(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Accomplishments:
*A first version is under construction:
-Maximum size 60 Mb
-Limited menu options (to concentrate mostly on writing)
-No games (This could be either a good or a bad decision. In the future, a version with games (definitely including GNUchess) will be released as well).

Goals:
-provide a full work environment in which it's possible to write a book without being diverted too much
-provide a stable operating system, so users do not have to worry about crashes
-use an operating system that is not/less prone to viruses (Linux)
-provide a way to turn an old, otherwise useless computer into a work environment
Puppy Linux provides the last three (and part of the first one). I'm going to try and provide the first one.
I don't want too much menu options (those will just distract from writing).
I also want to make sure the environment is as comfortable as possible for any writers. Puppy Linux is a comfortable environment, but still... I'm going to edit it a bit

There you go, that's the mission statement. I know, it doesn't mean much (especially if there's not even a version available for download), but it's a start!
(Also, if I tell people about the project, I'll feel more obliged to actually do it )

If you happen to be interested in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), just check out their website. Last year, over 40 000 writers tried to write a book in November. NaNoWriMo Linux aims to be of use for the people that participate this year.

Have you considered something like multisession Puppy? Saving the novel-in-progress on the CD instead of a hard drive might make it possible to use even more old computers: obsolete ones with bad hard drives.

Good luck with your project.

I've thought about it, but decided not to go with a multisession CD (at least not for now).
A lot of old computers don't have CD writers, so that would be a problem. Also, if I understood correctly (haven't looked into this matter yet), it's possible to save the pup001 file to USB. In other words, no hard drive would be necessary.

Perhaps in the future I'll first see if there's enough demand for a regular CD.

Thanks for your encouragement!

Many older computers like laptops don't have usb support either. I do a good deal of writing on an older laptop...hp800ct with 80mb ram,4gb hd. It does not support usb but is still very useful. When in the field I use floppies but at home I download my files to my network computer. It was hard enough getting Puppy on it and working on the hd. I am running 0.9.9 mozilla and Abiword. When I am in a motel room with internet connection, I also send copies to my home computer by email.

Mmm... Well, I guess I'll need to have a close look at the Puppy Media Utility Tool, so nobody will have problems with using floppies (For this project, I'm assuming most users will not have a lot of computer knowledge.)