BasicLinux is a mini-version of Linux that boots from HD, FD or CDrom and runs in a 4meg ramdisk. It was assembled mostly from bits and pieces of Slackware 3.5. BasicLinux contains the powerful bash shell, the easy pico editor, and a variety of useful utilities. With BasicLinux you can dial your ISP and browse the web; or use telnet, ftp or fetchmail. BasicLinux happily networks via ethernet, parallel port, or serial port. You can even use it as a router/firewall.
License
GPL
Latest version
3.50
Total downloads
8.98kAuthor
Steven DarnoldProject links
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Comments
3 commentsBasicLinux 3.50
Can anyone toll me... can BasicLinux be installed from floppy onto a PC that has nothing else on it besides the BIOS? All the descriptions I've read say it can be installed on a Linux partition, but can it create that partition itself, or does the partition need to be there beforehand? Any help for a Linux newbie with a REALLY ancient computer is GREATLY appreciated... THANKS! --Mike H.
BasicLinux 3.50
Agreed Neil T. This is a really nice distro, especially for rescuing really old machinery. It's not listed on DistroWatch anymore because it uses an ancient - but appropriately minimal - kernel. My take on it is that the term 'minimal' reflects exactly how BL is meant to be used. It even runs within DOS without a hitch using loadlin.exe . I know that my reply comes eight years after your original post, but if you find yourself upgrading the kernel and downloading newer programs and packages ad infinitum, you might as well just download Puppy or DSL. My recommendation is DSL 3.3 as a good transitional distro. While its GUI is nominally Fluxbox, it also contains JWM - like BL. Unfortunately, more recent DSL distros appear to be defeating their own purpose. -Martin
Basiclinux
I really have been enjoying Basiclinux. I started out using it in Ram mode but later installed it on my laptops hard drive. Everything went fairly smooth, considering that I am fairly new to Linux and setting up an OS. The fellow who created BL (Steven) has been really helpful with all my questions. You start out small and you can add to it..... For someone just getting his feet wet, it has been a fantastic learning experience. Cheers- Neil T.