MuLinux: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Operating system}}

{{Infobox OS

| name = muLinux

| logo = [[File:Mulinux5.png]]

| website = [httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20231203093405/https://www.micheleandreoli.itorg/public/Software/mulinux/ Micheleandreoli] (Archived from: [http://www.micheleandreoli.itorg/public/Software/mulinux/])

| family = [[Linux]] = ([[Unix-like]])

| latest_release_version = 14r0

| latest_release_date = {{release date|2004|02|10}}

| latest_test_version = Lepton 0.5

| latest_test_date = {{release date|2004|04|15}}

| kernel_type = [[Monolithic kernel]]

| ui = [[Unix shell]] and [[fvwm95]]

| license = [[GPL]] and other

| working_state = Frozen

| supported_platforms = [[x86 architecture|x86-32]] and later

}}

'''muLinux''' wasis an [[Italy|Italian]], [[English language|English]]-language [[lightweight Linux distribution]] maintained by mathematics and physics professor Michele Andreoli, meant to allow very old and obsolete computers ([[80386]], [[80486]] and [[Pentium Pro]] hardware (dating from 1986 through 1998) to be used as basic intranet/Internet servers or text-based workstations with a [[UNIX]]-[[Unix-like|like]] [[operating system]]. It was also designed for quickly turning any 80386 or later computer into a temporary, powerful Linux machine, along with system repair, education, [[forensic analysis]] and what the developer called ''proselytizing''. In 2004 reviewer Paul Zimmer wrote, "Although there are several other single-floppy Linux distributions, none can match muLinux's extensive and unique combination of useful features."<ref name="Zimmer">Zimmer, Paul, ''[http://www.linfo.org/mulinux.html muLinux: A Brief Introduction]'', The Linux Information Project, 2004, retrieved 16 August 2008</ref> The last version update was in 2004, when further development of this "[[linux-on-a-floppy]]" distribution ended.

==Name==

The name ''muLinux'' comes from the [[Greek letter]] ''[[Mu (letter)|mu]]'' which is the [[SI]] symbol meaning ''one millionth'', harking to the very small size of this OS.<ref name="mu">mulinux.sunsite.dk, ''[http://mulinux.sunsite.dk/ muLinux official web page] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914014537/http://mulinux.sunsite.dk/ |date=2008-09-14 }}'', retrieved 16 August 2008</ref>

==Minimalist design==

muLinux was based on the Linux 2.0.36 kernel.<ref name="Saunders">Saunders, Mike, "[http://www.linuxformat.co.uk/pdfs/LXF68.round.pdf Roundup: MiniDistros] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061001152250/http://www.linuxformat.co.uk/pdfs/LXF68.round.pdf |date=2006-10-01 }}", ''Linux Format'', July 2005, retrieved 16 August 2008</ref> Development was frozen in 2004 at version 14r0, with some of the code and packages taken from software releases going back to 1998 (owing only to their smaller sizes). An experimental, unstable version called Lepton had the 2.4 kernel.

muLinux could be both booted or installed to a hard drive on an obsolete machine from [[floppy disk]]s. A highly functional UNIX-like, network-enabled server with a [[Unix shell]] could be had from but one floppy disk. Another floppy disk added workstation functionality and a legacy [[X Window]] [[VGA]] [[GUI]] came with a third floppy. One reviewer noted, "It's not gorgeous, but the whole X subsystem fits onto a single floppy. Egad."<ref name="Saunders"/> muLinux could also be unpacked and installed by a self-executable archive, or extracted directly, onto an old [[DOS]] or [[Windows 9x]] ([[umsdos]]) partition without harming the current OS. If the machine had a floppy disk drive muLinux also would run on an otherwise diskless computer and no [[CD-ROM]] drive was needed.<ref name="Zimmer"/><ref name="Saunders"/>

Owing to its minimalist design muLinux was a single-user OS, with all operations performed by the [[root user]]. It used the [[ext2]] Linux native file system (rather than the slower [[Minix]] file system seen in other single-floppy takes on Linux).<ref name="Zimmer"/> The OS was robust when used for text-based tasks along with basic file, light web page or email serving. It could also be adapted as a very tiny, stand-alone [[embedded system]].<ref>''ACM Indexed scientific database'' (abstract): "Linux Journal" Volume 2000, Issue 75es ''[http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=349542 Using Linux in Embedded and Real-Time Systems]'', July 2000, retrieved 16 August 2008</ref>

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==Packages==

muLinux came with many packages, each of which fit on one floppy. muLinux was somewhat uniqueunusual in that all of the packages were wholly optional.<ref name="Zimmer"/><ref name="mu"/>

* SRV - basic server package with a web server, mail, [[SAMBA|samba]] and more

* WKS - basic work station package with [[Mutt (e-mail client)|mutt]], [[Lynx (web browser)|lynx]], [[Secure Shell|ssh]], [[Pretty Good Privacy|pgp]] and many other [[Unix shell]] applications

* X11 - legacy [[X Window]] 16 colour [[VGA]] environment (see below for [[SVGA]]) along with early versions of both the [[Windowsfvwm95]] 95and [[Afterstep]]ish [[fvwm95window manager]]s and(based on the [[NextStepWindows 95]]ish and [[AfterstepNeXTSTEP]] [[window managerGUI]]s respectively)

* VNC - for [[VNC|virtual network computing]]

* GCC - [[C (programming language)|C]] compiler

* TCL - [[Tcl/Tk]]+ scripting language, which also brings a few more X applications and tools

* TEX - [[TeX]] typesetting system

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== External links==

* [httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20231203093405/https://www.micheleandreoli.itorg/public/Software/mulinux/ muLinux official Web page] (Archived from [https://www.micheleandreoli.org/public/Software/mulinux/ here].)

{{Linux}}

[[Category:MiniLight-weight Linux distributions]]

[[Category:Floppy-based Linux distributions]]

[[Category:Linux distributions]]