Puppy Linux

Puppy Linux is a revolutionary operating system that is based on GNU Linux. However, what sets it apart from other OS is its small size and feature-packed functionalities. With Puppy Linux, users can boot into a 64MB ramdisk and the entire system will run in RAM. Unlike other live CD distributions that constantly pull data off the CD, Puppy Linux loads everything into RAM, making applications launch in an instant and respond to user input without delay.

One of the best things about Puppy Linux is its versatility; it can boot up from any storage device, including USB flash cards, CD-ROMs, zip disks, and even floppy disks. Puppy Linux occupies roughly 50-60M on most storage devices, and once it boots up, it uncompresses into a "ramdisk." The live-CD can boot up on systems with as little as 32M of RAM, but the more RAM a system has, the faster Puppy Linux will be. The recommended minimum is 128M RAM, and Puppy Linux will automatically use a swap partition if one exists.

One of the benefits of booting up from a USB Flash device is that Puppy Linux can copy excess data to a swap partition if it exists, which in turn will greatly extend the life span of the flash memory. Mozilla and Firefox require more than 64M RAM to run, so a swap partition is essential for systems with less memory. If your PC has only 32M RAM, then a swap partition is necessary to run most large GUI applications.

In conclusion, Puppy Linux is an impressive operating system that packs a lot of punch into a small package. If you're looking for an OS that loads quickly, responds without delay, and runs on almost any storage device, then Puppy Linux is definitely worth considering.