SLAX

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Slax
Green cloverleaf - Slax logo
Screenshot of SLAX Standard Edition 6.0.7
Slax Standard Edition 6.0.7
Company / developer Tomáš Matějíček
OS family Linux
Working state Current
Source model Open source
Latest stable release v 6.0.9 / 2008-12-12; 110 days ago
Kernel type Monolithic kernel
License Various
Website www.slax.org

Slax is a Linux Live CD operating system based on Slackware. It does not need to be installed on a computer system's hard drive; it boots and runs from either a CD or USB drive. There is also an option to run Slax from RAM. SLAX was developed by Tomáš Matějíček in Czech republic using the Linux Live scripts.

Slax 6 was released on 2008-02-12.

Contents

[edit] Editions

[edit] Slax 6

Slax 6 is offered in a single version, and completely relies on modules (additional packages) for extra features.

[edit] Slax 5

There are five official versions of Slax 5:

  • Slax Standard is the standard distribution for normal personal use.
  • Slax KillBill includes Wine, DosBox and Qemu to run DOS and Microsoft Windows applications.
  • Slax Server supplies additional Internet functionality and comes with pre-configured DNS, DHCP, SAMBA, HTTP, FTP, MySQL, SMTP, POP3, IMAP, SSH and other server applications.
  • Slax Popcorn is a minimalistic version focused on browsing and multimedia playback. It features Mozilla Firefox as the default web browser and the lightweight Xfce as a desktop environment instead of KDE.
  • Slax Frodo is a "bare bone" version, providing only a full-featured text-only environment, particularly focused on computers with small amounts of RAM.

Fluxbox is an option in all versions except Frodo.

[edit] Features

One of the primary features of Slax is easy customization. Additional software, such as Slackware packages, can be added to the basic CD to customize the distribution. The Slax homepage offers a software repository for downloading user created packages (modules) and uploading new ones. [1]

Slax modules are rather simple for the average user to create, customize, and install. Slax lzm modules can be created with the help of the debian package tools (dpkg) module available on the Slax website module page, which enables one to be able to convert deb (Debian) packages into Slax modules using the deb2lzm command, the syntax being deb2lzm source_filename.deb [output_file.lzm]. Additionally one can create Slax modules from folders containing the full path of the folders and files intended to be installed using dir2lzm, the syntax being dir2lzm source_directory output_file.lzm. An example of a folder made to place a file entitled 1.txt in a folder located at /root/Desktop/1/ would contain the following file and folders:
/root/
/root/Desktop/
/root/Desktop/1/
/root/Desktop/1/1.txt

Slax stores all its modules in compressed read-only files (SquashFS file system images using the LZMA compression patches). The various modules are stacked together to build the complete Slax root file system. A supplemental writable layer (a TmpFS file system) is put on the top of the stack to implement the write functionality.

The stackable file system of choice changed between Slax 5 (UnionFS) and 6 (AuFS), as did the module file name extension (changed from .mo to .lzm).

[edit] Derivative distributions

Various distributions have been based on SLAX. More information can be found through the DistroWatch site and the Live Developers community wiki.

  • Linvo - a live desktop distribution with software for daily uses, has an installer and APT-like system for Slackware: slapt-get
  • BackTrack - a live distribution with many functional information security and penetration testing tools.
  • DAVIX - a live cd for data analysis and visualization.
  • De-ICE.net - A set of live CDs designed to be used as penetration test targets.
  • SimpleSlax - A 98 MB SLAX 5.1.8 derivative particularly suited for minimal or legacy hardware use and further remastering.
  • SLAMPP - a live distribution configured to be a home server.
  • Ophcrack Live CD - a live distribution that automates the retrieval, decryption, and cracking of passwords from a Windows system.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Slax modules, Official Slax module repository

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Operating systems that offer the Xfce desktop
v • d • e
Linux distributions
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SLAX"
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