SliTaz facts for kids
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Company / developer | Christophe Lincoln |
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OS family | Linux |
Working state | Current |
Source model | Open source |
Latest stable release | 4.0 / April 10, 2012 |
Marketing target | Live CD |
Package manager | Tazpkg |
Kernel type | Monolithic kernel |
License | Free software licenses (mainly GNU GPL) |
SliTaz GNU/Linux is a special computer operating system. It's like the brain of a computer, helping it run programs and do tasks. This project was started by Christophe Lincoln in 2006.
SliTaz is known for being one of the smallest Linux distributions. A Linux distribution is a complete version of the Linux operating system, ready for you to use. SliTaz is so small that its main files take up only about 80 MB of space. The installation file, called an ISO image, is only around 25 MB. That's tiny compared to other operating systems!
You can start SliTaz directly from a CD or a USB stick without installing it. It uses a simple desktop environment called JWM, or LXDE in newer versions. SliTaz can run entirely from your computer's RAM (short-term memory). This makes it very fast. You can also install it onto a hard drive if you want to use it all the time.
Contents
History of SliTaz
After two years of hard work, the first official version, SliTaz 1.0, was released on March 22, 2008. SliTaz is similar to another small operating system called Damn Small Linux. However, SliTaz is even smaller and uses a newer version of the Linux kernel, which is the core part of the operating system.
What Can SliTaz Do?
SliTaz comes with many useful programs already built-in. Even though it's small, it can do a lot!
- Web Server: It includes LightTPD, which helps you create and run websites.
- Web Browser: You can browse the internet with Firefox.
- Audio Tools: It has tools to play music, mix sounds, and even copy songs from CDs.
- Communication: You can chat, send emails, and transfer files using its built-in clients.
- Secure Connections: It has SSH tools for secure connections to other computers.
- Databases: It includes a small database system called SQLite.
- CD/DVD Tools: You can use it to burn or edit CDs and DVDs.
- Simple Desktop: It has an easy-to-use desktop environment called JWM.
- Many Programs: There are over 450 extra programs you can add to SliTaz!
How SliTaz Starts Up
SliTaz is very flexible and can start from different places:
- Live USB: You can put SliTaz on a USB stick and run it from there.
- Live CD: It can also start directly from a CD.
- Hard Drive: You can install it on your computer's hard drive.
- Virtual Machines: It works well inside programs like VirtualBox or VMware.
- Floppy Disk: For older computers, it can even start from a floppy disk.
- Network Boot: You can start SliTaz over a computer network using special tools.
SliTaz Versions and Updates
SliTaz has been updated many times since it first came out. Here's a look at some of its main versions:
Version | Stability | Release date |
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1.0 | stable version | March 22, 2008 |
2.0 | stable version | March 2009 |
3.0 | stable version | March 2010 |
4.0 | stable version | April 10, 2012 |
5.0 Cooking | Unstable (still being worked on) | Feb 16, 2014 |
Raspberry Pi | Made for ARM computers like Raspberry Pi | March 29, 2014 |
5.0RC-1 | Release Candidate 1 (almost ready) | May 2, 2014 |
5.0RC-2 | Release Candidate 2 (almost ready) | May 19, 2014 |
Gallery
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: SliTaz GNU/Linux para niños