BlueStar LINUX UPDATE

Yes, I got the Latest 7.0.1 image from Linuxtracker and installed it.

Well, it is the most beautiful KDE Desktop and it has Octapi Installer from which I learned how to install additional applications. 

I had it Installed in my NUC but with an old image I could not get AbiWord installed. 

If any distribution does not support AbiWord I would not use it. 

That is the bottom line.

I knew it was a simple problem and by installing the new version I could sort out the problems which I did.

It had few problems with configuring WiFi on Live Session in the past. It is sorted out now.

The major problem was UPDATING. It has sorted out that problem, too.

It has amazing collection of SOFTWARE already installed and I have no hesitation of recommending it to a newbie who wants an elegant KDE Desktop.

Well, I am GNOME Desktop guy.

To begin with it does not support GNOME.

The Octopi has lot of Desktops to install but after installation it does not Support SDDM Plymouth to mount them. Does not make am entry.

It takes lot of space and I could not install Blender due to lack of space. This I have solved by giving more space in another partition.

I got AbiWord installed and it is running smoothly.

Only downside is it used dark themes and the boot up Plymouth is so dark, I find it difficult to select the distribution I wish to mount.

But my favourite is CachyOS OS.

It has its own Application Store which is Huge. If you are comfortable that is the one to try. It is the best ARCH distribution and is on top of www.distrowatch.com.

It had problems with GRUB and that is sorted out.

However, if you are one who is like me who has several distributions already installed,  CachyOS should be installed last. 

Since, I do not like the SDDM of BlueStar Linux, I am Installing CachyOS now. It has no problem with Debian GNOME.

By the way, if you are very new to ARCH my Recommendation is REBORN OS.

Everything is Graphical and one need not bother about the Terminal.

Its GRUB is very beautiful.

I have all three in my NUC with 3 instances of Debian GNOME. One is on 50GB /root partition. I have all the Iso Images saved there. That saves space for my regular Debian Instance.

By the way, I have Ultimate ARCH distribution which is dedicated to games. I could not install Dolphin File Manager to store DATA.

Some reflections on Early Computer DATA

Some reflections on Early Computer DATA 

Some reflection, on Binary System and early computer environment is worth mentioning. I started with Live Linux CDs, that is after having being fully fed up with Microsoft Windows. I had to run 42 Floppies to get Windows 95 running on an IBM Computer with 512MB RAM and 4 MB Video RAM.   I still have it in Ceylon but not in working order.    

When we were building our house, I used to give the Mason Bass,the old metal gadgets for our indoor steps’ alignment in 90 degrees, as a form of concrete reinforcement. One of them was Commodore 64 Computer. 

I would have give even our first computer for similar reinforcement of concrete but my son did not agree. 

That is why it is still surviving and unlike the desktops of today, they were heavy and metal framed. The motherboard was huge unlike a motherboard of a NUC with an integrated Graphic Card. They consumed lot of electricity and needed lot of ventilation fans to keep them cool.

Installation Floppy Disks

Coming back to installation floppies, the most common 3.5-inch floppy disk can hold only 1.44 MB of data, while the earlier 5.25-inch disks commonly held 360 KB or 1.2 MB. These, along with 8-inch disks (initially 80 KB), were the standards, respectively, the 1990s, 1980s, and 1970s, before being replaced by higher capacity media like CDs and USB drives.

Installation Floppy for Windows System were;

Windows 3.0/3.1:

6–11 disks (3.5" or 5.25")

Windows 95:

13 Distribution Media Format (DMF) disks

or 26–28 standard 3.5" disks.

Windows 98:

39 DMF disks.

Windows NT 3.1:

22 disks

Data

Computing technology is based on data, its storage and data access when necessary and performing useful functions using a st of data. All these need to be addressed briefly here.

Data storage in computing is the retention of digital information using technology like magnetic, optical or Solid State Media to record binary data (0s and 1s). It acts as the long term memory for computers, storing files, applications and operating systems, allowing for future retrieval.

The key types of storage media include HDD, SSD and USB. Primary storage (e.g., RAM) is fast, volatile and used for active tasks, while secondary storage (e.g., SSDs, HDDs) is slower, non volatile and used for long term retention in drives and the cloud.   The ability to retain data even when the device is powered off, which is a defining feature of storage devices.

Binary Data

All data is stored in a binary format, composed of bits and bytes, which allows computers to interpret information efficiently.

SSD

Offer high speed, reliable and non volatile storage, often using flash memory, suitable for fast boot times and application loading.

HDD

Use magnetic storage to store large amounts of data cheaply, often found in traditional computers and servers.

USB and Memory Cards

Portable storage solutions ideal for transferring small to medium amounts of data

Optical Storage

CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs are still used, often for long term archiving.

Cloud Storage

Data stored on remote servers accessed via the internet, often relying on data centers and managed by cloud providers

RAM

Random Access Memory

ROM

Read-Only Memory

RAM and ROM are essential computer storage types. RAM is volatile, fast, temporary memory for active applications, erasing on shutdown of the computer. ROM is non volatile, permanent storage for firmware, retaining data without power.

Think of RAM as a desk for working, and ROM as a bookshelf.

What is important is all the work is done only in RAM memory and it is the single most important factor. More RAM the computer has more workload the computer can handle. RAM is volatile (loses data when power is off) while ROM is non volatile (retains data).

RAM stores data for active applications and immediate CPU access. ROM stores crucial boot up instructions (BIOS) and system code.

RAM is significantly faster than ROM.

Data can be read from and written to RAM quickly. ROM is primarily read only or rewritten infrequently and slowly.

Storage Capacity

Typical modern devices have larger ROM (128GB+) for storage and smaller RAM (8GB-16GB+) for processing.

I hated floppy disk with limited data capacity.

My work started with CD and transitioned to DVD. I used to get a set of DVDs with Linux Journal, I subscribed while I was employed but stopped subscribing after retirement due to high price. I would not have written this book if not for reading those journals on a regular basis. Still later, there were journals published by individual distributions. Ubuntu was one of them.

CD (Compact Disc) and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) are optical storage devices that use laser technology to read and write digital data, such as audio, video and software. While CDs generally store about 700MB of data (mainly for audio/data), DVDs hold much more, typically 4.7GB or more, making them better for high quality video and larger files.

 

Note: 

It is hard to find a DVD to record some music if not computer software.

CD

Developed for audio,it holds approximately 80 minutes of music or 700MB of data.

DVD

A higher-capacity format designed for movies and large data storage, offering around 4.7GB to 17GB.

Both use a laser to read tiny bumps (pits) on the disc surface, but DVD pits are smaller and closer together, allowing higher density.

Most DVD players can play CDs but CD players cannot read DVDs.

Both come in read only (ROM), recordable (CD-R/DVD-R) and rewritable (CD-RW/DVD-RW) formats.

CD

Music albums, software installation, data backups.

DVD

Movies, high capacity data storage, large software applications.

While largely replaced by streaming and USB drives, they remain useful for physical media collections and secure, offline backups.

Banana Story

Man cannot survive only on Bananas, Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes.

Banana is richer in some components compared regular potatoes.

However, potatoes are rich in proteins.

Sweet potatoes are sweeter and rich in Vitamin A (rather carotene).

So the best way to eat is to mix the three in various combinations.

CHNOPS consist of 98% of the living matter and Oxygen is about 65% by weight.

Carbon

Hydrogen 

Nitrogen 

Phosphorus 

Sulfur 

I add Calcium to this list since we are vertebrates

Macro Elements 

Sodium

Potassium 

Chlorine 

Magnesium 

Manganese 

Micro Elements are

Iron

Zinc

Cooper 

Selenium 

There are only  11 elements necessary for living and no food contains all.

Banana can be eaten in many ways but some ways like eating as banana chips is not a healthy way. 

When banana is cultivated in excess the excess material is converted to chips and I have no problem with that.

Banana is a fruit with low glycaemic index.

Glycaemic Index is the index that measures the availability of sugars or calorie after ingestion.

It is a ranking index.

It measures how quickly sugar is released. It also measures how quickly the blood sugar rises up.

Both fiber and fat content may determine the rapid or slow availability of sugars.

Cooking also increases the availability of free sugar.

While potatoes are high in GI bananas are low in GI.

Eating potato chips and banana chips is the worst way to consume food. 

Both as a medical student and a medical man I did not know these facts even though I was very much interesed in nutriention. 

I almost finished a book on Exotic Fruits and Vegetables of Ceylon and an introductory chapter in basic nutrients was considered necessary. So this is how compse that introduction.

In our time Tuberculosis and Nutritional deficency coexisted. Tuberculosis was called wssting disease and the B. C. G. Vaccines was the only solution to mitigate both nutritional deficiency and devastating illness, Tuberculosis.

How many ways to eat bananas.

1. Fresh Banana

2. Cooked Banana - Ash Plantain 

3. Banana fritters

4. Banana chips 

5. Banana with Toast Bread

6. Add volume to Mixed Fruit Salad

7. Banana with ice cream 

8. Banana in a milk shake 

I could not think of 10.

9. Forgot Banana Bread in CEYLON at Mesna Tea Center

10. Banana on top of Yoghurt at Kheels

But my favourite was Soursop with vanilla ice cream. 

This is the Year of LINUX (2026) and Debian Testing Rocks

Yes, this the Year of LINUX (2026).

I am currently installing Debian Forky.

I had some mishap with a recent Image but today, I got the write image. I have been using Debian Forky for a long time and I had only one USB stick with that Image.

I jusy wanted to try the latest build but last image I downloaded had issues and I posted that issue in my blog post at Google. 

Wthin a few days, the Developer Guys and Girls responded smartly.

Thank YOU.

Long Live LINUX.

DEBIAN Testing Full Install has many Additional Applications

It did not complete the full installation.

I gave 50GB space.

I never tried Debian Edu which is used in school administrations.

I wanted Debian Medical, Astronomy and Ham Radio which is huge collection. 

The said applications were downloaded during Installation.

I gave 50GB for the /root.

it is taking a long time to install.

I would Report, after install.

4809 additional applications in the bundle.

By the way, the latest Version of Debian Testing image does not boot. It is missing the kernel.

Why? 

Today, I got a working image downloaded.

I am Installing it currently.

It took 1 hour 2 minutes to install the full desktops and the two cellphone utilities.

This is Running Commentary on Installation of Elive

Enlightenment

Enlightenment is a rather unusual desktop environment. It is in fact, more of a Window Manager as it lacks taskbar, panel and even menu. Yet, unlike many lightweight environments, the Enlightenment desktop is full of eye candy features one would expect from a full blown environment but using only a fraction of the resources. There are subtle animations tucked in almost on every element of the desktop widgets.

The desktop has a first boot wizard that enables one to select various aspects of the desktop that define its behaviour and appearance. For example, one gets    an option to select the text size in the windows, which is a really useful feature and even more so, if one is running Enlightenment on a high DPI  (means how many dots per inch or pixels per inch it supports) display.

Enlightenment, also known simply as E, is a compositing window manager for the X-11 window system.

Since version 20, Enlightenment also supports Wayland and is shipped with some Linux distributions such as Bodhi Linux and Pentoo.

Enlightenment includes functions to provide a graphical shell and can be used in conjunction with programs written for GNOME or KDE. When used together with the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL), Enlightenment can be referred as anEntire Desktop Environment.

Elive CD

Some reflection, on Binary System and early computer environment is worth mentioning. I started with Live Linux CDs, that is after having being fully fed up with Microsoft Windows. I had to run 42 Floppies to get Windows 95 running on an IBM Computer with 512MB RAM and 4 MB Video RAM.   I still have it in Ceylon but not in working order.    When we were building our house, 

I used to give the Mason Bass, the old metal gadgets for our indoor steps’ alignment in 90 degrees, as a form of concrete reinforcement. One of them was Commodore 64 Computer. I would have give even our first computer for similar reinforcement of concrete but my son did not agree. That is why it is still surviving and unlike the desktops of today, they were heavy and metal framed. The motherboard was huge unlike a motherboard of a NUC with an integrated Graphic Card. They consumed lot of electricity and needed lot of ventilation fans to keep them cool.

Coming back to installation floppies, the most common 3.5-inch floppy disk can hold only 1.44 MB of data, while the earlier 5.25-inch disks commonly held 360 KB or 1.2 MB. These, along with 8-inch disks (initially 80 KB), were the standards, respectively, the 1990s, 1980s, and 1970s, before being replaced by higher capacity media like CDs and USB drives.

Installation Floppy for Windows System were;

Windows 3.0/3.1:

6–11 disks (3.5" or 5.25")

Windows 95:

13 Distribution Media Format (DMF) disks

or 26–28 standard 3.5" disks.

Windows 98:

39 DMF disks.

Windows NT 3.1:

22 disks

After one day of toiling, with the help of CachyOS and Reborn OS, I got the GRUB in working order of my NUC. Now, I have 9 distributions including ELive running. There are 3 Debian, 2 Testing (Forky),  1 Stable Trixie and also Emmabantus running Trixe. 

 

Warning

Choose this distribution if you have only and old hardware. It would run with 500MB (Conky showing the RAM use) but it shoots up to 1.5GB, if you are running programs.

Minimum RAM I recommend is 2GB.

It is old Bookworm kernel and compatible only with Debian. By the way, it is based on Debian.            It is incompatible with all the ARCH distributions.        It ruined my GRUB and I have reinstalled CachyOS and REBORN OS. No bother, I can install 4 ARCH derivatives, in the time I spent installing Elive.     Besides, I can install Enlightenment Desktop on top of GNOME of DEBIAN. There is also Enlightenment Organization which promote this Desktop.

After several look up for the Live USB for free iso image download, I found a torrent file of a folder consisting of 6.9GB with two images of 32 bit and 64 bit.

DEBIAN also takes a long time to install since it supports many Desktops on the first install. One can avoid this by downloading only one Live image say, GNOME, KDE or XFCE. Do not download Source Code images and they cannot be installed. DEBIAN Testing images are released every 2 weeks and the last one I downloaded was faulty and I could not use it to install Testing Debian. It is less than 4GB and it carries some fault. There are no torrent files for Testing images but the image I downloaded some time back is working fine.

In the meantime, I lost all my Linux images, saved in a NTFS Partition. I have now converted this to EXT4 and installed another instance of Debian GNOME.

Installation details of Elive.

It started at 13.32PM.

At 13.42 I formatted /partition 9 which had second instance of REBORN OS.

It is detecting the 18 partitions in my NUC.

It is already a bit of a pain but I am not yet annoyed.

At last I got the layout of my Partition Table.

Selected partition 9 with 16.7GB.

It is still brewing grog or alcohol but this is the Month of Wesak and I do not consume alcohol at all.

It wants a password for a new keyring.

Obliged.

I did not want Google Chrome to snooping.

234 dollar contributions in 10 days.

I decline any contributions because I do not have an account in Australia.

I would have obliged, if I was in CEYLON.

It is configuring the installation.

I hope it would not ruin my GRUB.

I declined Chrome Browser and SNAP of UBUNTU.

It is running the Terminal and removing redundant stuff.

I am a patient retired doctor and I have gone through this rigmarole from 32 bit time. Hence no major mishaps along the way.

THANK You Elive.

Long Live Linux is my motto.

I would have an account on ELive in my book Linux Essentials. No reservation intended.

I have already Enlightenment Desktop on top of GNOME, IceWM, Blackbox and Openbox window managers included.

I loved Enlightenment Desktop from 32 bit time. With all the animations I cannot resize the Terminal Window to read what is going on the background. This is something, I learned from ARCH Linux. Iread every comment made in the Terminal.I take seriously every comment they make in the Terminal on Python 3 plus.

It is 14.17PM and already one hour gone.

Not yet finished.

REBORN OS finished installation in 12 minutes and that is why I use ARCH instead of Bookworm of ELive. However, I am going to keep it as the 9th distribution in my NUC.

It is finally doing the GRUB and Init.

Anyway it is better than Prism Linux and GARUDA Linux that ruined my GRUB.

Finished at 14.28PM, 2 minutes short of 1 hour.

Did It ruin my GRUB?

Yes, it did.

By the way, I had the Elive Image in a 8GB SD Card and it would remain there for sometime.

It is saying it is updating my GRUB.

It has only one user but others can be added.

No Root User but  a Sudo.

This violates the Linux Principle.

Well it got the GRUB in order with a beautiful Plymouth but ARCH derivatives not booting.

I am booting it now at 14.38PM.

Thank You again.

My NUC has no Audio but I jacked, my son's USB Audio Jack and I am currently listening to a random sample of music.

Thank You for the Music Elive Linux.

I have no hesitation in recommending it to Newbies but read my above comments.

One has to learn to be patient in LINUX Installation.

That is a cardinal rule.

It (ELIVE) has come a long way.

I am going to install AbiWord now.

It already has Audacity.

Added Lmms (Grand old Linux Audio Studio Utility) and AbiWord.

AbiWord accessed my current working book on Linux Essentials.

Thank YOU.

Linux ROCKS on ELIVE Linux.

15.00PM and my it is my Tea Time.

Coffee I made at 12PM has gone cold but I would have it now, like some ice coffee.

It is bit cold in AUSTRALIA.

It is 16.04PM and I am still listening to music.

THANK You for the MUSIC.

The video quality is poor and they are old time music when video technology was very poor. Transferring them to digital tend to loose quality anyway. My eyesight is poor anyway.

By the way, MPV Player of Linux is excellent.

The Elive project has published a new stable release of its Debian based distribution featuring the Enlightenment desktop. The new version uses Debian 12 (Old Stable) as a base and offers both versions 16 and 27 of the Enlightenment interface.

The unique features on this release include OpenRC as an optionalInit System available during installation for users who prefer a SystemD alternative that adheres closely to the UNIX philosophy. Synthwave Player is an impressive new music player developed for months by Elive is included as a default.  An extremely light weight application forVoice Control forhands free interaction (no-AI), and is optional. Desktop Clock: A simple, lightweight desktop clock that we made for the E16 desktop. Enlightenment 27: A preview of the last Enlightenment E27 with a few Elive features included is included by default to use and play.

This will be the last build of Elive including the very solid Debian 12 back ports and with all the stability needed. It is in an extremely polished system,  a perfect LTS snapshot of Elive Stable."

Elive 3.8.50 runs SystemD by default, but users can optionally run SysV Init instead with the selection made during the installation process. When SysV init is selected, OpenRC runs as the service manager on top of SysV init.

Elive, or Enlightenment live CD, is a Debian based desktop Linux distribution and live CD featuring the Enlightenment window manager. Besides being   pre-configured and ready for daily desktop use, it also includes "Elpanel" - a control centre for easy system and desktop administration. Elive is a non commercial, cost free operating system designed for everyday use,    and it offers a much faster, friendlier and feature rich alternative to an expensive proprietary OS.

With Elive, computers up to 15 years old can be transformed to high performance machines with a stunning interface fully customisable.

I think Elive tried become a commercial entity but failed. It is now crowd funding its project which is a good thing. It looks like the Project Leader who started it has joined the team.

It keeps on supporting 32 bit computers.

Its 64 bit version is 4.2GB.

   

WARNING 

Choose this distribution if YOU have only OLD hardware.

It would run with 500MB, RAM in Conky, and it shoots up to 1.5GB if you are running programs

 

Minimum RAM is 2GB.

It is old Bookworm Kernel and compatible with Debian kernel only

It is incompatible with all the ARCH distributions. 

Enlightenment Project

Enlightenment Project 

Enlightenment was launched in the 1990s by Carsten “Rasterman” Haitzler as an easy to use Window Manager (WM) for X11. Since then it has expanded to include the one million lines of C code that form the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL) and a diverse set of applications. There's a vibrant and active community of developers and users who work on and use the code every day.

Enlightenment

Enlightenment is classed as a “desktop shell” as it provides everything you need to operate your desktop or laptop, but it is not a full application suite. This covers functionality including launching applications, managing their windows and performing system tasks like suspending, rebooting, managing files and so on.

The Enlightenment Project is moving towards using Wayland as the base display system, while Enlightenment itself is to become a full Wayland compositor in its own right. This takes time, and there have been some bumps along the road, but the goal is that support for X11 will be eventually be discontinued (perhaps many years down the road).

Enlightenment is built on top of the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL), using the libraries written for the user interface as well as those for the Compositor itself. This means that any improvements made to EFL are included in the Enlightenment Compositor.

Enlightenment also serves the Window Manager and Compositor for Tizen, due in no small part to its efficiency and breadth of features.

See About Enlightenment for more details.

Elive CD- Live Image

Elive CD- Live Image  

Enlightenment Desktop Environment.

The Elive project has published a new stable release of its Debian based distribution featuring the Enlightenment desktop. The new version uses Debian 12 (Old Stable) as a base and offers both versions 16 and 27 of the Enlightenment interface.

The unique features on this release include OpenRC as an optional Init System available during installation for users who prefer a SystemD alternative that adheres closely to the UNIX philosophy. Synthwave Player is an impressive new music player developed for months by Elive is included as a default.  An extremely light weight application for Voice Control for hands free interaction (no-AI), and it is optional. 

Desktop Clock: 

A simple, lightweight desktop clock that we made for the E16 desktop. 

Enlightenment 27: 

A preview of the last Enlightenment E27 with a few Elive features are included by default to use and play.

This will be the last build of Elive including the very solid Debian 12 back port with all the stability needed to run. 

It is in an extremely polished system,  a perfect LTS snapshot of Elive Stable."

Elive 3.8.50 runs SystemD by default, but users can optionally run SysV Init instead, with the selection made during the installation process. 

When SysV init is selected, OpenRC runs as the service manager on top of SysV init.

Elive, or Enlightenment live CD, is a Debian based desktop Linux distribution and live CD featuring the Enlightenment Window Manager. 

Besides being   pre-configured and ready for daily desktop use, it also includes "Elpanel" - a control centre for easy system and desktop administration. 

Elive is a non commercial, cost free operating system designed for everyday use and it offers a much faster, friendlier and feature rich alternative to an expensive proprietary OS.

With Elive, computers up to 15 years old can be transformed to high performance machines with a stunning interface which is fully customisable.

I think Elive tried to become a commercial entity but failed. It is now crowd funding its project which is a good thing. It looks like the Project Leader who started it has joined the team.

It keeps on supporting 32 bit computers.

Its 64 bit version is 4.2GB.

55 Puppy Linux Images in a 32GB USB Stick

This is all I carried from CEYLON  with another 16GB USB stick an assortment of 4 to 8GB USB sticks with a few Bootable Linux Immages. I did not forget to bring the two bear bone NUCs

I forgot to a bring few DVDs in addition for the Laptop of my son. He has lost the interest of the Laptop completely which a heavy stuff to carry. I ERASED the Microsoft Windows and it still has lock on USB Booting. I have found ways to bypass Microsoft hegemony. The Laptop belongs to me not to Microsoft.

Coming back to the USB stick, I thought I had used about 8GB and the rest 24GB is not available for use. I could not format it due to the PUPPY images. I copied all the images and it soon filled up my home ditectory of 20GB. On mental arithmetics 500MB for each image and 55 image would by pass 25GB.

It was Puppy images that caused the  problem. Soon I formatted the USB and it is good as new. I am transferring them back to the USB to relieve the home directory. Except for 5 all are 32 bits and this 64 bit SAGA killed PUPPY LINUX.

That is what I am going to write in my book. If it killed Linux Star of PCLINUXOS it certainly killed Barry Kaular fans.

File transfer is over to the USB and it says it is over 26GB full. Well I can now delete the PUPPY Images folder in my home directors.

I have no intention of running a Server.

I hope somebody run a Server  and I can upload at least the 64 bit images.

Even the Commodore guy with Commodore Linux uses 38GB image and well a Puppy Developer could take the initiative to come up with a image of 32 bit to fill a 32GB USB if not 64GB USB.

Small may be beautiful with LINUX

Small NUC Box.

120GB SATA Disk.18 Partitions of which 

one is 1GB EFI boot partition.

One SWAP Partition of 16GB equivalent to twice my RAM of 8GB.

3 Debian Gnome with two having more than one parition. One inna single /root partition. All in Forky or Testing Kernel.

Two Linux.Gamers

Commodore 3.1 in old Liquorice kernel.

Ultimate ARCH Edition 25GB partition in Trixie kernel

Gamer Linux used as a Music Center.

Four ARCH based Linux derivatives.

CachyOS 

BlueStar Linux

Two instances of REBORN Linux which has the best GRUB Utility.

Its Plymouth Boot Menu is beautiful and pleasing.

No LibreOffice but AbiWord as always for my book writing.

Middle path of Buddhism as far as Desktop is concerned.

Not Frugal as with XFCE but I have Emmabantus with XFCE.

Not Extravagant as with KDE but I have KDE of BlueStar Linux thr most beautiful of all.

Buy I stick with Middle Ground GNOME which is Rock Solid.

 20GB is the bear minimum for /root.

30GB is more than enough but I stick with 25GB the middle ground.

100GB is the absolute waste.

Commodore had packed all the tetro games in 32GB.

This ENDLESS OS guys are absolutely MAD using my Laptop hard disk of 500GB in one /root partition without additional partitions of small size.

Its, USB booting is blocked by Microsoft and OEM guys.

It can be booted by only by DVD ROM and there are NO DVDs in Australia. I left all my Bootable DVDs in CEYLON.

Thank you to all Linux Developer Boys and Girls for making this Year 2026 the Year of LINUX.

All distributions running well and REBORN was installed last.

48 hours of full time Investigation and Experimentation.

Black listing of

1.MANJARO 

2. BIG Linux with a big image but nelow par performance. It is coming from Brazil.

3. UBUNTU 

4. ZORIN 

5. Linux MINT 

Wild SWING with 

Prism Linux

GARUDA Linux 

Both ruined the GRUB.

DATA was not lost.

Ditching of the last NTFS Partition due to Linux sanitary reasons and instslling Commodore Linux.

Thank You to Commdore Linux for reviving Old Games on a computer instead of a proprietary Game Box.

Only one mistake of not formatting one partition which had CachyOS installed in the past. It was flashing while mounting but I ignored and the installation of REBORN OS crashed.

Holiday to my book writing.

This is the month of Wesak in CEYLON.

No temples in Australia which is pretty good on reflecting on Gift of Dhamma as the best gift.

Gift of Linux is the best Free Gift without proprietary attachment.

Now I can peacefully edit the book on LINUX ESSENTIALS which is reaching 600 pages. Plan was to keep below 400 pages.

GARUDA Linux is Worse than MANJARO Linux

As final Role Call before publishing my book on LINUX ESSENTIALS I decided to try GARUDA Linux GNOME Edition.

It uses Btrfs file system and it put me off to begin with.

Installation was brisk only 11 minutes.

That shows the level of inconsistency and crudity.

UPDATES was done after installation.

It ruined my GRUB. I watched it doing on the Terminal but passively waited.

I did not want it to destroy my Hard Disk by terminating it in mid stream.

It was a Game kernel.

No software tool.

One has to pay for all the games.

I immediately ERASED it by installing another instance of Debian GNOME.

Emmabantus to be precise.

In the rush I gave EXT2 for /boot partition. It crashed.

This all happened when I installed Prism OS with the fancy window manager called Hyprland Used by cellphones. 

I call it Hyperland.

I had to erase it and I installed BlueStar Linux which was deleted to make space for Big Linux. BlueStar is the most beautiful KDE for me.

I am dissociating with following distributions due to many reasons.

I have tested them except ZORIN OS.

I am allegic to Zorin.

Zorin OS 

UBUNTU 

BIG Linux

Linux Lite

GNOPPIX 

Elementary OS

But there are many left other than Debian.

That include: 

AntiX 

MX Linux

Emmabantus 

CachyOS and REBORN OS.

Many ARCH derivatives which I have fallen love with lately.

Commodore Linux is Fantastic

This posted with Commodore Linux.

Thank YOU.

It has Synaptic Package Manager and first was AbiWord and second was Firefox. Next of course Audacity and Lmms.

Audacity is already there and I go for Blender, now.

It is OK. 

To begin with it is a big iso of nearly 10GB.

It needs at least 50GB of Hard Disk.

Debian did not recognize my old NTFS Partition due probably due to sanitary reasons and I could not access saved Isos and I decided to convert it to EXT4 to install Commodore OS.

I can type in some of my Commodore Commands of 1984. I had a Commodore 64 and its Power Input got busted and I could not find a replacement in CEYLON.

Thank You Commodore Linux for using AntiX and MXLinux 23.4 for reviving old game consoles.

I was looking for AntiX derivative.

All these would be on my book Linux Essentials.

It takes a long time to install and it is in final stages.

No User name or passed when installing but I guess it may be asking it at  boot time.

Hope it would not ruin my GRUB with 7 other operating systems.

TrixiePup64

TrixiePup64

TrixiePup64 (11.2/2601) is a lightweight, Debian-based Puppy Linux distribution derived from Debian 13 "Trixie," designed for speed on older hardware. It features 64-bit and 32-bit versions, supporting both Wayland (using Labwc) and Retro X11 environments, while booting entirely into RAM.            It includes APT/Synaptic package management.

Built upon Debian Trixie (Debian 13).

Wayland Version:

Uses the Labwc compositor, SFWbar and zzzFM, featuring Xwayland for compatibility with X11 applications.

Retro Version:

Features a traditional X11 desktop for older systems.

Performance:

Designed to run efficiently on low specification hardware, often running completely in memory for high speed.

Package Management:

Full access to APT and Synaptic Package Manager for installing software.

TrixiePup64 2601:

Released in early 2026, utilizing the Linux 6.12 kernel.

TrixiePup64 11.2:

A notable release in late 2025 focusing on updating components from the Trixie source. A variant offering, with specific builds utilising LXQt 2.1, KDE Plasma or Cinnamon, providing a more modern desktop experience while maintaining compatibility with Debian 13.

Root Usage:

Similar to other Puppy versions, users generally operate as root by default. However, some versions like PuppEX allow for a standard user login.

Installation:

Uses "frugal" installs to a hard drive and supports UEFI/non-UEFI systems.

Save Session:

Allows saving changes at shutdown to a folder on a hard drive or USB partition.

Some users consider it less "traditional" than older Puppies (like BionicPup), noting that the Wayland versions can have issues with drive icons and taskbar customisation.

SISPup64

S15Pup64

S15Pup64 (or S15Pup-64) is a 64-bit edition of Puppy Linux, specifically designed to be lightweight, fast, and binary-compatible with Slackware 15.0 components. It is designed to run efficiently on both older and modern 64 bit hardware.

Base:

Built using Slackware 15.0 packages (SPup).

System Usage:

Like most Puppy distros, S15Pup64 runs entirely from RAM, allowing the boot medium (USB/CD) to be removed after booting.

Release Information:

Available as a 64-bit ISO, often featuring updated kernels (e.g., 6.x series) to support modern hardware.

Desktop Environment:

Typically uses lightweight window managers like JWM (Joe's Window Manager) and Rox-Filer.

Package Management:

Includes the Puppy Package Manager (PPM) to install additional software, compatible with Slackware packages.

File Persistence:

It uses a layered file system. A "frugal" install is standard and changes are saved to a save file/folder on shutdown.

Commonly Used Components:

Rox-Filer: File manager.

JWM: Window manager.

Palemoon/Firefox:

Often the default browser.

Booting Problems:

If S15Pup64 fails to boot, it is sometimes suggested to use Unetbootin for creating a USB install.

Package Management:

Sometimes, the Package Manager may continue to download after installation is complete but it often works regardless.

4-bit Apps on 32-bit S15Pup:

There is a 64-bit compatibility SFS (addon) available to run 64-bit applications on a 32-bit S15Pup installation.

 

ToOpy

 

ToOpy

ToOpPy Linux is a French distribution based on Puppy Linux. The project provides a lightweight distribution which includes many small utilities and can be run either from a live disc or installed on the hard drive.

If I find a guy with a 32 bit computer not working. I would boot one of these images and analyse the problem first hand, with the hardware including Graphic Card and RAM. If I cannot boot Puppy Linux, I am certain the RAM is at fault and I discard the hardware, since finding a RAM card for these obsolete hardware is not worth the trouble.

Vanilla DPUP

 

Vanilla DPUP

Vanilla DPUP is an excellent Puppy Derivative which has an excellent collection of Linux utilities, whereas, Vanilla OS is a useless, distribution based on Debian which has no software to run on first Live Boot. If I remember right Vanilla OS could not configure WiFI when, I tested it year ago. 

It is immutable release and not flexible, defeating the very objectives of Linux and Free Software. I lost interest in and it is trying to entice developers, making  mint out of hard working developers. My opinion is do not try it at all and waste your valuable time.

If you do not believe me run both Vanilla Puppy and Vanilla OS on Box utility and see the difference for yourself.

Pretty obvious Puppy Linux comes on top.

Puppy Easy OS-7.2.1

 

I do not like Puppy Easy OS and I do not use it. It does not have AbiWord to begin with.

Flathub does not know how to queue one application after another.

It tries to do everything at one go, hence it gets chocked.

Linux philosophy is one job at a time with less time allocation for less demanding tasks.

Puppy Easy OS-7.2.1

Target Audience

EasyPup 7.2.1, often associated with the EasyOS/Quirky project by Barry Kauler is a specialised, lightweight Linux distribution designed to blend the traditional Puppy Linux experience with the innovative "frugal" and containerized features of EasyOS.

Frugal Installation Focus:

Unlike traditional installations, EasyPup installs to a hard drive or USB stick in "frugal" mode, taking up only a single folder, which allows it to coexist easily with existing operating systems on a partition.

Image Based Distribution:

It is provided as an image file that can be written to a USB flash drive (4GB+ recommended) and will automatically expand to fill the drive, rather than relying on traditional ISO files.

"Run in RAM" Capability:

As with most Puppy variants, it can be loaded entirely into RAM for high speed performance, running well on older machines or low RAM devices.

Version Upgrades and Snapshots:

It supports atomic upgrades, replacing a few files rather than thousands of packages and allows for snapshots to roll back or forward, providing a secure way to manage system changes

Lightweight and Pre-configured:

It comes pre-installed with lightweight software such as web browsers, media players and file managers, making it functional immediately after booting.

Key Differences from Traditional Puppy Linux:

While it shares the same Puppy Linux philosophy, EasyPup 7.2.1 offers a more modern, structured approach aimed at better security and manageability.

Better Security:

It aims to run each application as its own user, increasing protection.

Easy Container Mechanism:

It includes the ability to run applications in isolated containers ("Easy Containers"), which keeps them separate from the main system.

Modern Tools:

It incorporates tools like EasyShare for network management and multiple package managers (PKGget, SFSget, Flapi, Appi)

I have installed Puppy Easy OS on a USB stick.

It has lot of problems, basically due to its container technology. Containers can be used for many uses but mainly for Virtualisation.

What it does is to mount something foreign on top of a very basic operating system.

What it tries to do is to work without link libraries.

Linux is not resource hungry. It allocates and prioritise resources as and when needed. All these techniques are mitigated or vandalised by containers.

In good old days strength and beauty of Puppy were it's small footprint of about 100MB. It has expanded to 1000MB and showings it's vulnerability.

It looks like its seems are bursting.

Gnome has a better Virtualisation package called Box Utility. The beauty of Box Utility is it gives one the ability to try individual packages within the Container.

It consumes lot of RAM and it need fare amount of hardware capacity as reserved space to run Box.

Flathub is inherently bulky.

Yes, Puppy should move forward with new technology but with extreme caution.

It's package installer is FlatPak and it is painfully slow. I wanted to Install Audacity, KDN Live and my favourite browser Firefox but it is getting frozen in mid air like a jet plane without jet fuel. I tried Brave browser and the same outcome. I generally have at least 3 browsers working for me in addition to Firefox.

They are Dillo and Falkon and Konquorer.

Yes FlatPak is a pain compared to Synaptic Package Manager of Gnome (Debian). I have 8GB of RAM and that is enough for my daily work.

If Easy Pup cannot allocate my RAM in an equitable way, I am not going to recommend it to any guy or girl. Currently, there are only a few Puppy derivatives available in 64 bits but luckily I have a collection of old Puppy Images with me, including Ubuntu and Debian derivatives.

Pluses

On the plus side it configures WiFi effortlessly.

Chrome browser is OK.

It allocates entire 8GB USB to a EXT4 File.

Puppy on a USB is my favourite when I am on the move.

Thankfully, today is a holiday and I can drop to sleep while these actions are running in the background.

I re-did everything.

It is all due to container philosophy which is pretty slow.

One should install one application at a time.

Flathub does not know how to queue one application after another.

It tries to do everything at one go, hence it gets chocked.

Linux philosophy is one job at a time with less time allocation for less demanding tasks.

Marathon Session Last Night and Emmabantus is the Winner

I was up all night.

All due to GNOPPIX not allowing me to have User Password. It comes from Singspore.

Singapore is a surveillance city and they monitor every citizen. Having the Master Root Password lets on SCAN the entire hard disk. UBUNTU does the same think.

Veteran Linux guy like me do not fall into that TRAP. It has AI surveillance tool, too.

My hard disk is mine. It does not belong to Microsoft. That is my moto. It does not belong to GNOPPIX. 

GNOPPIX is banned in my vocabulary from this moment.

I erased it Partition and Installed Emmabantus that comes from TOGO, Africa. The distribution is from France.

1. It has multilanguage capability.

That is my Nunber 1, Linux Philosophy.

It has to belong to the Global Community.

2. Number 2, is that it uses light weight XFCE Desktop.

It does not end there.

3. It has Synaptic Package Manager.

4. If anyone reading this from African one need not throw away old hardware.

They can be used by running Emmabantus. 

No need of Zorin or for that matter Big Linux from Brazil or VOID Linux or UBUNTU or KDE Neon.

5. Emmabantus has the best aesthetically pleasing Plymouth and Desktop which is better than MacOS

Be proud of Emmabantus.

6. It did not upset my GRUB Boot Loader.

Next my Output.

By using Synaptic Package Manager You can have multitude of Desktops and Window Manager.

That is what I did overnight.

I have and You csn too have:

IceWM Window Manager 

Enlightenment Window Manager

Or any other WMs

GNOME 

GNOME Classic.

Plasma on top of XFCE by using GDM Plymouth.

That's it.

My the way, I am not a fsn of MX Linux with so many unnecessary tools but I love AntiX but it has only Window Managers.

Emmabuntüs Linux

Emmabuntüs Linux

Emmabuntüs is a French based, community driven Linux distribution designed specifically to refurbish old computers, support humanitarian projects, and provide a beginner friendly computing experience. Derived from Debian, it is known for its out of the box readiness, including a wide array of pre-installed software, making it ideal for schools and non profit organisations in France and Africa.

The name is a portmanteau of Emmaüs (a humanitarian organisation) and Ubuntu. It is designed to extend the life of hardware, reducing electronic waste. It was developed by the French based "Collectif Emmabuntüs" over the past 15 years. It is used extensively for refurbishing computers for schools and associations in France and Togo.