Various questions about SparkyLinux.

[tumbleweed789]

Newbie here wanting to know how lightweight is SparkyLinux compared to other lightweight distros. Is it less resource consuming than Lubuntu? How speedy is Sparky and is it beginner friendly like Ubuntu based distros?

[pavroo]

It's really depends on a machine power, but check here:
http://sparkylinux.org/sparky-3-4-3-4-1-tests/
I should make it for the latest version as well.

[tumbleweed789]

Could you guys make your ISOs smaller? I know there is a command line version, but I need a GUI. I have DVD RWs but I can't get Lubuntu to delete and write to them. I have blank CD Rs but they only have about 600 MB of storage. USB booting doesn't work either.

[paxmark1]

"man wodim" to see how to blank dvdrw's   or something like my bash script ~/bin/blankcdrw

Code Select Expand

#!/bin/bash
wodim -v  blank=fast dev=/dev/sr0


Using unetbootin   often does not work.  If you motherboard bios will support booting from a usb then try to
     dd  the iso onto a usb stick             google            VastOne dd iso       
http://crunchbang.org/forums/viewtopic.php?id=23267

   VastOne mantains a sid distro. 

[pavroo]

@tumbleweed789
Sorry it is not possible.
Even I will remove all the wifi drivers, web browser, there nothing left after in the base edition, but the size is about 800 MB or more.
In a case like yours, use Plop boot manager:
http://sparkylinux.org/wiki/doku.php/boot_old

[tumbleweed789]

@tumbleweed789
Sorry it is not possible.
Even I will remove all the wifi drivers, web browser, there nothing left after in the base edition, but the size is about 800 MB or more.
In a case like yours, use Plop boot manager:
http://sparkylinux.org/wiki/doku.php/boot_old

Sorry about the late reply if it is a problem, holidays made my hands full. This worked thanks! Problem is that this is more complicated than I expected. My hope was that SparkyLinux would be a rolling version of Lubuntu, but when I updated the system it took to me a command line and asked me questions I didn't understand. Somehow after I rebooted Sparky still worked lol! I should simply stick to Lubuntu huh?

[paxmark1]

I should simply stick to Lubuntu huh?

That is your choice.  Using a rolling release of Debian (the base of Sparky) means that you are tearing out and building back up the structure of your system.  It is somewhat like living in a house with always one  room under construction. 

https://release.debian.org/transitions/

The Perl 5.22 room is almost done- it went pretty easy and on  budget. But the libstc++ room last August required users to get extra help online, to be very careful with dist-upgrades and cost more time than expected. 

The "zoning people" will just pop in during your room construction =  dist-upgrades on the command line and use terse words, (short difficult and in their own usage of the language) and tell you about changes to the "electrical system" or "plumbing system"  Typing "q" makes their notification disappear. 

For non-rolling distros, when there is a change from "weasel" to "tapir" (Ubuntu) or from one Toy Story character to another ( Wheezy to Jessie to Stretch in Debian) there is a long list of changes that you probably don't read closely.  For Testing, you get the list of changes one at a time, because linux lets you know the architecture and design of the system. 

Read https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTesting

Stretch testing will enter a quieter phase in September 2016 and an even quieter phase in November 2016. 

https://wiki.debian.org/DebianStretch

If you feel that it is too difficult at this time or that you need a very stable system, Sparky based on Debian Tesing might be too much.  But as your linux skills increase, you might want to stop back again in the Fall. 

peace out.