View Source: ByzantineOsReview - Waikato Linux Users Group

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!! Intro

[ByzantineOS | http://byzgl.sourceforge.net/] is a small LinuxDistribution focussing on Internet Appliances. While in beta stage, it is clean, fast, and fits on a 48MB [ISO] by virtue of choices like using BusyBox and running [X11] in a FrameBuffer. It concentrates on the web software selection an Internet Appliance typically offers, ie a WebBrowser.

!! Booting

Pop the [CD] in, reboot, make sure you are booting off the [CDROM] drive, and sit back. The boot process is streamlined and progresses automatically. It autodetected and configured my graphics card and network card, and proceeded to load up the [XServer].

!! Using it

X is loaded without a WindowManager. A very customised [Mozilla] 1.6 (in the build as of September 2004) is launched by default. The developers have chosen to use it as an application platform, so it is used to run applications, browse the web, and even configure your network card. Applications include an SNES emulator, [Gaim], [XMMS], some card games, a calculator, and a few others.

!! Conclusion

It's a cool idea. On a small machine with a nice display it could be a nifty WebBrowser OS. It has come a long way since alpha, and feels very polished. The addition of other applications since then makes it quite a neat little distribution. The layout of the [Mozilla] interface is, IMO, less than optimal, but that's partly because it's totally different to the "normal" layout.

All that limits its usefulness for the living room is the awful display quality of TVs -- at least until [HDTV]...

--DanielLawson

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Last edited on Thursday, September 23, 2004 7:33:16 pm by AristotlePagaltzis

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