Porteus (operating system)
Encyclopedia
Porteus is an operating system
based on Slackware
and modified Linux Live Scripts. As a result of using the scripts it does not require installation and can be run from fixed and removable media, such as a USB flash drive
or compact disc
.
Porteus provides versions for x86 (32-bit) based systems as well as for x86_64 (64-bit) based systems.
OS.
The community agreed on the new name of the project, Porteus, which was named after "'Portability
' and 'Proteus
'. 'Proteus' is a "Greek god of the sea, capable of changing his form at will," according to the naming announcement on the Porteus forum. The project leader commented on the name, "I find this name as a kind of synonym of 'flexibility.' We have portable (small) and flexible (modular) features included in one name: Porteus."
The Porteus 32-bit version uses KDE3 as a desktop environment, while the 64-bit version uses the newer KDE4
, including the Plasma workspace into the Porteus environment. Both versions offer the LXDE
desktop environment as a lightweight alternative as well.
Porteus has several features that differentiate it from other operating systems or Linux distributions. Programs are installed in a similar manner to apps on iOS or the Software Centre
in Ubuntu
. They are distributed as modules that can be installed and uninstalled from the "Porteus Package Manager", and borrow the concept of modules from Slax
. Porteus uses modules in the newer .xzm format to save space.
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
based on Slackware
Slackware
Slackware is a free and open source Linux-based operating system. It was one of the earliest operating systems to be built on top of the Linux kernel and is the oldest currently being maintained. Slackware was created by Patrick Volkerding of Slackware Linux, Inc. in 1993...
and modified Linux Live Scripts. As a result of using the scripts it does not require installation and can be run from fixed and removable media, such as a USB flash drive
USB flash drive
A flash drive is a data storage device that consists of flash memory with an integrated Universal Serial Bus interface. flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, and physically much smaller than a floppy disk. Most weigh less than 30 g...
or compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
.
Porteus provides versions for x86 (32-bit) based systems as well as for x86_64 (64-bit) based systems.
Development
The Porteus project started out as "Slax Remix" at the beginning of 2010 and was started as a community project using the Zen kernel to improve and update the SlaxSLAX
Slax is a LiveCD Linux distribution based on Slackware and is currently being developed by Tomáš Matějíček. Packages can be selected in a website where users can build a custom Slax iso image. Slax slogan refers to the software as a "Pocket Operating System"...
OS.
The community agreed on the new name of the project, Porteus, which was named after "'Portability
Software portability
Portability in high-level computer programming is the usability of the same software in different environments. The prerequirement for portability is the generalized abstraction between the application logic and system interfaces...
' and 'Proteus
Proteus
In Greek mythology, Proteus is an early sea-god, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea", whose name suggests the "first" , as protogonos is the "primordial" or the "firstborn". He became the son of Poseidon in the Olympian theogony In Greek mythology, Proteus (Πρωτεύς)...
'. 'Proteus' is a "Greek god of the sea, capable of changing his form at will," according to the naming announcement on the Porteus forum. The project leader commented on the name, "I find this name as a kind of synonym of 'flexibility.' We have portable (small) and flexible (modular) features included in one name: Porteus."
The Porteus 32-bit version uses KDE3 as a desktop environment, while the 64-bit version uses the newer KDE4
KDE4
KDE Software Compilation 4 is the current series of releases of KDE Software Compilation. The first major version of this series was released on 11 January 2008, and the latest major version was released on 27 July 2011...
, including the Plasma workspace into the Porteus environment. Both versions offer the LXDE
LXDE
LXDE is a free and open source desktop environment for Unix and other POSIX compliant platforms, such as Linux or BSD. The goal of the project is to provide a desktop environment that is fast and energy efficient...
desktop environment as a lightweight alternative as well.
Features
Porteus is based on an optimized and a substantially modified version of the Linux Live Scripts. The main goal was to attain a much faster boot up and shutdown time. The Live Scripts provides hardware drivers for the components of more recent computers and provides improved performance over the standard kernel.Porteus has several features that differentiate it from other operating systems or Linux distributions. Programs are installed in a similar manner to apps on iOS or the Software Centre
Ubuntu Software Center
Ubuntu Software Center is a computer program for browsing, installing and removing software on the Ubuntu operating system. Based upon the GNOME application, gnome-app-install, which is similar in function and appearance, it serves as a GTK+ graphical user interface front-end to the Advanced...
in Ubuntu
Ubuntu (operating system)
Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
. They are distributed as modules that can be installed and uninstalled from the "Porteus Package Manager", and borrow the concept of modules from Slax
SLAX
Slax is a LiveCD Linux distribution based on Slackware and is currently being developed by Tomáš Matějíček. Packages can be selected in a website where users can build a custom Slax iso image. Slax slogan refers to the software as a "Pocket Operating System"...
. Porteus uses modules in the newer .xzm format to save space.
See also
- Lightweight Linux distribution
- List of Linux distributions that run from RAM
- List of live CDs