Where: http://www.puppylinux.org/ http://www.murga.org/~puppy/ http://forum.puppylinux.net/ http://www.puppyos.com/ http://www.puppyos.com/news.htm Description: Yet another one of the gazillion [Linux] distros available. Contains MUT - a brand new Tcl/Tk application that detects and mounts devices. Current versions: 1.0.9 CE (Community Edition) and 2.01 Updated: 2006-06-22 Contact: Barry Kauler Remarkable for two reasons: * it is very small (60 Mb or so) and otherwise desirable [http://www.linuxpipeline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=165600497]; * the creator is very fond of [Tcl]. About half of the bundled applications were written in [Tcl/Tk] in early versions, but Tcl has now been dropped. Besides: * It boots and runs off its installation CD, like [Knoppix]. * Very easy to try. Designed to fit on a business card size CD and easy to install to a USB pen drive or Zip disk. * Runs entirely in RAM, so it's fast, and releases the CD drive for other use. * It can be rejigged to run on low-spec. PCs (586, 32RAM; 128MB recommended). ---- [NEM]: There doesn't seem to be any mention of Tcl or Tk on the website. Is it just not advertised? [LES]: I tried an old version, 0.8 I think. Many of the applications and scripts are Tcl/Tk. This version even has [specTcl] and [visual Tcl]. These were removed in the newest releases, but [snack] got in. Open the 2004 "news" page [http://www.goosee.com/puppy/news2004.htm] and look for "''20Jun04''". Also, check the developers' page [http://www.goosee.com/puppy/developer.htm] and look for "guiding philosophy". The author states: "''applications ... must be written in Tcl/Tk, [C] or [C++]''". [AET] 11feb05 A remarkable little distro. I easily got it working in [Windows] XP by downloading one of the .iso's and booting it in qemu [http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/]. My first look at both Puppy and [qemu]. Reportedly very easy to rebuild, so a 'roll your own' version with lotsa Tcl goodies is viable. Puppy can use a USB stick or other device for a persistent /home. [AET] 13jul05 Latest Puppy boasts a very usable combination of OS and software with lots of good, down-to-earth help. New project allows Puppy to reside on a Multi-Session CD, and /home is saved to CD when you finish. Needs a CD writer, naturally, but no hard disk or memory stick. You can remove the CD and only replace it when you close a session. Even has its own package manager (written in Tcl/Tk) which effortlessy installs a growing number of user-supplied software packages, and perports to install other packages. A new package manager in Tcl/Tk is in the pipeline. I think that Puppy has a lot in common with [StarKit]s; Simple [deployment], and endless configuration possibilities. [LV] I always thought that Puppy should make a lot of use of starkits - distribute each tcl extension in a starkit, then have the apps mount it. With Tcl module support, this should be easy. [RJ] I've been using it since v1.04 (now up to 1.07). It's a remarkably stable little linux. The package manager, dotpup and putget, really simplify the task of adding apps. I started using the multisession DVD and had a lot of luck with it. I changed to LiveCD using the pup001 file on XP NTFS as a home because it began taking too long to boot up. Multisession CD or DVD allocates a new track each time you shutdown to save changed files and settings and it began chugging through those tracks, after about a 100 or so became too cumbersome to wait. I installed ActiveTcl (native mode) for linux on Puppy - not a glitch. If you want to test cross platform, there is no reason not to burn a LiveCD of Puppy for testing on Linux. It's downside is that it's native shell is bash/ash. I think it is to keep the kernal small enough to fit in old computer's RAM. They allow multiple Window Managers - fwvm95 is in the base software, JWM is default in 1.07, IceWM is offered as a dotpup package (and some others). I am going to give [Whim window manager] a shot now that I am up to 8.4.12 with ActiveTCL. Let you know how it turns out. Did I mention that I like Puppy? ---- ''[escargo] 14 Jul 2005'' - For a recent review of Puppy Linux: [http://os.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=05/06/22/2031247&from=rss]. CJL - It also gets a positive (but fairly superficial) mention in the current Linux Journal - http://www.linuxjournal.com/issue/136. The article is at http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8302 (non-subscribers will have to wait a month or two to see the full article) [http://tinypic.com/727leo.png] Tcl/Tk-Applications in puppy: * tkconvert-1.3 * [tkdvd]-3.9.0 * tkfont-1.1patched * tkgamma-1.0 * tkhtml-2.0 * tkmasqdialer-1.12 * tkmines-1999 * tkvnc-2003 * tkworld-1.4.0 * tkzip-1.1.5 * [ColorExplorer]-1.1 ---- [LV] I had to mark at least 3 URLs as questionable today - attempted to get to them, got 404's and worse... ---- Puppy no longer uses Tcl. The applications above have all been replaced by Gtk ones. ---- [D. McC] 2008 Nov 29: But it's really easy to create a custom variant of Puppy that does use Tcl. I've done it myself, and I'm planning to release an .iso of the custom variant ("Pa Penguin's Pup") for distribution after I get done finishing up the 2009 versions of my "WISH" apps. It's even easier to install Tcl as an add-on to Puppy. See, for example: http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=36095 . ---- [Category Distribution] | [Category Operating System] | [Category Linux] | [Category Toys]