Projects/OLPC on Puppy Linux

From OLPC

[edit] Objective:

The Primary objective is to develop a Puppy Linux Educational derivative, specially built to run in the XO hardware.

[edit] Secondary Objectives:

   * Create a Puppy Linux distribution Extremely friendly, with easy to learn GUI.
   * Create a Puppy Linux distribution with a good pack of educative applications.
   * Deploy a good repository of Linux learning documents.
   * Develop a small, fast and easy to learn Linux distribution for XO hardware.
   * Distribute Puppy Linux for OLPC freely.

[edit] Why Puppy?

Puppy is a small Linux distribution that runs well on older PCs and small PCs. Their goals include special system like XO and the open source license makes it a perfect choice for the OLPC project.

   What is Puppy Linux? (from [1])

   Puppy Linux is an operating system for computers. Other well-known operating systems are Microsoft Windows, Apple OSX, and MS-DOS. Puppy Linux is based on GNU/Linux. It is completely free and open source software.

[edit] How is Puppy Different?

       * Small size, ~100MB! This lends itself to some very useful and unique features.
       * 'Live' booting from CDs, DVDs, USB flash drives, and other portable media.
       * Runs from RAM, making it unusually fast even in old PCs and in netbooks with solid state storage media.
       * Very low minimum system requirements.
       * Boot time is well under a minute, 30-40 seconds in most systems.
       * Includes a wide range of applications: word processors, spreadsheets, internet browsers, games, image editors and many utilities. Extra software in the form of dotpets. There is a GUI Puppy Software Installer included.
       * Puppy is easy to use and little technical knowledge is assumed. Most hardware is automatically detected. 

[edit] Contributtors:

       clarf
       ttuuxxx
       mavrothal
       01micko

[edit] Forum threads

Early development (Puppy Linux forum)
Available builds (Puppy Linux forum)
HowTo (Puppy Linux forum)
Builds (OLPCnews forum)

[edit] Builds

The PuppyLinux build, XOpup, that runs on the OLPC XO-1 and XO-1.5 laptops is now available.
XOpup, is a PuppyLinux 5.1 derivative.
Although fully functional, XOpup-1 is a proof of principle build, indicating feasibility.
XOpup-2.x decreased the minimal required size, added comparable support for the XO-1.5 and is trying to keep up with the progress in the OLPC software infrastructure. Currently the build is ~88MB
Further development towards the objectives of the project will continue

[edit] Git

The puppy_linux_XO building files are now in Github
They will modify any recent puppy linux ISO image and produce the files needed (including the kernels) to boot the XO-1 and XO-1.5 from a USB stick or an SDcard.