Take your Linux together with your keys in your pocket. You can put SPB-Linux
2 on a memory stick and boot directly from the memory stick.
The final version is released. You can download SPB-Linux
2.0
- either from "home" (www.8ung.at/spblinux)
- or from the mirror (http://spblinux.ch.vu)
(The previous floppy disk centered version SPB-Linux 1.01 is available at
home.rol3.com/~u0365142/spblinux/
).
Features (as a quick overview look at configuration
file /etc/spb.conf): (back
to top)
new with release SPB-Linux 2.0: |
- usb standard installation now includes files
to create a boot floppy disk (from spblinux, from linux or from windows);
useful if you have a bootable usb storage medium and a computer which does
not boot from usb
- the grub boot menu now contains entries to boot other media (no need
to changes boot settings in the bios):
- from floppy disk images (using memdisk from syslinux 2.0 package); store your DOS bootdisk
on usb storage and boot it from the menu (e.g. dos programs to flash
the bios...)
- from floppy disk
- from cdrom (using smart
boot manager); even with machines having a bios which does not allow
to boot from cdrom.
- changed files:
- basic system: disk1.zip, disk2.zip, disk2b.zip; usbboot.zip
- known bugs:
- sometimes browser links has to be started twice to get a working
mouse (quit the browser by typing q)
new with release SPB-Linux 2rc5: |
new with release SPB-Linux 2rc4: |
- "autoexec": automatically start your favorite program when
booting SPB-Linux 2
- e.g. to open spblinux with google set the SPB-Linux parameters:
spbconf=....,startprog=links,startarg1=-g,startarg2=http://www.google.com,....
- or use spbconf=...,cfgdev0=hda1 and create the file /spblinux/spbcfg0
on device hda1 in folder /spblinux:
startprog=links
startarg1=-g
startarg2=http://www.google.com
(it is recommended to use file spbcfg0 because the length of the boot
commandline is limited)
- directfb updated to version 0.9.16
- changed files: addons: directfb.bz2, browser.bz2.
- bug removal: libc6 was optimized for pentium 2 and is now optimized
for pentium 1 ("invalid instruction" errors on pentium 1 machines)
- changed files: basic system: disk2.zip, disk2b.zip; addons: libs.bz2.
new with release SPB-Linux 2rc3: |
- cd/dvd drives, usb storage devices and the boot device are automatically
entered into /etc/fstab (and the corresponding mountpoints are created)
- type mount /sda1 (or sdb1, sdc1 ...)
to mount a flashrom device to folder /sda1 (or sdb1, sdc1 ...)
- type mount /cdrom or mount
cdrecorder or mount /dvd to mount
these devices
- type mount /boot to mount the device
from which SPB-Linux was booted; now you can load an additional addon
by typing
loadaddon
/boot/spblinux/myaddonfolder/myaddon.bz2
useful if an addon was
not automatically loaded during the boot process
- support for compaq smart raid controller
- to mount this device type modprobe cpqarray; the devices are called
/dev/ida/c0d0p1 ...; details in /doc/cpqarray.txt;
- to boot spblinux from the first partition on this device use the
kernel parameters:
spbconf=.... root=/dev/ida/c0d0p1
bootd=ida bootd2=/c0d0p1
digicam picture viewer booted from usb storage device |
- put your image viewer (based on
directfb) together
with SPB-Linux on your flash memory card
- it is possible to boot directly from an usb memory stick or usb
flash memory card reader:
- your bios must include the option ("boot order") to boot
from USB-ZIP and/or from USB-Harddisk
- you need an USB memory stick (or an USB compact flash card reader)
which is recognized by the bios as USB Storage Device
(e.g. pendrive
from www.pendrive.com
works, sandisk cruzer (mini sd card reader) does not)
- installation details can be found here
- play your dvd or avi or divx videos with mplayer (fast cpu >800MHz required): mplayer.bz2
(additional soundcards in snd_alsa.bz2); more
man pages of programs of SPB-Linux |
- the man pages can be found online here and as SPB-Linux
addon (doc_all.bz2); more
midnight commander, telnet, ftp.... |
- features of the basic system
are
- Midnight
Commander (like Norton Commander); a screenshot is here.
user defined menu: F2:
- in english
(default) or german language (spb-boot parameter: lng=us or lng=ge)
- format floppy (bootable with GRUB or 1.68 MB DMF format)
- establish
FTP-connection to a second pc running SPB-Linux just by typing F2 n
- ftp server and client (full access as user root with default password
root; password change with commandline tool changepw)
- telnet server and client (full access as user root with default
password root; password change with commandline tool changepw)
- dhcp client
- bootloader grub
- choose size of ramdisk when booting: 4MB ... 64MB
- most parameters can be adjusted at the boot prompt (very useful when
booting from cd); see grub.htm and spb.conf
- kernel 2.4.20;
busybox 0.60.5
- http server: thttpd
2.20c (thttp.bz2)
- vnc
viewer (start with alt f2, directvnc, exit with ctrl+q;
more)
- usb mouse supported (+ untested: usb keyboard support)
- clean shutdown with instruction halt; clean reboot with ctrl+alt+del
- samba
client to access windows shared files (smb_cl.bz2)
Requirements: (back to
top)
- Pentium compatible CPU
- 64 MB RAM recommended (minimum 16 MB RAM: with 4MB ramdisk and lib5
libraries; 8MB ramdisk is possible but it remains but little space for programs)
- rtl8139, ne2000 (pci) or 3com 3c59x network interface card (many other
cards with addon spbnet2.bz2)
Windows tools: rawritewin
(write floppy disk images), tightvnc
(remote desktop client and server), putty
(ssh client, replacing telnet), winscp
(comfortable ssh based file copy tool)
License: GPL (free
non commercial and commercial use as described by the GNU
GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE)
Feedback welcome: osth@freesurf.ch
Christian Ostheimer, 2003-01
(back to top)