SLAX
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Standard Edition SLAX 5.0.6 |
|
| Website: | slax.linux-live.org |
| Company/ developer: |
Tomas Matejicek |
| OS family: | Linux |
| Source model: | Open source |
| Latest stable release: | 5.1.8 / Oct 8, 2006 |
| Kernel type: | Monolithic kernel |
| License: | GPL |
| Working state: | Current |
SLAX is a Linux Live CD based on the Slackware distro. It does not need to be installed on a computer system's hard drive, as it boots and runs from removable media (either a CD or a USB drive). There is also an option to run SLAX from RAM. SLAX Standard and KillBill editions use KDE as their desktop environment, while Popcorn uses XFCE. Fluxbox is an option in all versions except Frodo which is for users with a low amount of RAM.
SLAX, despite it being open source, was made by one man: Tomas Matejicek, using the Linux Live scripts and Slackware as a base.
The current version of SLAX is 5.1.8 which is around 192 MB, released on October 8, 2006.
Contents |
[edit] Editions of SLAX
There are seven versions of Slax in total. They each have unique features but some of them have overlapping features. Almost all of them include KDE except for Slax Frodo and Slax Popcorn. The special features of each version are available as modules, so if you want to have compiling tools in Slax Popcorn, that should be possible.
- Slax Kill-Bill
- Slax Kill-Bill includes Wine, to run Windows programs in Slax. It also includes Qemu, which emulates a computer, and allows you to run other operating systems while running Slax. Again, not all programs will work with Wine, but you can certainly give it a try.
- Slax Professional
- Slax Professional will have tools for compiling programs. The normal tools for these take over 40 MB, so they could not be included in the normal Slax.
- Slax Frodo
- Slax Frodo is a tiny version, (about 50 MB) which doesn't include X. That means there's only text to look at, and type with. No graphics here. However, this is good for older computers, or to set up a server for which you don't need X.
- Slax Hacker
- Slax Hacker will include tools for hacking including ethereal, network sniffers, and other security related tools.
- Slax Server
- Slax Server contains tools for a server, with DNS, DHCP, SAMBA, HTTP, FTP, MySQL, SMTP, POP3, IMAP, and SSH all ready to go out of the box.
- Slax Popcorn
- Slax Popcorn is a small version around 115 MB which doesn't include KDE, but is a GTK based version of Slax with XFCE and Fluxbox, programs for multimedia, as well as Mozilla software.
[edit] Features
[edit] Easy customization
The primary feature of SLAX is easy customization. Using any Slackware package, you can easily add additional software to the base CD, and burn a customized distribution. With a bit more trouble, you can add rpm's, and even directory trees.
All editions of SLAX and some of the distributions based on SLAX can be modified using MySlax Creator and modules from SLAX modules page or other sources.
Base SLAX contains the following software:
- Linux Kernel 2.6.16
- X.org 6.9
- UnionFS & SquashFS
- KDE 3.5.2
- MPlayer 1.0pre7 with KPlayer
- Rdesktop (rscp in KDE)
- Hotplug support
- Cdrtools
- Mutt e-mail client
- Wget
A full list of software can be found at SLAX software page.
[edit] Webconfig
Webconfig is a feature of SLAX that allows changes made to a session to be saved to an online repository on the SLAX server. When booting SLAX from a liveCD, this option is activated by using a "cheatcode" or boot option. At the boot prompt, press F1 to reveal the available boot options. Previously saved system settings will be applied to the current session. It is also possible to save and restore system settings from an active session. The current limit for the official Webconfig repository is 28 MiB.
Webconfig is deprecated, but still working. There is no current official replacement for webconfig (as of 7 July 2006). However, SSHfs is expected to replace Webconfig in the future.
[edit] Distributions based on SLAX
[edit] AliXe
AliXe ICE edition is a bilingual live CD (in english and french), based on SLAX 5.1.8 Popcorn. The window manager is IceWM with GTK2 applications included.
[edit] BackTrack
BackTrack is a live Slax-based distribution with many functional information security and penetration testing tools. It is built by the creators of the estimable Whoppix and Auditor Live CDs.
[edit] DNALinux
DNALinux is a Linux LiveCD with Bioinformatics software included. This distro is based on SLAX but include programs like BLAST and EMBOSS. DNALinux is made by Genes Digitales and Quilmes National University, Argentina.
[edit] Gnu-HALO Project
GNU-Halo Live CD is an experimental Linux distribution that takes some new and some old-but-rarely-used ideas regarding Operating System Layout, User Interface Design and System Security and puts them all together in one package.
[edit] GoblinX
GoblinX is directed towards desktop users and features customized desktops: KDE, Xfce and Enlightenment (window manager). GoblinX contains some of the most often used applications for Linux.
[edit] LG3D LiveCD
LG3D LiveCD is a SLAX based LiveCD containing Project Looking Glass 3D as desktop.
[edit] Open Source Free CD
Open Source Free CD contains a compilation of high quality Open Source (and some Freeware) software for Windows. Also included on the CD is a bootable Slax Linux LiveCD.
[edit] Physics-Live CD
Physics-Live CD is based on Slax livecd. It contains many physical simulations created by using c, gtk and glade. The physical simulations are taken from author's research and from the internet. This livecd is useful for learning and teaching physics and research in physics.
[edit] Planktum
Planktum Slax tailored in a not technical show-off, but with the intention to allow a fast, versatile and "slimmed" Spanish-English system that simplifies the boot process, and that includes a friendly graphical user interface(GUI) following a design that comes close to the visual culture of the target group of users to whom it is addressed i.e. Immigrants. There is an intention to distribute copies of Planktum around marginalized communities, be it Africans, Latinos, Chinese etc. Users are met with a graphical environment that includes 4 basic icons on the desktop, all leading to communication applications (present version includes Skype, WebBrowser, Email Client and an Instant Messaging application).
[edit] Sauver OS
Sauver is simple to use and very useful for recovering deleted files and performing various other day to day activities. Includes GUI tools for Installing Wi-fi Drivers, Creating SWAP Files, Recovering Deleted files, Partition Manager and various others. The Sauver specific programs (Undelete GUIs, Wireless Manager, Save Settings, Sauver.Office) are the work of a single person, Maulik Gordhandas.
[edit] SimpleSlax
SimpleSlax is a variant SLAX LiveCD designed to be both small at 120 MB and lightweight for use with older hardware. Clean and minimal GUI and file system settings with device information support and the option to use the Dillo web browser, built to load quickly and run smoothly on machines with under 300 MHz processing and less than 128 MB installed RAM. Provided with script and support notes for installation.
[edit] Sla-game-ax
Sla-game-ax is a 3D Gaming LiveCD based on Slax 5.0.6. The games included on the CD are: Quake3 demo, Quake2 demo, Cube, Tuxkart, Doom Legacy, and Chromium.
[edit] SLAMPP
SLAMPP is a live Slax-based distribution configured to be a home server.
[edit] Slast
Slast is a live Slax-based distribution created by the Infonomicon Computer Club that is designed to be a on-demand Asterisk system. The CD contains an Asterisk module that loads configuration files upon boot up that allows a user to make any PC connected to an Internet connection into their Asterisk PBX.
[edit] TeaM-TL
TeaM-TL is yet another LiveCD Linux distribution based on Slax. TeaM-TL (TeXLive in LinuxLive) aspires to become the most comprehensive Linux LiveCD-based implementation of TeX.
The main goal of TeaM-TL is to produce an all-in-one environment for TeXing with the right tools within a modern operating system. All software comes ready-to-use on one standard, bootable optical disk, be it CD, DVD, HD-DVD or Blu-Ray format.
Another goal is the promotion of TeX. As a bonus, when TeXing, the user can listen to music, surf the Web and read email, among other activities.
For beginners, TeaM-TL is the easiest way to discover the wonderful world of TeX. The user does not have to add fonts and packets, or wrongly configure TeX features and editords. TeX-nicians have in their shirt pockets a ready-to-use, powerful TeX Linux LiveCD distro for use anywhere. One needs only a PC with a CD drive to begin TeXing.
Monika, a mathematician, and Tomek, an electrician, two Polish self-professed "computer nerds" who love Linux and TeX, develop and maintain TeaM-TL.
[edit] Wolvix
Wolvix is a LiveCD Linux distribution based on Slax. The lastest version release, 1.0.5, comes in two editions, Cub and Hunter. Wolvix Cub is designed to fit on a 256 MB USB stick. Wolvix Hunter fits on a 512 MB USB stick.
There are three editions of the earlier version release, 1.0.4; Desktop Edition (DE), Games Edition (GE), and Media Edition (ME). Wolvix DE is a full featured distribution with up to date open source software including OpenOffice 2 for office productivity, Bluefish (text editor) for web development and Firefox for the web browser. Yet this distribution is fairly light weight at 461 MB in size. See the Wolvix web site for a complete list. Wolvix GE is loaded with fifty games, but weighs in at only 478 MB in size. In addition to software for daily tasks, Wolvix ME has a variety of video and audio software such as CD and DVD rippers and encoders, and audio and video editing programs.
Like Slax, Wolvix distributions are bootable from an appropriately sized USB drive. Wolvix's ISOs can also be modified using MySlax Creator.
