The little Linux distribution that could: tomsrtbt [NewsForge]

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Dec. 27, 2001

In this article at NewsForge, Russell Pavlicek reviews what appears to be an extremely valuable single-floppy bootable Linux system. Pavlicek writes . . .

"The Linux community frequently discusses the pros and cons of various Linux distributions. We constantly seem hear the question, 'But which distribution should I use?' The answer to this question often depends on the needs of the user. Some distributions excel as desktop systems while others do better as servers."

"But, when the issue is technical support, there are only two distributions that I keep with me: the LinuxCare distribution and tomsrtbt (frequently pronounced 'Tom's Root Boot'). Today, we will examine the Thomas A. Oehser's marvelous little distribution, tomsrtbt version 1.7.361. "

"According to its Web page, 'tomsrtbt' is short for 'Tom's floppy which has a root filesystem and is also bootable.' It also claims to be 'The most GNU/Linux on one floppy disk" -- and this is one distribution which lives up to and beyond its hype."

"Now, I can hear some people ask, 'What can a Linux distribution that fits on a single floppy disk do for me?' The answer is 'plenty.' You won't want to run your enterprise on this particular distribution, but it might very well bail out your enterprise from time to time. Tomsrtbt can be an important tool in your toolkit . . ."

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