The Official Damn Small Linux(R) Book: The Tiny Adaptable Linux(R) That Runs on Anything

779 Pages·2007·8.91 MB·English

by  Robert Shingledecker

Negus Live Linux Series The Official Damn Small
Linux® Book: The Tiny Adaptable Linux® That Runs on
Anything
by Robert Shingledecker; John Andrews; Christopher Negus
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Pub Date: August 06, 2007
Print ISBN-10: 0-13-233869-6
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-13233869-1
Pages: 448
Table of Contents | Index
Overview
Make the Most of Today's Smallest, Fastest Desktop Linux
Distribution–Damn Small Linux!
Damn Small Linux (DSL) is a super-efficient platform for everything from
custom desktops to professional servers. Now, DSL's creator and lead
developer have written the first definitive, practical guide to this
remarkable system. The Official Damn Small Linux Book brings together
everything you need to put DSL to work in just minutes. Simply learn a
few essentials, boot the live CD-ROM, and master the rest...one step at a
time, hands-on.
If you're new to Linux, you can quickly discover how to use DSL to take
your data on the road, safely running your programs and personal
environment on nearly any computer. Easily adapt DSL to run on
anything from an alternative device (Internet appliance, hand-held,
diskless PC, or mini-ITX system) to an older PC that might otherwise be
headed for landfill.
Use this book and CD-ROM package to...
o Run DSL at blazing speed, from CD, USB pen drive, or directly from
RAM
o Run DSL from your hard drive or in a virtual environment within
Windows
o Add applications and create shareable extensions
o Customize and remaster DSL to create your own distribution
o Build a complete music and multimedia server
o Use Skype VoIP phone service in DSL
o Quickly set up an XAMPP Web server, complete with MySQL, PHP,
and Perl, to host your personal Web pages
CD-ROM Includes
o Several versions of Damn Small Linux that let you run DSL directly
from the CD, a Windows desktop, a pen drive, or your PC's RAM.
o Software packages (MyDSL extensions) including everything you
need to create an Edna music server, Skype® VoIP calling client,
multimedia picture frame, and tiny XAMPP Web server.
o Tools for rebuilding and remastering Damn Small Linux.
Your Practical, Hands-On Guides to Getting Real Results with Free
Software
Every book in this series encourages and challenges you to advance in
the free software world. Boot the accompanying live DVD or CD and
watch the Linux system, applications, and content described in the book
come to life. When you finish, you'll know how to use, customize, and
rebuild that open source software. Start as a novice, by trying out
examples...and finish as a professional!
System Requirements
o Processor: 486DX (recommended Pentium I) or higher
o Memory: 32MB RAM or more (can run entirely in memory in 128MB
RAM)
o Disk space: No hard disk space required to run from CD-ROM or
USB thumb drive; 50MB minimum for frugal hard disk installs; 200-
300MB recommended minimum for traditional hard disk installs
o Graphics: SVGA-capable card with monitor capable of 800x600
resolution
Acknowledgements xvii
About the Authors xix
Introduction 1
Part I: Using Damn Small Linux 7
Chapter 1: Overview of Damn Small Linux 9
Chapter 2: Booting DSL 29
Chapter 3: Using DSL Applications 47
Chapter 4: Configuring and Saving DSL Settings 71
Chapter 5: Extending Applications with MyDSL 99
Part II: DSL Beyond the Live CD 119
Chapter 6: Running a Native Pen Drive Install 121
Chapter 7: Running DSL Embedded in Windows 139
Chapter 8: Installing DSL in Alternate Ways 151
Chapter 9: Performing a Traditional Hard Drive Install 177
PART III: Creating Extensions and Remastering 187
Chapter 10: Adding Applications and Creating Shareable Extensions 189
Chapter 11: Setting up a Full Remastering Environment 211
PART IV: Making Damn Small Linux Projects 243
Chapter 12: Running DSL on Alternative Hardware 245
Chapter 13: Making an Edna Music Server in DSL 259
Chapter 14: Using Skype VoIP Service in DSL 271
Chapter 15: Running a Digital Media Frame with DSL 291
Chapter 16: Setting up an XAMPP Web Server in DSL 313
Part V: Appendixes 339
Appendix A: On the CD 341
Appendix B: MyDSL Extensions 345
Negus Live Linux Series The Official Damn Small
Linux® Book: The Tiny Adaptable Linux® That Runs on
Anything
by Robert Shingledecker; John Andrews; Christopher Negus
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Pub Date: August 06, 2007
Print ISBN-10: 0-13-233869-6
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-13233869-1
Pages: 448
Table of Contents | Index
Copyright
Negus Live Linux Series
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Introduction
As You Read This Book
Audience for This Book
Organization of This Book
What You Need to Use This Book
Part I: Using Damn Small Linux
Chapter 1. Overview of Damn Small Linux
Measuring Damn Small Linux Success
Understanding What Damn Small Linux Does Best
Getting the Most Out of Damn Small Linux
What Is Damn Small Linux?
Answers from the DSL Developers
The Damn Small Linux Community
On the CD
Summary
Chapter 2. Booting DSL
Understanding How DSL Boots
Hardware Requirements
Software Requirements–DSL Versions
Getting Damn Small Linux
Understanding Boot Stages of DSL
Advanced Boot Options
Summary
Chapter 3. Using DSL Applications
The Logic Behind Our Choices
The Fluxbox Window Manager
Using the JWM Window Manager
Using DSL Applications
Summary
Chapter 4. Configuring and Saving DSL Settings
Backing Up and Restoring Your Configuration
Configuring the Desktop
Connecting to the Net
Printing Using Apsfilter
Saving Your Settings on the Web
Summary
Chapter 5. Extending Applications with MyDSL
Introducing MyDSL
Changing Download Repository Mirror
Accessing DSL Extensions via a Web Browser
Saving Your Extensions
Boot Time Automatic Extension Loading
Optional Command-Line Extension Access
Setup and Usage Errors
Summary
Part II: DSL Beyond the Live CD
Chapter 6. Running a Native Pen Drive Install
USB Boot Types—Background on the Two Types of USB Layouts
Summary
Chapter 7. Running DSL Embedded in Windows
Running DSL in Qemu
Running DSL in VMPlayer—VMWare's Free Virtual Machine
Summary
Chapter 8. Installing DSL in Alternate Ways
Overview
Starting a DSL Installation
Frugal—The Most Popular Way to Install DSL
Poorman's—An Easy Way to Try DSL
Frugal DSL Install on Windows 9x or DOS
Poorman's Revisited
No Operating System Network Install via Tomsrtbt
Summary
Chapter 9. Performing a Traditional Hard Drive Install
Conventional Hard Drive Install Versus Frugal Install
Pre-Installation Preparation
The Hard Drive Install Script
Enabling Apt-Get with Dpkg-Restore
Summary
Part III: Creating Extensions and Remastering
Chapter 10. Adding Applications and Creating Shareable Extensions
Overview
Common Elements to All MyDSL Extensions
Creating DSL and UNC Extensions
Creating TAR.GZ and UCI Extensions
Sharing Your Extension with the World
Summary
Chapter 11. Setting Up a Full Remastering Environment
Making Your Frugal MyDSL Installation into a Bootable CD-ROM
Full Remastering
Summary
Part IV: Making Damn Small Linux Projects
Chapter 12. Running DSL on Alternative Hardware
An Argument for Using DSL in Embedded Systems
USB Mountable Appliances