Damn Small Linux is a very versatile mini desktop oriented Linux distribution. DSL was originally developed as an experiment to see how many usable desktop applications can fit inside a 700 MB Live CD.
Over time Damn Small Linux grew into a community project with hundreds of development hours put into refinements including a fully automated remote and local application installation system.
Also, it includes a very versatile backup and restore system. You may use it with any writable media including a hard drive, a floppy drive, or a USB device.
Damn Small Linux has a nearly complete desktop and many command line tools. All applications are chosen with the best balance of functionality, size, and speed.
DSL also can act as an SSH/FTP/HTTPD server right off of a Live CD. To save space and have a fully functional desktop, many GUI administration tools are fast yet still easy to use.
The New Damn Small Linux 2024 has been reborn as a compact Linux distribution tailored for low-spec x86 computers. It packs a lot of applications into a small package. All the applications are chosen for their functionality, small size, and low dependencies. DSL 2024 also has many text-based applications that make it handy to use in a term window or TTY.
What does Damn Small Linux have:
DSL 2024 currently only ships with two window managers: Fluxbox and JWM. Both are lightweight, fairly intuitive, and easy to use.
DSL has four X-based web browsers:
- Firefox-ESR (Extended Support Release, fully HTML5 compatible)
- NetSurf GTK (quick, easy on RAM, good HTML4 and CSS support)
- Dillo (super-light GUI browser)
- Links2 (text and light GUI browser)
For office applications, DSL has:
- AbiWord word processor
- Gnumeric spreadsheets
- Sylpheed email client
- Zathura PDF viewer
For multimedia applications:
- MPV (video and audio)
- XMMS (a lightweight audio player)
Other applications:
- mtPaint (graphics editing)
- gFTP (FTP, SFTP, and SCP)
- Leafpad (quick editing)
- zzzFM (file manager lifted straight out of antiX)
There are three GUI-based games picked because they are fun and relatively light.
DSL 2024 is also loaded up with a whole bunch of handy term-based applications:
- Ranger file manager
- VisiData a powerful CSV and spreadsheet tool
- FZF fuzzy finder
- Tmux terminal multiplexer
- Mutt email client
- Cmus music player
- CDW CD burner
- Htop, an interactive process viewer
- SurfRaw (with wrapper) to search from the term
- Weather App
- MPV video/audio player with wrapper
- Vim and Nano for editing
- Five term-based games
- Two term-compatible web browsers: W3M and Links2
- …and much more
