Porteus

Overview

Porteus is a free, open-source portable Linux distribution based on Slackware Linux, optimized for running from CDs, USB flash drives, hard drives, or other bootable storage media. It is community-maintained and hosted at porteus.org, supporting the x86_64 and i686 architectures (with some ARM support in testing), making it suitable for desktop, embedded devices, and kiosk deployments. Porteus features a modular design, emphasizing fast boot times, a compressed file system (loaded into RAM), and custom extensions. The ISO file size is approximately 300 MB and offers either the XFCE or KDE Plasma desktop environments. It inherits the simplicity of Slackware but supports installation to hard disk via the Porteus Installer. The latest version, Porteus 5.1 (released December 2024), is based on Slackware 15.0, uses kernel 6.6, and supports Wayland. A Porteus Kiosk edition is also available for locking down the web terminal.

History and Development

• Origins:
  • 2008: The Porteus project was launched as a community remix of Slax by Tomas M., with the goal of creating a more modular Slackware live system.
  • Inspired by Slax (the Slackware Live CD), but optimized for smaller size and RAM load.
• Development History:
  • 2010: Porteus 1.0 was released, based on Slackware 13.1, with support for modular extensions.
  • 2014: Porteus 2.0 introduced the KDE desktop and the Porteus Installer.
  • 2018: Porteus 3.0 was based on Slackware 14.2, with optimizations for UEFI and Secure Boot.
  • 2022: Porteus 4.0 was based on Slackware 15.0, adding Wayland support.
  • December 2024: Porteus 5.1 released, based on Slackware 15.0, kernel 6.6, with optimized module loading and kiosk mode.
• Community and Support:
  • Maintained by Tomas M. and the community, hosted at porteus.org, SourceForge, and the forum (forum.porteus.org).
  • Supports English and some Chinese (via XFCE/KDE setup). Documentation covers modules and customization.
  • A Reddit user called Porteus "a live version of Slackware, perfect for reviving an old PC."
• Open Source License:
  • GPL v3 (core scripts), MIT (some tools).

Key Features

Porteus is built around modularity, portability, and Slackware compatibility, making it suitable for both desktops and kiosks. Here are its key features:

1. Modular Expansion System
   • Use Porteus Modules (.xzm files) to add software (such as Firefox and LibreOffice) using the pman tool.
2. RAM Loading and Live Running
   • Compressed files are loaded into RAM, with a boot time of less than 1 minute and support for toram mode.
3. XFCE and KDE Desktops
   • Default is XFCE 4.16, which takes up approximately 400MB of RAM. KDE Plasma can be switched.
4. Slackware Repository
   • Based on Slackware 15.0, using slackpkg for package management.
5. Hardware Compatibility
   • Supports x86_64 and i686. Kernel 6.6 is compatible with Intel, AMD, and Nvidia. - Minimum requirements: 256 MB RAM, 512 MB disk (1 GB RAM, 4 GB disk recommended).
6. Security and Privacy
   • Supports encrypted persistent storage and firewalls (module required).
7. Development Support
   • Supports Python and Git, with tools added via modules.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• Portability:
  • Live operation and modularity surpass FunOS's fixed ISO.
  • Post X states, "Porteus 5.1 runs perfectly on USB."
• Slackware Compatibility:
  • Inherits Slackware's simplicity, surpassing Archcraft's complex AUR.
• Low Requirements:
  • Suitable for older hardware, surpassing Qubes OS's high configuration.
• Kiosk Mode:
  • Porteus Kiosk's locked-down web terminal surpasses Emmabuntüs's renovation-oriented approach.
• Community Support:
  • Active SourceForge and forums, providing a module repository.

Limitations

• Limited desktop functionality:
  • XFCE/KDE is simple but lacks extensions, better than DSL's Fluxbox but not as good as Xfce's Linux Lite.
• Limited ARM support:
  • ARM beta version, not as good as Raspberry Pi OS.
• Community size:
  • Smaller than Arch Linux, with limited Chinese documentation.

Summary

Porteus is a free, open-source, Slackware-based portable Linux distribution. The latest version, 5.1 (December 2024), is based on Slackware 15.0, kernel 6.6, and supports both x86_64 and i686. It features modular extensions, live runtime, and low requirements, providing an XFCE/KDE desktop. Porteus's portability and modularity are prominent, but its desktop functionality is limited.