Specialty Linuxes to the rescue
Linux is, among other things, a customizable operating system. Clever developers can craft a Linux whose kernel and packages are configured for a specific purpose, to serve as a sort of vertical-market operating system. The benefit to users is somewhat akin to walking into a hardware store. On the shelves are tools, each suited to a specific task. And it's particularly nice that all the tools are free.
In this article, we examine three kinds of "Linux as tool" distributions that can help you in a pinch: small-footprint Linuxes, whose boot and runtime images fit in cramped spaces; Linuxes for old hardware, which are designed to execute on systems you might otherwise push to the back of a closet; and system-rescue Linuxes for recovering lost data from crashed systems.
From each category, we have selected a pair of representatives and probed their features. In a follow-up article, we'll look at several Linuxes designed to run as firewalls, security systems, and even storage servers for your local network. Some are full gateway servers, sporting proxy, e-mail, print services, VPN, and other essentials for the small business network.
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