View source for Damn Small Linux

{{Distinguish2|[[DSLinux]], a different Linux distribution for the [[Nintendo DS]] [[handheld game console]]}}
{{Infobox OS
| name =                   Damn Small Linux
| screenshot =             Damn Small Linux 4.0 640x480.png
| caption = Damn Small Linux 4.0
| developer =              John Andrews, ''et al.''
| family =                 [[Linux]]
| source_model =           [[Open source]]
| working_state =          Current
| latest_release_version = 4.4.10
| latest_release_date =    {{release date|2008|11|18}}
| kernel_type =            [[Monolithic kernel]]
| ui =                     [[JWM]]
| license =                [[Free software]] licenses<br>(mainly [[GPL]])
| website =                [http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/ www.damnsmalllinux.org]
}}
'''Damn Small Linux''' or '''DSL''' is a [[Free software|free]] [[operating system]] for the [[x86 architecture|x86]] family of [[personal computer]]s. It was designed to run [[Graphical user interface|graphical applications]] on older PC [[Computer hardware|hardware]]—for example, machines with [[Intel 80486|486]]/early [[Pentium]] [[Microprocessor|processors]] and very little [[Random access memory|memory]]. DSL is a '''[[Live CD]]''' with a size of 50 [[Megabyte|MB]]. What originally started as an experiment to see how much software could fit in 50 MB eventually became a full-fledged [[Linux]] distribution. It can be installed on storage media with small capacities, like [[bootable business card]]s, [[USB flash drive]]s, various [[memory card]]s, and [[Zip drive]]s.

== History ==
DSL was originally conceived and maintained by John Andrews. The community now includes Robert Shingledecker, who created the MyDSL system, DSL Control Panel, and other features.

DSL was originally based on Model-K, a 22 MB stripped-down version of [[Knoppix]], but soon after was based on Knoppix proper, allowing much easier [[Remaster (software)|remastering]] and improvements.

== System requirements ==
DSL supports only [[x86 architecture|x86]] PCs. The minimum [[system requirements]] are a [[Intel 80486|486]] processor and 8 MB of RAM. DSL has been demonstrated browsing the web with [[Dillo]], running simple games and playing music on systems with a [[Intel 80486|486]] processor and 16 MB of RAM. The system requirements are higher for running [[Mozilla Firefox]] and optional add-ons such as the [[OpenOffice.org]] [[office suite]].

== Features ==
[[File:DSL-logo.jpg|right]]
The current version of DSL is 4.4.5, released [[September 3]], [[2008]]. DSL currently includes the following software:
*[[Text editor]]s: Beaver, [[Nano (text editor)|Nano]], [[Vim (text editor)|Vim]]
*[[File manager]]s: DFM, emelFM
*Graphics: [[MtPaint]], [[xzgv]] (image viewer)
*[[Multimedia]]: gphone, [[XMMS]] with [[MPEG-1]] and [[Video CD|VCD]] support
*Office: [[SIAG]] ([[spreadsheet]] program), [[Ted (word processor)]] with [[spell checker]], [[Xpdf]] (viewer for [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] documents)
*Internet:
**[[Web browser]]s: [[Dillo]], [[Mozilla Firefox|Firefox]], Netrik
**[[Sylpheed]] ([[E-mail client]])
**[[Naim (chat program)|naim]] ([[AOL Instant Messenger|AIM]], [[ICQ]], and [[IRC]] client)
**AxyFTP ([[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] client), BetaFTPD (FTP server)
**[[Monkey (web server)]]
**[[Server Message Block|SMB]] client
**[[Rdesktop]] ([[Remote Desktop Protocol|RDP]] client), [[Virtual Network Computing|VNC]] viewer
*Others: [[Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol|DHCP]] client, [[Secure Shell|SSH]]/[[Secure copy|SCP]] client and server; [[Point-to-Point Protocol|PPP]], [[Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet|PPPoE]], [[Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line|ADSL]] support; [[FUSE (Linux)|FUSE]], [[Network File System (protocol)|NFS]], [[SSHFS]] support; [[UnionFS]]; generic/[[Ghostscript]] printing support; [[PC card]], [[Universal Serial Bus|USB]], [[Wi-Fi]] support; calculator, games, [[system monitor]]; many [[Command line interface|command-line]] tools

DSL has built-in scripts to download and install [[Advanced Packaging Tool]] (APT). Once APT is enabled, the user can install packages from [[Debian]]'s 'Woody' [[Software repository|repository]]. Additionally, DSL hosts software ranging from large applications like [[OpenOffice.org]] and [[GNU Compiler Collection|GCC]], to smaller ones such as [[aMSN]], by means of the "MyDSL" system, which allows convenient one-click download and installation of software. Files hosted on MyDSL are called "extensions". As of June 2008, the MyDSL servers were hosting over 900 applications, plugins, and other extensions.

== The MyDSL system ==
MyDSL is handled and maintained mostly by Robert Shingledecker and hosted by many organizations, such as [[ibiblio]] and Belgium's BELNET. There are 2 areas of MyDSL - regular and "testing". The regular area contains extensions that have been proven stable enough for everyday use and is broken down into different areas such as "apps", "net", "system", and "uci" ("Universal Compressed ISO" - Extensions in .uci format are [[Mount (computing)|mounted]] as a separate [[File system|filesystem]] to minimize RAM usage). The "testing" area is for newly submitted extensions that theoretically work 'as advertised', but may have any number of [[Software bug|bugs]].

== Versions and ports ==
{| class=toccolours align=right style="margin-left: 1em;"
|+ Release history<ref>[http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=damnsmall DistroWatch.com: Damn Small Linux<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|-
! Version
! Date
|-
|1.0
|[[2005-04-13]]
|-
|1.1
|[[2005-05-05]]
|-
|1.2
|[[2005-06-07]]
|-
|1.3
|[[2005-07-14]]
|-
|1.4
|[[2005-08-02]]
|-
|1.5
|[[2005-09-06]]
|-
|2.0
|[[2005-11-22]]
|-
|2.4
|[[2006-05-16]]
|-
|3.0
|[[2006-06-20]]
|-
|3.1
|[[2006-11-29]]
|-
|3.2
|[[2007-01-18]]
|-
|3.3
|[[2007-04-03]]
|-
|3.4
|[[2007-07-03]]
|-
|4.0
|[[2007-10-23]]
|-
|4.1
|[[2007-12-02]]
|-
|4.2
|[[2007-12-18]]
|-
|4.3
|[[2008-04-22]]
|-
|4.4
|[[2008-06-09]]
|}

The standard flavour of DSL is the [[Live CD]]. There are also other versions available.

== Live USB ==
A [[Live USB]] of Damn Small Linux can be created manually or with [[UNetbootin]].<ref>http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/</ref>

==Related pages==
*[[Mini Linux]]
*[[Feather Linux]]
*[[Puppy Linux]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Other websites ==
{{Commons cat}}
* [http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/ Damn Small Linux website]
* [http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/01/02/all-in-one-usb-dsl/ USB DSL tutorial] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127192452/http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/01/02/all-in-one-usb-dsl |date=2007-01-27 }}
* [http://x-dsl.org/ X-DSL - an Xbox port of Damn Small Linux] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807125430/http://www.x-dsl.org/ |date=2008-08-07 }}
* {{DistroWatch|damnsmall|NAME=Damn Small Linux}}
* [http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=interview-damnsmall DistroWatch interview]
* [http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-dsl.html?ca=dgr-wikiaDSLLinux IBM developerWorks review]
* [http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=5597 OSNews review]
* [http://junauza.blogspot.com/2007/09/big-heart-for-small-distro.html Tech Source From Bohol review]

[[Category:Debian-based Linux distributions]]
[[Category:Live CD]]