Small Unix

Small Linux distributions

• Coyote Linux is a single floppy distribution of Linux that is derived from the Linux Router Project (LRP).
• tomsrtbt is Tom's floppy which has a root filesystem and is also bootable. It is also known as "The most Linux on one floppy disk."
• Linux Embedded Appliance Firewall (LEAF) continues to build on the work from the Linux Router Project (LRP) and derivative projects such as c0wz, EigerStein and Oxygen.
• Trinity Rescue Kit is a small Linux distribution based on Mandrake. It is designed to rescue/repair/prepare dead or damaged systems, be it Linux or Windows. It has networking capabilities and supports many network cards, disk controllers and USB controllers.
• LNX-BBC is a mini Linux-distribution which is small enough to fit on a CDROM that has been cut, pressed, or molded to the size and shape of a business card. It is a derivative of the Linuxcare Bootable Business Card.
• FREESCO (stands for FREE ciSCO) is a free replacement for commercial routers supporting up to 3 ethernet/arcnet/token_ring/arlan network cards and up to 2 modems.
• Linux Terminal Server Project is a platform for deploying diskless workstations that boot from a network server.
• Serial Terminal Linux allows you to use an old laptop as a serial console. A single boot floppy puts you directly into Minicom.
• muLinux is a full-configurable, minimalistic, almost complete, application-centric tiny distribution of Linux (2.0.36 modular kernel) made in Italy. muLinux resides on a single 1722K floppy, but floppy add-ons are provided.
• NetStation is a linux distribution for diskless thin clients terminals using standard x86 hardware. It can boot from network using Etherboot and connect to an application server using VNC, RDP, X11 or SSH.
• Linux-Mobile-Guide is a HOWTO for Linux laptops and mobile devices and the Ecology-HOWTO, the ecology and Linux howto discuses features to save power or paper. http://freshmeat.net/browse/866/
• Freshmeat content of Recovery tools (including recovery distributions)

Utilities for small Linux distributions

• Mindi Linux is a toolkit that lets you custom-build a floppy-based Linux mini-distribution from your own kernel, modules and tools.
• BYLD or Build Your Linux Disk is a little package that helps you to build a Linux distribution on a single floppy disk. This is not a complete distribution: it was made only to build a mini distribution on a floppy.
• asmutils is a set of utilities written in assembly language, targeted for embedded systems and small distributions. It also contains a small libc and crypto library.
• BusyBox combines tiny versions of many UNIX utilities into a single small executable.
• TinyLogin is a suite of tiny Unix utilities for handling logins, authentication, changing passwords, and maintaining users and groups on an embedded system.
• Cool Embedded Software links from Lineo.
• The buildkernel script is an intelligent tool that will build a new linux kernel for you. It is designed to be easy so that a novice can use it.

Small BSD distributions

• Small FreeBSD Home Page contains information on developing FreeBSD to work in various small and unusual places, such as single floppy, vnode partitions or embedded controllers.
• PicoBSD is a one floppy version of FreeBSD 3.0-current, which in its different variations allows you to have secure dialup access, small diskless router or even a dial-in server.

CD/floppy bootable and rescue distributions

• KNOPPIX is a bootable CD with a collection of GNU/Linux software, automatic hardware detection, and support for many graphics cards, sound cards, SCSI and USB devices and other peripherals.
• Damn Small Linux is a business card size (50MB) Live CD Linux distribution. Despite it's miniscule size it strives to have a functional and easy to use desktop. It is derived from Knoppix which is based on Debian.
• SuperRescue is a full bootable system on a CDROM. It is based on RedHat 7.2 with updates.
• Recovery Is Possible (RIP) is a floppy boot/rescue/backup system. It has support for a lot of filesystem types (reiserfs, ext2/3, iso9660, udf, XFS, JFS, UFS, MS DOS, umsdos, and vfat) and contains a bunch of utilities for system recovery.
• Timo's Rescue CD Set provides an easy way to generate bootable CDs with a ready-to-use rescue system on it. The system is designed to be fully customizable in addition to being easy to build. The rescue system includes reiserfs, parted, partimage, nmap, w3m, and bash, as well as sshd, telnetd, ftpd and nfsd on the server side. There is also a recipe on the Web site on how to build 2.88MB bootable El Torito images.
• Make CD-ROM Recovery (mkCDrec) makes a bootable (El Torito) disaster recovery image (CDrec.iso), includ ing backups of the linux system to the same CD-ROM if space permits. Otherwise, the backups can be stored on another disk, NFS disk or (remote) tape.
• Trinity Rescue Kit is a rescue distribution
• DemoLinux allows you to make Linux CDROMs that do not require installation or disk partitioning.
• Virtual Linux is a Mandrake based install that has been modified to run from a CDROM.
• YARD is a suite of Perl scripts for creating rescue disks (bootdisks) for Linux.

Embedded links

• Memory Technology Device (MTD) Subsystem for Linux
• PC104 Embedded Solutions Related Websites
• PC/104 Embedded-PC Modules Consortium is comprised of over 160 members world wide who have joined together to disseminate information about PC/104 and to provide a liaison function between PC/104 and standard organizations.
• SiliconPenguin.com: Hardware/X86_Based_Products/PC104
• Opencores is a repository of open source, free IP synthesizable blocks and supplemental prototype boards.
• LinuxBIOS, OpenBIOS, FreeBIOS and TIARA (utcboot)

Embedded news and articles

• LinuxDevices.com and All Linux Devices have news and announcements about Linux in embedded applications. Linux Telephony has news and information about telephony applications for Linux.
• Building a low-cost router appliance with Embedded Linux. "A new set-top box computer form-factor from Allwell (in Taiwan) enables embedded Linux developers to create great looking products without the hassle and huge expense of building it themselves."

LCD and LED output

• LCDproc is a small piece of software that displays real-time system information from your Linux box on a 20x4 backlit LCD.
• perl-LCDd handles communication with an LCDproc v0.4 server. With this Perl library you avoid using raw sockets and the native LCDproc protocol.
• lcd4linux s a small program that grabs information from the kernel and some subsystems and displays it on an external liquid crystal display.
• LCD module - Linux river supports the more or less standard Hitachi LCD controller chip.
• lcdstat is a Linux LCD driver for the 2x10 lcd panels. It supports simple writing to the device, and ioctls for cursor control, etc. Chargen is not yet supported.
• liblcd a simple Linux user-space driver for serial-interface LCD alphanumeric and graphical displays. It was written specifically for the Scott Electronics G12032 graphical display, but it should work with most any LCD that can understand ASCII. Even if your display is not a graphical one, you should be able to take advantage of the text functions.
• LEDcontrol is a program that allows you to show different information on the normally-unused LEDs on your keyboard. You can configure it to show virtually any TRUE/FALSE condition accessible or indicate an arbitrary number.