DSL – The Operating System

“DSL” Review

Hello people,

I am here reviewing the DSL (Damn Small linux, a name which I d not like, so will refer to as DSL. It’s also censored as Demi Size Linux) LiveCD Linux OS.

Initial Impressions

I write this in said OS as a fair evaluation. I am in the FireFox browser. A problem I see in it right off the bat is that the FireFox is not even version 2.0. At home I run 2.0.3 or something similar. So, no spellchecker, Adblock Plus, or Fasterfox (though the good connection here really makes an ajax-like experience of every page).

I find it hard to install extensions. Not only the outdated firefox, but it doesn’t show me the flash media after several browser reboots.

DSL, though, was extremely easy to boot into. I had some BIOS problems, but this is my mom’s work, so it wouldn’t be a problem on my home computer. There are a few, semi-techie things to worry about on bootup. I’m getting bad display (no real GUI) at the moment, likely due to the odd monitor resolution I’m in.

Running the ISOLINUX version on a Dell Optiplex GX260 is working fine. The syslinux version ran surprisingly well on my IBM Thinkpad 380XD, with a 233MHZ Pentium 2 and 96 meg ram. Faster than any Windows ME app I’ve used on it.

Ease of Internet

Wow, I opened up FireFox without any configuration and BOOM! connected and running. Recognized the ethernet card right away and got me right on the net.

It also has 2 other browsers: Dillo (seems CSS-less, flash-less) and Netrik, which I’ve yet to understand.

Apps

Good apps right off the bat in the X-Window environment. Xpaint, Ted and Beaver, and many others, plus a control panel for installing more ( via the net).

Ease of Use

I picked it up right away. Close enough to Windows, yet obviously superior in design, speed, and functionality.

Overall Report

I’d give it a 4.5 out of 5. I don’t like the lack of certain things *cough* a newer FF *cough*, but the speed, usefulness and blatant ease of use makes this distro a strong little guy. Heck, I’ll forgive it the FF, it’s nder 50MB in size. I could’ve stuck it on my CD about 10 or 12 times.

There’s my DSLinux review, not to be confused with the DSLinux project, bringing Linux to the Nintendo DS. I may review that someday.

Check it out: http://www.dslos.com http://www.damnsmalllinux.org

~ Sam