Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

dtzxdtzx · Joined: 17 May 2007 Posts: 16

Hi,

Could someone tell me the difference between Puppy and DSL? Which one is better for an old machine with petium 133 mzh cpu and 48 ram?

Thanks
Frank

Flash · Posted: Fri 18 May 2007, 15:46 Post subject:

I suppose the answer depends on a lot of things. Mainly, what will you be using the computer for? Also, how familiar are you with Linux and Linux applications in general? Are you comfortable with the command line?

Having said all that, both Puppy and DSL are small enough that you could download them and answer the question for yourself. Smile

Pizzasgood · Posted: Fri 18 May 2007, 17:33 Post subject:

One thing I can tell you is that you won't be able to run Puppy in ram with only 48MB. You should still be able to run it, but unless you either do a full or frugal HD install, you'll have to leave the CD in the drive, which will be horribly slow.

I haven't used DSL yet, but I imagine it would be a similar situation.

Bruce B · Posted: Fri 18 May 2007, 17:59 Post subject:

DSL is smaller overall than Puppy, but I don't like it enough to use it.

Puppy would install but not run very fast.

You might want to look into an older release of Vector Linux as some fit your system or come close to fitting in terms of minimum requirements.

http://www.vectorlinux.com/Docs/miscellaneous/version_table.html

raffy · Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 4636 Location: Manila

I bet answers to your question are here already:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=17771

The problem here is that you can search for "damn" and not "dsl" (words with less than 4 letters are ignored). And probably, a lot won't bother to type "damnsmalllinux".

Bruce B · Posted: Fri 18 May 2007, 22:50 Post subject: Re: search damn not dsl

alienjeff · Joined: 08 Jul 2006 Posts: 2290 Location: Winsted, CT - USA

MU · Posted: Fri 18 May 2007, 23:11 Post subject:

you can search for *dsl* to find 3 letter words.
Mark

Bruce B · Posted: Fri 18 May 2007, 23:29 Post subject:

Damn Small Linux is a different experience. There's a lot in common, they're both small live cd Linux distros they have package management, and etc.

DSL is Knoppix based, it has one of the most unique default interfaces one would expect. It comes out with new releases, but when I take at what's under the hood, I don't find much that has changed.

It is not a work of love, like the kind that Barry and others put into Puppy. It also doesn't have the array of small apps that Puppy has and versions of larger apps are old.

I think studying its package system is some worthwhile study.

In my own mind one of the last things I want to think about is difference between DSL and Puppy. Their just different.

I found a few good small apps in it and some games I like, so I borrowed them to enhance Puppy.

The answer I liked was from Flash.

Pizzasgood · Posted: Sat 19 May 2007, 00:18 Post subject:

Lobster · Posted: Sat 19 May 2007, 00:36 Post subject:

What you get working for your needs is better.
DSL has the JWM that Barry has supported and coaxed into stability (with Joes hard coding) as an option.

A running Puppy is better than damn it
but damn it is better than nothing. For what it is (and like Puppy it improves) it is very good AND it can if it runs install a Debian system on your HD.

I have a 133mz Pentium running Puppy at the moment. However the screen display is not very good (frisky kennel members are helping me with that). So about to try the latest DeliLinux (already tried 0.7 - 0.7.2 is out - see later post). However Deli has an old horror style set up routine. Could be tears . . .

How would Austrumi run on your hardware? - Actually it would not - the list of requirements are 128MB ram.

Or how about arachne with freedos (invented by Fish - glad to see them showing some iniatative) and using online apps . . .
http://home.arachne.cz/

Xubuntu is the fastest of the buntu family
I would try Puppy 2.16
and then DSL
if that did not work and I had finished hitting my head against a brick wall as a diversion

then I would look to other options

Sage · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 4623 Location: GB

In answer to the substantive question: Both. DSL is extremely good at what it does. It even installs to scsi. I like it for what it does. Puppy is better at some things. Keep DSL for older kit with lower resources. Enthusiasts should be running half-a-dozen machines - if you need another, let me know how many. Otherwise, anyone can find them lying around these days. As Lob. says, Austrumi is also excellent - it has the advantage that all the choices have been made for you, all work, and precious space is saved by eliminating options, add-ons, d/l s , etc. If multiple machines is an issue for 'er indoors, suggest you keep your boxes and load up 'er suitcases.
If it's security you need, there's only one - TrueBSD. Unlikely the crooked spamming, bot-ing b*st*rds would bother with a minority distro or bother to visit the website to read how to activate it. Criminals are, by definition, lazy.

GuestToo · Puppy Master Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 4078

Sage · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 4623 Location: GB

Nice exposition, G2. We should encapsulate it and use it as a Guide for the legions that come after. Can you organise that. 'Sticky', I suppose?

Colonel Panic · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 1225