Several new releases of ByzantineOS have been made this month. The ByzantineOS distro is now in its first stable release. ByzantineOS is a software Internet Appliance with a home entertainment bias, based on the OEone‘s engine. It is based on a networked Linux distribution/bootable system with Mozilla providing access to a range of services and applications. ByzantineOS fits in 32MB (or 48MB) of media and should work on most PCs (Pentium Pro/Celeron or better).
Introducing the ByzantineOS
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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Wow, im impressed that they get to do so much with such a small total size. I can just see the posts coming up, “if they can do it so small, why is Distro Y 8 CDs?!”, the answer: this one cant possibly do everything that the bigger distros can. But its still neat to see what they can cram into so little.
And how much hardware support is there for DirectFB? Its a neat project.
I don’t get it. What is the point of this one?
It’s great that it’s a bootable thingy and all, but really what use is it? If someone could give some practical examples of why this is useful, well, that’d be apreciated.
Ever go somewheres, that was running windows, wanted to use linux, but couldnt install it? You pop a CD like that in, and you get a linux environment, without needing to touch the harddrive.
Or how bout to fix your foobared distro (oh it happens)?
It’s uses are limited, but i think such things have their place.
There is also the distro called ‘Knoppix’ that does more or less the same. A big difference thats its a full CD with a compressed filesystem hosting around 1.5 GB.
I like it how Mozilla is all held in memory – sure makes a heck of a difference. Apart from the fact that I couldn’t use my CNet network card, I like the idea of a memory only OS.
hmm… wonder I Blue Eyed OS could be used to do this? Anyone?
Yes, I imagine that BlueEyed OS could be used to rig up something similar to this. But that point is pretty damned moot, considering B.E.OS can’t do much of anything right now.
I can’t resist these things. I wonder about the hardware support though. OEone, unless they’ve really updated recently, had not really gotten past the Intel 810 chipset (generally speaking).But, I’m not sure how much of it is based on OEone.
I know you can’t always tell everything about a product without trying it out, but the interface looks horrible. I can’t even see what apps there are or how you would launch them. Of course I’m downloading it to try it, but it seems like Knoppix with less functionality. Lastly the sys requirement seem a bit stiff. 128MB min for full grahpics? I guess this isn’t a project for old P233’s you want to do something with.
I think Linux is the most poorest os in the world it just as bad has windows I just loaded on BEOS and I have nerver turn back to any other OS. How can you use Linux it slow, it can not do media like same as little as playing a movie with out redoing the OS and install program is a nightmate that if you can read the fonts it using. Windows & Linux OS’s are a joke if you need a real OS it out really try BEOS you will not turn back to Windows or Linux. Stop joking again with OS that are slow can not really mulitask. If you are saying that linux can Mulitask you are joking we are live in year 2002 so use a OS that look,feel and act like it does not like linux based programs look like same out old Macintosh plus can show. that new OS look poor if you need a kernel think BSD not LINUX
Thax
Not invalidating your opinion – I just wish I could understand it!
I guess they grow good weed in the Riverland, eh?
lol, thanks for giving me a good laugh
I’m writing this post under ByzantineOS, it works fine, except the keyboard which is not configured for my french one. It’ s really perfect for webbrowsing without a harddisk. the iso is small , the boot time is ‘fast enough’. Nice job.
Regards
Guillaume
This product is not based on OEone’s HomeBase. It is based on Mozilla, as is HomeBase, but this is not based on HomeBase.
Mike
I’ll fit this small Linux OS in a small card CD and will put into my wallet
I’ll use this small linux to test network cards and wires problems, to ensure its not a windows problem without reintalling anything.
I’ll help me to use that old Pentium II with a damaged Hard disk to put it beside my TV and play DVD and mpeg on it.
Thanks for this great OS.
I am downloading this right now.
Apparently this includes DirectFB and XDirectFB, allowing for real transparency and ultra-fast rendering.
>> “and ultra-fast rendering”
Yeah, if your videocard is supported for 100%
Unfortunately alpha blending is done in software when you’ve got a NVIDIA based videocard..
That means that small windows are pretty fast, but larger translucent windows will be slower (as I’ve noticed myself yesterday, when trying out this ByzantineOS)
I have to admit though that even using these flaky NV drivers for DirectFB, the GUI is veeeeery smooth
It really has a ‘windows-like’ feeling to it, and that’s a good thing ™ in this case.
Hm.. I really hope XFree 5.0 will also make it this smooth…
::Insert inevitable comment about watching out for the Turks at the gates::
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