Puppy Linux is a super-lightweight Linux distro aimed at older computers with low specs or those which can’t run fully-fledged OSes. So how does this mini-Linux fare as a LiveCD?

Actually there are quite a few thumb-drive Linux distros – with some being as low as 25MB. Check this Wiki. Why Puppy Linux then? Simply because it’s neither too small, nor is it too big as 544MB Xubuntu. It’s perfect for making a bootable pen drive with my old 256MB flash drive. & there was also this LifeHacker review which urged me to try it.
Puppy Linux comes as 94MB iso which can be burnt as a LiveCD & then installed on a bootable pen drive. Download here.

Booting up Puppy is a lengthy process since you have to setup the keyboard, the mouse, choose between VESA or XORG & then test the resolution.
For those who just like to click Next, I must warn that Puppy Linux has quite a bit of instructions - & it's useless to skim over it, you'll just choose the wrong settings.

I was pleasantly surprised that Puppy Linux loaded up very quickly – no wonder because it’s so small, so it took around 200MB on the RAM. But the more surprising thing was that it supported all my hardware (I didn’t test it with my prehistoric printers), there wasn’t any problem with my PC. It could run straight off in 1280x1024 at 24-bit 60Hz!

More importantly I was amazed at the sheer number of apps included. There was almost everything you can imagine of in an OS. Setting up my internet was straight-forward with the connection wizard. There was a lightweight Seamonkey browser.

I could connect to IM services. I could play mp3s straight out of the box. I could watch Xvid & x264 videos. There was the usual word processor, spreadsheet & presentation apps. & even a download manager (+ wget). & none of them had any kind of reduced functionality. This is awesome!

Frankly I still wonder how they managed to cram all those apps in 94mb of space. Even Ubuntu doesn’t have that much apps. It’s great as an OS to carry around. It’s fantastic for bringing older computers back to life. But it’s most suitable for system recovery if your main OSes have crashed. Let’s say you have to complete an assigment & your Windows crashed on the eve. What to you do? Use Puppy Linux!

Improvements?
I didn’t find any bugs, but Puppy need some more cuddling – i.e. a better theme. & also I would have preferred a fully functional Firefox instead of a limited Seamonkey. The problem I encountered was that it messed up my MBR. Otherwise Puppy Linux is dog to reckon with…

  

Windows Live Essentials RC

The latest betas of the Windows Live suite was released today. First thing, they’ve got a facelift with new icons & a more refined Wave 3 UI.

Windows Live Writer features a new photo album mode as demonstrated above. Btw the Audi post has been updated with the pics. However the centre bug that I’ve had since the last beta is still here – I have to manually centre all my photos since the centre control doesn’t work.

In Windows Live Messenger, custom emos bug has been fixed, new transparent notifications added, new UI & in the menubar, icons has been replaced by text.

However Signature Sounds have been removed & you still can’t send files by drag-&-dropping. I don’t understand why would they want to remove the Signature Sounds – if it was annoying, they could have easily added the option of turning it off contact-wise. That’s a step backwards. I didn't try the rest of the suite but so far Windows Live seems to be going in the right direction. I just hope the final version will have lesser shortcomings…