Knoppix 7.6 and LibreOffice 5

I am writing this with Knoppix 7.6 booted on an a 16 GiB MicroSD.
I partitioned it with two partitions.
10 GiB Fat which Knoppix used  4 GiB of space for ntfs.

Other was a ntfs partition. 
My Internet provider has restricted me to 5 KB / per second since I have exceeded the download limit of 20 GiB.

In spite of the slow speed I was briefly on to my blog site through my MicroSD.
  
It also runs a script preventing undesired cookies running and that is why it is fast.

Preamble
I signed a contract of unlimited download 10 years ago when only a very few were using Internet-there were no wireless routers then-I went to Singapore and bought one. Unfortunately for me the University student hackers (I believe Engineering students) got hold of our wireless signal and were using it (the wireless security was not available for Microsoft, then). 
I detected it using my Linux BOX but did not go further except disconting using the wireless but used the Ethernet with secure SSL. 
The University stands a wireless range away and our current wireless connection is protected but it serves as a hot spot.
All this preamble is to illustrate a point that our students who get FREE books UP TO the university wants everything FREE including Operating Systems.

They pirate the Microsoft System when Linux is freely available.

Less than 1% (my study) of the students in HIGHER EDUCATION use free software or Linux.

That is the irony of the FREE EDUCATION and FREE BOOKS provided by the school system.

The school which is walking distance from the University has NO Science Stream.

Few years AGO, I tried to introduce Linux to students of this school through a young teacher friend of mine. 
The teacher was transferred out of this school, probably because of the intransigence of the free education system (one book is enough attitude applied to operating systems including Linux).

KNOPPIX
So if these students are out of school and looking for a pastime, they are free to download Knoppix 7.6 and try it themselves.
The reason for my writing this is to get the Linux developers to use LibreOffice 5 in their distributions in double quick time.
It has Thesaurus which my current Peppermint 6 and Debian 8.2 do not have.
Within a week of complaining about Thesaurus in Linux in 64 bit computers, I have a Live System which has Thesaurus under synonyms and one has only to select the word and right click the word.

I saw a Web Piece which states by selecting tools, options, language, and language aids, One can grab the Thesaurus.
I checked this routine BUT it does not provide the desired OPTION.  
I am in the process of installing Knoppix in my computer.
It needs a reiserfs partition. 
Funnily it was only in Denish installed from a English DVD. 

Revisiting Windows

Revisiting Windows

I must confess that after a decade of using only Linux, I installed Window's 8 well hidden from my Linux distributions.

I am glad to say Windows can be booted from a second hard drive (SATA not IDE) with the first hard drive having only Linux distributions.

It took three days of fiddling and no need for me to boast about.

UEFI boot sector was also demoted to a lower ranking position with the first hard drive having a Linux Master Boot sector instead of BEOS boot partition.

I need to touch Del or F2 keys to boot what ever I want including my favorite Flash Drives with multiple Live Linux distributions.

In case my wife (she never does) boots my computer, (if I am away abroad and I want a file or photo downloaded by my mobile) she will only see Windows in my BOX.

She is scarred of Linux. 

She is fully cleaned off from any Linux remnants.

She does not need to (she has her own computer) in case her computed is infected by a Virus she need to use mine.

It took only three days of fiddling to downgrade Windows to lower rank.

Amazingly it took the same time to configure the Internet (I could not use IE for three days).

I forgot Microsoft still needs drivers to configure Internet hardware, which Linux does a good job at boot time.

Debian could not do it either with its DVD booting, but configured the Internet after installing the system, without me bothering about the IP address and the rest.

I forgot some important assets of Linux in my book Linux Revisited.

Number 1, drivers are installed at boot time including Internet connection for updating, the system.

Linux is Internet friendly.

Number 2, Linux does not need adding up software (like I do minimum at boot time and pick and chose packages from the repository) if YOU chose the correct the distribution with all the packages.

One installation is all that is necessary.

Number 3, is that there is no endless rebooting which Windows Love.

In other words Linux save time.

It took three days for me to get the Windows 8 to my liking.

Three Linux distribution in one hard disk took only one night for me (I was briefly up in between the distributions but deep in sleep while installation was on).

Once I commit a job for Linux BOX in the night, I check it only in the morning.

Reliable and Stable. 

Only hindrance is frequent power failure of our Electricity supply.

In fact, we were without electricity the whole morning today.

Libre Office and Thesaurus

Libre Office and Thesaurus

I must say I never use Microsoft Office.

My favorite is something else not even LibreOffice.

I used to promote Open Office and when it was bought up by the killer shark, Oracle,

I used to promote LibreOffice that comes from France.

This post is done on Windows 8.1 on Libre Office.

It has Libre Office and thesaurus is available and if one right clicks with a selected word, synonyms are displaced.

But I updated my computer with Peppermint and Debian 8.2 only yesterday BUT the Libre Office in both distributions won't open up thesaurus (do the same as on a Windows platform) or synonyms with my 64 bit motherboard.

Linux 64 bit software are patchy and buggy.

This was not true with my old 32 bit machine with Libre Office.

Lot has been spoken about Libre Office in Linux Magazine and nobody has spotted this flaw.

I begin to believe that those who write to Linux Magazine also use Microsoft Windows or won't test Libre Office on a Linux distributions to begin with.

Libre Office looks beautiful on Windows machine but looks ugly and dark on Peppermint and Debian.

I guess the guys working on Linux terminals prefer pitch dark ambiance.

This is where Microsoft score a point or two.

They listen to the customer feed back but Linux guys /girls (only 1% are using Linux according to surveys) don't have customer base.

Mind you my wife uses Microsoft Windows and I bought her a new MINI computer with pre-installed Microsoft.

I do not want to have complaints from her and I have no intention of converting anybody to Linux this Christmas, 2015.

This was not something I wanted to write on a Linux blog site but IF I do not I am cheating myself if not others.

Thesaurus for LibreOffice

Thesaurus for LibreOffice

Thesaurus is not associated with LibreOffice when YOU install it,

 for good reason.

There are so many languages in the world using English alphabet.

For English one of those below and install from synaptic.

Artha

Aiksaurus

Giksaurus

For other Languages

Mythe and the country code (not telephone).

eg. Mythes-De

Linux Games

Linux Games

Games in Linux is its weak Link.

I decided that I would concentrate on developing games in my retirement, even though, I am not into programming at all now..

I in fact have a Book On Linux Game Development, which I bought few years ago.

It looks like I need not bother very much.

But I have a few reservations having looked at Sparky Linux.

I dismantled all my 32 bit computers in preparation for this endeavor.

I am into 64 bit world.

The motherboard is a Gamer Motherboard with PCI ports for upgrading to Newer graphic cards.

I had problems with UEFI and I dealt with that problem in a few hours of experimenting at night with Windows 8.1 in the system.

I have two one terabyte hard disks for game databases.

I got Peppermint and Debian installed with an extra "BIOS" partition in the hard disk one.

Peppermint is in first SATA disk.

Debian and Sparky Linux in second SATA disk.

Windows have to be in the first disk by corporate design.

 

Now a few words about Sparky Linux.

Not necessarily in game context.

It does not support Ethernet.

Bluetooth is its game base.

I could not update its software (Office Suite) due to not having bluetooth connection.

I will try with a dongle later but I have to pay twice one for Ethernet and one for wireless (SIMS) dongle.

I do not want to fiddle with my wife's Microsoft configured wireless router which has given endless problems to her and I bought a tablet for her connectivity when Telecom goes out with a thunderstorm and lightening.

Linux is far behind when compared to Windows.

I now use Windows for TV Card and Games only.

I have not tried other Linux gamers including Fedora's version, even though, I have all the game DVD Isos.

 

I start my work up with Tiny Linux games I played over the last 10 years.

I hope Linux would not ignore those tiny games developers played along side with black terminal when they were they were busy programing!

SparkyLinux 4.0 “GameOver”
SparkyLinux 4.0 “GameOver” is out.
It has been built on the top of SparkyLinux 4.0 “Tyche” and it’s fully compatible with Debian testing “Stretch”.
“GameOver” is a special edition of Sparky targeted to gamers.
The most important changes inside the GameOver 4.0:
– Linux kernel 4.0.5
– all packages upgraded from Debian testing repositories as of 2015/07/09
– lxde-common 0.99.0-2
– openbox 3.6.0-2
– PCManFM 1.2.3-1.1
– Iceweasel 38.1.0esr-2
– vlc 2.2.1-dmo6
– steam & steam-launcher 1.0.0.50
– desura for linux
– wine & playonlinux
– Sparky-IA – quick access to very old games
– grub 2.02~beta2-26
– added support of the system installation on 32 bit machines with UEFI motherboard
– system rebranding
– theme “Sparky4” and icons set “Ultra-Flat-Icons”
– Gnome-Alsamixer replaced by Pulse Audio Mixer
New applications:
– Sparky Internet Archive (sparky-ia) – lets you launch and play online very old games stored at Internet Archive via the default web browser. The application lets you choose one of the 3 game categories:
– Classic PC Games
– Internet Arcade
– MS-DOS Games
A set of emulators of old machines and systems available via the package manager and Sparky APTus Gamer: AdvenceMENU, Atari800, DeSmuME, Desura Installer, DOSBox, DOSEMU, ePSXe, FCEUX, FS-UAE, GNOME Video Arcade, Hatari, Higan, Hega Fusion, MAME, Mednafen, MESS, Nestopia, PCSX, PlayOnLinux, PPSSPP, Steam, Stella, VisualBoyAdvance, Virtual Jaguar, Wine, Winetricks, Yabause, ZSNES
A set of preinstalled games: 0ad, 3dchess, airstrike, alienblaster, amphetamine, antigravitaattori, armagetronad, asciijump, asylum, atomix, balder2d, barrage, berusky, billard-gl, biniax2, black-box, blobby, bloaboats, blockout2, brainparty, bygfoot, chromium-bsu, einstein, extremetuxracer, five-or-more, flare, four-in-a-row, freecraft, freedroid, frozen-bubble, funnyboat, gnome-chess, gnome-hearts, gnome-klotski, gnome-mahjongg, gnome-mastermind, gnome-mines, gnome-nibbles, gnome-robots, gome-sudoku, gnome-tetravex, gnubik, gnuchess, gnugo, gtkatlantic, gtkpool, gunroar, holdingnuts, iango, lbreakout2, lightsoff, liquidwar, ltris, maelstorm, megaglest, minetest, mokomaze, monopd, monsterz, moon-buggy, moon-lander, netmaze, netpanzer, openarena, pacman, performous, quadrapassel, slimevolley, smc, snake4, snowballz, supertux, swell-foop, tali, teeworlds, tennix, tetzle, tomatoes, transcend, warzone2100, wesnoth, widelands, xblast, xmoto, zaz
Live system user is: live
Password: live
Root password is blank (empty).
Minimum system requirements for SparkyLinux “GameOver”:
– CPU i586 / amd64
– 256 MB of RAM memory (some games need more than that – 500-1000MB recommended)
– an optical DVD drive or 4GB USB stick for Live medium
– 20 GB of space for installation on a hard drive (30GB recommended)
– 16 GB of Flash/Pen USB drive for “normal” installation (32GB recommended)
New iso images of SparkyLinux are available at our download page:

Removing An Account From Google

A technical preamble is appropriate here.
I am not a fan of mobile phones.
In fact, I am new to mobile phones.
I use Land Phone exclusively for mission critical work.
Mobiles are pain in the neck with lot of clutter.
I bought two phones when my wife was out of the country for few days.
The reason is not to keep in touch with her but for a different but mission critical work, let me not expand on it.
One was cheap Java Phone which is out of order after 3 months use.
Not due to physical damage but due poor RAM.
The RAM was not sufficient even to load the screen.
No touch screen.
The second phone wit a touch screen, I hacked to my heart content and is still working android.
In my first hacking (to see whether it can be used by a visually handicapped person it FROZE and could not go back to factory setting.
After three days of fiddling with it I went back to the vendor and he could not do any better.
This time the problem was with the version of the Android.
It was too old.
So when you buy a Phone one had to decide on the RAM and the version of the android.
If you use a phone for just for only calls by an old analog mobile.
Java Phones are pain in the neck.
If you are buying a new Android go for a Version 5 not the version 4 that I am using (sparingly, though).
I wish I could keep in touch with my dog with a mobile phone.
I must say I learned the touch system and little tricks from my daughter.
These gadgets are made exclusively for young people to keep in touch and for their fast track social activity.
I am one who advocate a Tablet instead of a Mobile (Smart phone is actually a mini computer).
So I bought Tablet again a cheap one to give as a present.
It is miles of FORWARD MARCH on mobile utilities and took solid 24 hours to configure to top performance without a Mini SD Card.
I have an old tablet which is very slow on both Internal Memory and RAM in spite of the 32 GB Mini SD overall.
For my luck I had forgotten the Screen Password and I cannot reach my files.
Fortunately I use it for hacking and not for any mission critical work, photos or documents etc.
All the data is in the Mini SD and it is matter of removing and shoving it to the new Tablet.
It does not load to my computer by a USB cord to copy files before formatting it to Run a new operating system.
So the next pint is that the Tablet should be able to share data with your computer through a USB link.

Now the crunch point and I could not remove my email before delivering it to the intended person.

I gave it to my wife who is an expert on mobiles phones and she could not log off my mail.
I gave it to her and ask her to browse the Google Help and went out for buying food for our dog.
Let me tell you why I am posting this.
There is lot of junk advice in the web.
It is like touching your nose with your finger tip with the hand coming across the back of the neck like Yogi Expert.
One does not have to go to Yogi Practice, just go to the Google Help and follow their instructions.
I have copied Google Help here, using my Linux BOX and all the Macros removed and only TEXT remaining.
Any errors are due to my plundering the information and not the fault of the Google.
So YOU better go straight to Google Help instead of reading the instructions below.
They are doing a god job unlike FACEBOOK which took six months for me to sign off it, for GOOD.
They deliberately hid the sign off item.
I stop using FACEBOOK from that moment and the social media may be pain in your Arxxx.

Reproduction.

Sign out (Android)

This information is for the Gmail app for Android 4.0 and up.
There’s no option to sign out of the Gmail app for Android without removing your entire account from your phone or tablet.
However, you can accomplish many of the same tasks through other actions, depending on what you need.

I want to check mail from another account

If your device is running Android 5.0 or higher, there's an easy way to let a guest use your device.
If you want to read mail from another account, or a friend wants to check email on your phone, you don’t have to sign out — you can just add another account.
Keep in mind that when you add an account to your phone, you can easily switch between accounts without having to enter the password again.
If a friend adds an account to your phone to check email, be sure to remove the account afterward (see steps in section below).
Or, you could also use the browser on your phone to go to mail.google.com and check your email from there.
I want to protect my email
If you’re worried about losing your phone or having someone read your mail, you can password-protect your device. Here’s how to set a screen lock on a Nexus device — other types of phones or tablets will have similar instructions.
Tip: If you ever lose your phone, you can remove access to all Google services (Gmail, Maps, YouTube, etc.) on that phone. If you later find your phone, you'll just need to sign in with your username and password before you can use Google services on it. Learn more about account permissions.
I want to preserve data, storage, or battery life
You don’t have to sign out of Gmail to save power on your phone. To help optimize data usage, device storage, or battery life, you can adjust your sync settings.

Choose which labels to sync

1. Open the Gmail app.
   
2. Touch the menu.
   
3. Select Settings.
   
4. Choose an account.
   
5. Touch Manage labels.
   
6. Touch a label.
   
7. Touch Sync messages.
   
8. Choose Sync: None, Sync: Last 30 days, or Sync: All.
   

Choose how many days of mail to sync

1. Open the Gmail app.
   
2. Touch the menu.
   
3. Select Settings.
   
4. Choose an account.
   
5. Touch Days of mail to sync.
   
6. Select the number of days.
   
7. Touch OK.
   

Turn off Gmail sync

If you turn off Gmail sync, new messages will stop syncing automatically.

1. Open the Gmail app.
   
2. Touch the menu.
   
3. Select Settings.
   
4. Choose an account.
   
5. Uncheck the box next to Sync Gmail.
   

Touch the Refresh icon while viewing your inbox to sync your messages manually.

Remove downloaded messages

1. Open your device’s Settings app.
   
2. Touch Apps, and then Gmail.
   
3. Touch Clear data.
   

This will clear the data on your Gmail app. Accounts that have Gmail sync turned on will start syncing immediately. Accounts with Gmail sync turned off will not sync automatically.

Use Gmail on your mobile browser

You can also access Gmail by going to mail.google.com on your mobile browser.
If none of these situations apply to you, you can also remove your account from the entire device. Don't worry, removing the account from your device won't delete the account itself—just remove it from your phone or tablet.

Remove an account

Bypassing UEFI BIOS with Peppermint

Bypassing UEFI BIOS with Peppermint
This is interesting I bought a new computer just yesterday, since my 32 bit computer is due for its retirement after over 12 year service.
I am not going to dismantle last of my 10 32 bit computers left (save on electricity bill) after dismantling 9 out of the ten. Funnily enough, I paid for a Microsoft Windows and got the vendor to install it.
I tried to dual boot Linux.
I could not.
Debian 8.2 wanted me to over wright the boot sector and manually configure it to boot Windows.
I was hesitant, lest lose my warranty, then I installed Peppermint with a boot partition but it did not boot.

Grub was  blocked by Windows.

I forgot to read the instructions while installing.
Peppermint has a way to solve this.
It wants the boot sector to be formated in an Extra BIOS partitioning.

Presto it boots into Peppermint.

Now how to get back to Windows, just PRESS F-2 or Del and the hidden windows is live again.
Then when I booted Windows it wanted to update 41 packages (my Windows is only few hours old).
This is the very reason I hate or never use (only to watch TV over TV Card) Windows.
One can run Linux for a year or two without updates.
In actual fact, I was using Peppermint 4 for the last one year.
Christmas coming, I wanted Peppermint 6 for my routine work.
Well, done Peppermint!
For Giving Windows the BOOT KICK.
Keep up your good work.
I will try Debian and come to you with my updates.
One need not GO through the hassle of devious route to DUAL Boot.
Del Key and F-2 is enough for me.

PicarOs Diego for Kids

PicarOs Diego for Kids!
There are only few distributions for kids.
Sugar on a Stick, Qimo, Knoppix for kids and now this PicarOs Diego!
It is a very good distribution for kids with multi- language support.
Thank Guys/ Girls who is developing it.
I was finalizing a book on Linux Revisited.
That was the reason for the delay in writing a blog piece.
You have a special place in my blog space.
 

Linux Vision

Linux Vision
It is imperative for one who makes the choice, position himself or herself in an almost stationary poise, ideally with a panoramic view, let the world go by, in front of you but enter the niche that suits you the best, at the right time.

For experimenting with Linux such a strategy is essential.

Quite by accident, I entered the niche and it has done wonders for me.

Why don’t you try Linux yourself and see?

Thanks to all who visited this site.

Please note, I will be writing (unless I see something remarkable) less and less on Linux.
I am going for a break!

Epilogue-Linux Revisited

Epilogue-Linux Revisited
There may be lot of missing items in this book.
I did not try to be comprehensive.
Then it becomes a Linux Bible.
I have avoided partitioning and hardware support deliberately.
Little is changed in partitioning skills except the partitioning type. My only warning is be careful when choosing the new partitioning types.
I tried to be bit narrative this time round instead of being analytical scientific. The analytical approach was necessary when the Linux was in early stage of development and the there was an activity hype.
Now it is on stable ground except where cutting edge changes are made to take the benefit of hardware and platform changes.
It is mature and robust now.
One has to make a choice depending on one’s needs.
I will summarize my subjective / objective selection for my use and the reader has to decide his own choices.
If you are using it as a hobby one need at least two computers (I had 10) or perhaps three one being a laptop/netbook.
One can be dedicated for testing.
Now I have gone down to only one computer, there will be less and less input from me in the immediate future even at web / Internet level.
If I do not put them in writing or digital form my time testing them would be a void. That is the very reason I am publishing this book for an entry level Linux user to browse before he//she start experimenting with Linux. Teething problems and pain is taken care of, for one who is without a proper Guru.
My choices are
1. General Use
Peppermint for Light Weight
Debian for all six desktops
2. Hobby
Puppy Linux
Knoppix
3. Education
Uberstudent
4. Scientific
Poseidon Linux
5. Technical Use
Dynabolic for Music
ArtistiX for Graphics
Debian for Programming
6. Kids and Games
Picaros Diego
7. Games
Steam OS with New 64 bit computer

If you analyze the above there glaring missing distribution.
That is Ubuntu.
The reason being I have never used it except for demonstration and Ubuntu was not in existence when I started Linux.
I cut my teeth in Linux with Redhat 7 and 8 and Fedora is a Redhat derivative. It is also not in the above list. 

Hantana Linux is based on Fedora!

All the other distribution fall in between those above specifications. Any one can be used without a problem as long as there is no conflict with hardware compatibility.
If I am allowed only one choice I would go for Debian because it has vast repository.
I prefer light weight distributions since cloud computing is the way things are moving. I have minimal requirements and that is writing and for that also I find Abiword is just as robust as LibreOffice.
Its outstanding feature is its files are light weight and I can upload and download them quickly. There is another reason its format is dedicated to it so others, cannot steal or modify them from my cloud hosting base unless they have Abiword with them.
One thing that nobody can take away from you is if you master a skill using one utility or software that remains with you for a Life.
Skills I have learned having migrated from Microsoft to Linux is making my life easy and has expanded my horizon.
 
There is no limit to my exploration.
 
I feel free and not being subjected by exploitation.
That is a wonderful feeling.

When One is troubled with Windows What one can do?

Reproduction Unedited!
When One is troubled with Windows What one can do?
It is strange that when one is troubled with Windows he or she goes into shell and blame oneself and not the operating system.
It is the opposite when one is troubled with Linux.
If he / she is a one who comes from the windows background without batting an eyelid he / she blames the distribution as if the whole hell has descended on him / her.
It is often a minor glitch he or she has overlooked to configure or may be downloading a suitable alternative package or worse come file a bug report to which a ready solution is available within 6 weeks.
 If that does not help one can swap the distribution and select one that suits and download it.
 
(I have two books already available, not digital yet selecting a distribution and also the utilities and packages, if this blog entry is not adequate enough).
 
One problem with this approach is if one is not using a torrent download (even this can be painful if there is one seeder who has gone into hibernation at night-simply switched off the computer) it can be time consuming. The download time can be awfully long and and painful (I have enough of stories often due to failure of the Telecoms but now, never or do not complain because I download several at a time and I know one will be finished by morning when I am in deep sleep and dreaming some bizarre episode of Cloud Computing like star wars of yesteryear).
 
But once one has a CD (ideally D.V.D with almost everything one needs in one pack) the live session is breezy and installation is cakewalk if not catwalk.
 
Only thing Linux guys forget is to keep it running 24 hours (cron jobs at midnight are vital to get rid of the junk files that collect is one switches off the computer regularly; leave seeds for others to access) at least once or twice a week.
 
If you are lazy use a the sweeper or do it manually which I prefer now because of the frequent downloads.
 
Now come to Window guys/girls.

Steps

1. Do not blame yourself.

2. It is often the operating system at fault.

3. It can be due to a corrupt file or large macro sitting on the file and spying on you.

4. The pet devise to blame is the latest virus and I bet you you will not have a solution this side of 6 months.

With so many holes in the operating system which Microsoft will never able plug and then they will promise you the new version is very beautiful (but very slow to run unless you doubled up your RAM) and one should change and upgrade and works better (of course till the next ultra new version is ready for upgrade).

You are in this vicious cycle (V.C) and never get out of it.

If a guy of my age descends on me with a problem, I do not try to convert the guy to Linux fearing one gets a heart attack.
 
I ask a few questions.
If it it a pirated copy.
If the answer is yes, thrash the pirated copy and get a copyrighted version.
This is I am openly campaigning for the guy to remain with Microsoft. 
Microsoft should be happy with my efforts now but I do not charge anything for this advice.
 
The poor guy has to pay through his nose anyway.
 
Do not forget the virus guard and that also will cost you some quids.
Get somebody to format and install, I won't do that for you unless he or wishes to have a Linux distribution dual booted.
He has to spend a half a day with me with food and beverages ready and ample.
This is Christmas time anyway.
If the guy has not got the money, then the scenario changes.
I ask what are the things that he uses computer for, regularly.
Invariably, the answer is that he uses the email and nothing else to be in contact with the family and friends.
Then I give him a breezy Live CD and ask the guy to use it till he himself try to find a remedy for the malady or ultimately ditch Microsoft and ask me to install the new distribution in his computer.

The last course, of course works well for Linux and I of course have to have two visits instead of one.

That of course keeps our friendship lasting and viable.
 
Who says Microsoft is bad.

It makes "my sphere of activity" to enlarge and expand.

Linux Revisited

Linux Revisited
My endeavor here is bit of education and lot of choice.
Below is a a comment posted by a Linux user.
I accidentally stumbled upon while looking for now defunct Distromania.
“I used to think that the notion that there were too many Linux distros was overblown. Surely people could just pick one and use it. And, then there were all the horror stories of how difficult it was to install Linux. Not so, said I, installing Linux these days is just as easy – perhaps easier – than installing Windows. However, recently, I looked for a distro that would be suitable for a friend’s old XP-based machine. That was when my pre-existing notions about Linux began to change…
Perhaps I have been spoiled over the past few years by sticking to Ubuntu-type distros (Ubuntu with the Gnome Classic interface and, most recently, Mint with the Mate desktop). Typically, these install flawlessly, and work fairly well (although the raison d’être for this blog is essentially to document the fixes to problems that I encounter!).
However, the same cannot be said for all the distros out there.
My first foray into distro-world was Puppy Linux since this distro has a reputation for being a lightweight in terms of resource requirements, yet has a full slate of applications, and runs well on older hardware. What I couldn’t initially figure out was how to establish a grub menu to dual-boot XP and Puppy. It turns out that there is a separate installation process for grub; however, while the main installation routine is under Setup in the main menu, grub’s installer is under System!
Some even more challenging issues arose while trying a number of other distros. Macpup wouldn’t run because the hardware didn’t support PAE (Physical Address Extension) and Macpup no longer has a version with non-PAE kernel. Tiny Core Linux failed to install to the hard disk with the – unknown to Google – error message “Error mounting USB device”. A strange error since I was installing from a CD-ROM. Damn Small Linux installed to the hard drive, said that it had installed grub, but failed to boot into a grub menu and loaded Windows. VectorLinux had an incomprehensible (to me) requirement to specify “run levels” and “services”, and a very confusing set of selection buttons that seemed to be on when I thought they were off and vice-versa!
I could go on but, no doubt, you get the picture. For the non-Linux person – and even for some of us who know a little bit about Linux – finding, installing, and using an appropriate distro is not necessarily without its challenges.”
Let me expand on this guy who pressed the “panic button”, since I have used and tested more than 500 distributions.
 
His choices were pretty bad.
 
1. DML (Damn Small Linux)  with only 50 MiB is only for the experts who work on terminals.

2. Vector Linux is a light weight dedicated Linux distribution for one who has some understanding about Linux programming.
It should be used alone in a single computer (like me who had 10 computers in a home network, running various Linux distributions. I have dismantled all but one to cut down on my electricity bill) and for a Linux fanatic (like me) not for an ordinary user.
 
I must say I did not like it very much.
 
It is in the same fold as Absolute Linux (which has Gambase programming Language) but less versatile.
Puppy Linux my favorite since it is in my front pocket as a Mini CD or around my neck as a Flash Drive or in my smart phone as a mini SD (pull out, shove it into the SD card bay or  into a USB bay and use in an emergency) especially when I go abroad (but unable to boot from the smart phone).
I use the smart phone as a bay or storage space.
I use Puppy Linux to test a new computer, I may think of buying on a schedule abroad (give it as a present or use it myself) and is only for an expert and not a casual user.

Puppy used to be just 100 MiB.
It has many derivatives now.

I am currently downloading Simplicity which is 1.4 GiB.
It is becoming fat now but do not bother since Flash Drives are going up to 32 MiB now.
When I first used Puppy in a Flash Drive it was only 250 MiB Flash drive.
 
I currently recommend Knoppix 7.5 (first proper live CD in Linux World) which is the best for a Newbie.
The Linux Magazine is the only source one need if one wants to dig deeper.
The bonus you get is a Double sided DVD with the Magazine with at least two distributions to play with.

That is why I published a book called “Teeny Weeny Linux”.
 
So this guy is a spoiled guy trying to spoil another or scare another zombie.

My intention here is to make Linux “Fun and Game” and not a dreary exercise. 

Mind you this site is called Linux-100 but I have briefly made comment on over 200 of the distributions, which you can peruse here.

The Last one I downloaded is a fabulous Linux distribution for kids.

Please use a torrent for downloading and become a seeder for at least 48 hours. 

That is what I do to cut down on my electricity bill.


PicarOs Diego!
 
That is why there are so many Live CD/DVDs to play with. Installing is a different ball game, especially dual booting which I have adequately dealt with my tiny book “Introduction to Linux". 

I have now come to the conclusion that web is not the place to learn Linux and the web has become an easy portal to vent some steam and anger. 

We used to call it the “Flame Wars” and it not the tradition of a smart Linux user or a developer. 

It has become more academic and informative and the init and systemd are classic examples, I have made a little reference above.

The wrong way using the right thing.

Get it right the first time is the classic statement in “Quality Management”.