Damn Small Linux: Damn Fine Distro

I came to Linux just a couple of months ago (as of the time of this review), and in that time, I have gone distro-crazy. I must have installed/run (or tried to, at least) 10 distros on my box by now; big and small. Damn Small Linux (or DSL for short) is a knoppix-based live CD distro. I know, I know; line starts to the left. But unlike most live CD distros, this one is made for those tiny business card CDs. Weighing in at a sporty 50MBs, DSL manages to squeeze in some handy - and fun - programs the other business card CD distros miss.

Like I said, I'm pretty new to the whole Linux scene, and I'm no expert. At this stage in the game, I generally give up if things get too tough when it comes to installation or configuration and look for other, more "newbie-friendly" distros. So when Morphix wouldn't boot properly, I set the CD aside for a future project. But DSL Linux succeeded where Morphix failed, thanks in no small part for DSL's less-lofty goals. DSL is simplicity itself, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a lot to offer.

I went ahead and ordered the CD from DSL creator John Andrews's site and (after establishing I'm too stupid to fill out an order form properly on the first try) received version 0.4.3 in the mail promptly. For those who care about these things, the CD itself came in a plastic baggie. No manual, no artwork on the disc itself - just the disc with "Damn Small Linux" written on it with a Sharpie. But then again, my copy of Red Hat 8 cost me $50 at CompUSA and the pretty box and manual didn't do a thing to help it get installed on my box right the first time, so I think we can agree that looks aren't everything.