Tiny Core Linux A Minimal Linux Desktop
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Tiny Core Linux Description

A Minimal Linux Desktop Tiny Core Linux is a very small (10 MB) minimal Linux Desktop. It is based on Linux 2.6 kernel, Tiny X, Busybox, Fltk, and Jwm. The core runs entirely in ram and boots very quickly.It is not a complete desktop nor is all hardware completely supported. It represents only the core needed to boot into a very minimal X desktop typically with wired internet access.The user has complete control over which applications and/or additional hardware to have supported, be it for a desktop, a nettop, an appliance, or server, selectable from our online repository.Tiny Core Linux, not being a complete Desktop, requires the internet to access to our repository of applications. Everyone should take the time to read this document and understand the design philosophy behind Tiny Core Linux. This will insure a more pleasant experience.Four Modes of OperationThe First Mode: Cloud/InternetThe first mode of operation is the default boot mode of Tiny Core Linux. It is what I call the Cloud Mode, or the Internet Mode. Tiny Core boots entirely into RAM. Then using the internet and the Apps icon, a shortcut to our appbrowser GUI, one can begin to explore our application extension repository. By the way, there are two very different kinds of extensions available, more on that later. In this mode of operation, extensions downloaded via the appbrowser will be for this session only. That is, the extension will download and install into RAM. The downloaded extension is not saved. This is to maximize the use of available RAM. This is the most nomadic mode of operation but it also requires the most resources.The other modes of operation is by using persistency. Booting with certain options one can persist downloaded extensions.The Second Mode of Operation: PPR/TCEThe second mode of operation is the use of the boot option tce=hdXY, i.e., specifying a writable persistent storage partition and using our TCE repository of applications. This will become your Persistent Personal Repository (PPR). Upon further booting all TCE extensions will automatically be loaded into RAM. Any further downloading of TCE type extensions from the appbrowser (Apps) will persist in this specified location. Note the default directory name is "tce". However this can be user specified, e.g., tce=hdXY/mystuff. Using this second method of operation, PPR, is preferred as it always results in a known pristine state of your operating environment. TCE type extensions are basically a tar.gz archive with optional included menu and/or icon. These extensions reside in RAM when used in the PPR mode of operation. These would be called WORMS, the good kind! That is Write Once Read Many. Adding many TCEs may quickly exhaust your systems memory, which can become problematic for users with low RAM.Once a PPR has been setup via a one time only boot code of tce=hdXY all subsequent booting will load, install, or mount your PPR collection. Even this boot code can be dropped. If no boot option specifying the tce location is used then the system will autoscan for the default tce directory. Recall, I mentioned that you can also specify the directory name. If you have chosen to use a different name via boot option, e.g., tce=hdXY/mystuff then you must continue to specify that boot code. The system will only scan for the default "tce" directory. The auto-scan was designed to have a "hands free" boot from a read-only boot media, i.e., the downloaded tinycore.iso written to cdrom. However this is a benefit to always specifying your PPR location even when using the default tce. By specifying the location, the system does not have to autoscan. This saves time during booting.The Third Mode of Operation: PPR/TCZWhen using a PPR one has the choice of TCE or TCZ extension types. To maximize memory usage Tiny Core offers the TCZ extension type. These extensions are mounted from your PPR and therefore use significantly less RAM. TCZ extensions are cramfs or ziofs compressed mountable images of an application directory, which become symlinked into the root filesystem. You may mix and match either extension type. Note some extensions may not be available as a TCZ. Using TCZ mounts will provide the maximum number of extensions for any given RAM size. All other aspects of using a PPR, i.e, initial setup and boot type options are the same as the above mentioned PPR/TCE. Using the boot code of base will ignore any PPR.The Forth Mode of Operation: PPI/TCEThe forth mode of operation literally installs extensions into a Linux partition or a loop back file. This provides a hybrid type of installation, where core is in RAM and the extensions are installed onto a persistent storage device. I call this mode of operation of Persistent Personal Installation or PPI. The benefits are speed, as no loading or mounting occurs during boot. The same RAM savings offered by the mounted PPR/TCZ extensions is another benefit of PPI. However a possible drawback of this is losing the "pristine state" offered by using PPR. Installing applications, as done in most typical environments, can result in "system rot", i.e., over time, or via user/system error, corruption can occur and might not be readily noticeable. By choosing this method one should only use our TCE collection of extensions. The TCE collection being tar gzipped will install into the specified location. To initially setup your PPI use the boot code of tclocal=hdXY. This will look for a directory named tclocal or a single loop back file of the same name. Note there is a menu option to create a loop back file for this very purpose. Using a PPI you don't need to keep the downloaded TCEs. No need to specify tce=hdXY as used in the PPR mode. For a "hands free" boot even the tclocal=hdXY can be omitted. But by always specifying the tclocal boot code will skip the autoscan and result in faster booting. Using the nolocal boot code will always ignore an existing PPI.With either a PPR or PPI one can maintain their collection of extensions on a pendrive, compact flash, or other removable media for maximum portability.New Download Capabilities of Tiny Core:Many improvements were made to enhance the installation of extensions to Tiny Core be it a PPR or a PPI mode of operation. Additional extension codes of "l" or "m" or both will automatically load and configure libraries and modules respectively. These functions occur without any user intervention or configuration. Additionally Tiny Core supports installation scripts. These run upon loading/mounting. The ".dep" extension brings simple download dependency resolution to Tiny Core. This greatly simplifies a successful download installation, loading, or mounting of any application extension. The user does not need to read the ".info" file for the purpose of trying to manually satisfy the application extension run-time dependency requirements. Simply choose the typical application name and all other run-time requirements will also be downloaded and prepared for successful application launch.Backup/Restore and Other Persistency Options:Backup/RestoreAfter setting up your new system, you will want to save your settings. There is a file called /opt/.filetool.lst. It is a simple text file of files and directories listed one per line using a full path that the user wants to save/restore. Use any of the GUI tools provided on the Tools menu or any editors available via extensions or vi to change/update (e.g., select Beaver, then open /opt/.filetool.lst).The default is to backup the entire home/tc directory. However, one can choose to selectively backup only certain files. However it is important to note that the entry /opt/.filetool.lst must NOT be removed from the .filetool.lst as this provides for persistence for the .filetool.lst itself.Also note that the capability exists to exclude files from the backup with the file /opt/.xfiletool.lst. Adding entries to this file will exclude them from the backup. Cache and other files are in the default /opt/.xfiletool.lst.The backup will be written to a file called "mydata.tgz". You can initially select the storage device by using the boot option of: restore=hdXY or after boot, by selecting "Backup/Restore" from the "Panel". Your backup will be automatically searched for and restored during subsequent booting. Once a mydata.tgz has been successfully created, the boot option may be omitted. Autoscan once again is there to support "hands free" booting. And as before, always specifying the boot option speeds your boot time.Additionally you may add a directory to the location of the backup, e.g., restore=hdXY/a_directory This will allow the backup file "mydata.tgz" to be placed in a directory. Using a directory also means that you must always specify it via its boot code. You can skip using your backup with the boot option of norestore.These options together with a local .xsession provide the user with much more control of their preferred environment. For example, by editing the .xsession you can start up your favorite X-Windows programs. You can start non-Window programs by editing the .profile and then adding it to your /opt/.filetool.lst. You can even load additional modules and system-specific required files by editing the /opt/bootlocal.sh file and then adding it to your filetool.lst.Persistent HomeJust as Tiny Core offers persistency options for downloaded application extensions, so does it for your home directory. Use the boot option of home=hdXY. The very first use of this code will automatically setup /home/tc to "bind" to /mnt/hdXY/tchome By using this option, you are not having to wait for a backup/restore for those items in your /home/tc directory. Backup and restore should, as with any system, still be done. The boot option must always be used, as there is no autoscaning available for persistent home. Note again, the initial use of this option will automatically setup your tc home account so care should be taken in its use.Encrypted HomePersistent home with encryption is also available. However, this is a little different, as we use a loop back file. Tiny Core offers a menu item to initially setup a encrypted loop back file. See the "Tools" menu section for "Make Crypto Home". Once created you will need to choose a password and use it upon every boot. Once successfully created use the boot option of cryptohome=hdXY and during the boot process you will once again be prompted to enter your password.Developer commentsOur goal is the creation of a nomadic ultra small desktop capable of booting from cdrom, pendrive, or frugally from a hard drive. The desktop boots extremely fast and is able to support additional applications and hardware of the users choice. While Tiny Core always resides in ram, additional applicatons extensions can either reside in ram, mounted from a persistent storage device, or installed into a persistent storage device.We invite interested users and developers to explore Tiny Core. Within our forums we have an open developement model. We encourage shared knowledge. We promote community involvement and community built application extensions. Anyone can contribute to our project by packaging their favorite application or hardware support to run in Tiny Core. The Tiny Core Linux Team currently consists of eight members who peruse the forums to assist from answering questions to helping package new extensions. What's New in This Release: · Updated appbrowser - single 'Install' button and renamed 'Download Only' to 'OnDemand' · Updated appsaudit - new menu option 'Install Options' to maintain copy2fs.flg and copy2fs.lst · New ondemand - create flwm right click menu shortcuts to load and start applications from /tce/optional - tune your system for much faster boot times. · Updated tce-load - dropped l,m,lm,ml testing, ldconfig always called, depmod based on /usr/local/lib/modules, dropped -r option · Renamed tcz2ram.flg, tcz2ram.lst to copy2fs.flg and copy2fs.lst, use flag for all, or list to specify extensions to be copied into filesystem. · New 'ab' a tiny appbrowser in shell · New cache-clear script. · New boot code xvesa=WxHxD, e.g. xvesa=800x600x32 to set default Xvesa resolution bypassing xsetup · Updated tce-update and tce-setup to implement an 'easy mode' to update extensions in your tce folder · Updated tce-update feature enhancement for nfs support (Thanks to Gerald Clark) · Updated rebuildfstab for block major 11 devices · Updated udev/rules.d/75-cd-dvd.rules for sr devices. · Updated exitcheck.sh to call /opt/shutdown.sh for user shutdown commands. · Removed mbchk and libpoptas unneeded in base. · Stripped more libs for smaller size, now at 10.1MB

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