There's a new Puppy in town

Puppy Linux gets a new version -- 2.14. It can't be more than a month since the last Puppy, but since it works so well as a live CD, it's easy to just download a new 80 MB ISO and burn a new disc. I'm writing this entry on the new Puppy, which I got via the download page.

Here's what's new in Puppy 2.14.

Upon first boot, my pup_save file was modified -- the boot script told me everything -- and at this point I don't know whether to save the configuration or revert back and stay with 2.13 for now. I'm very averse to upgrading anything when I don't have to, but in the case of Linux, anything that promises to recognize more of my hardware is something I want -- and now.

For a quick Puppy progress report, on the newish Dell 3 GHz, everything works great -- sound, Ethernet, printing and video. I'll have to try this new build on This Old PC to see if I can get wireless with it. As I've said before, the first Linux to get everything working on both of these boxes wins.

In the running for best small Linux is Damn Small Linux. The bigger DSL-n rendition does Ethernet on the Dell, but I've yet to get wireless on This Old PC working with anything -- and the regular DSL won't even find the Ethernet on the Dell. The closest so far has been Ubuntu -- I see routers but get nothing in Firefox. I need some time to test this new ... Puppy ... and do more DSL work as well.

The first thing I notice in Puppy 2.14 is that it seems faster. As always, Puppy runs totally in RAM, but Abiword and the Seamonkey browser load instantly -- not even a 2-second wait.