Dyne:bolic

From Free net encyclopedia

dyne:bolic is a LiveCD GNU/Linux distribution geared towards multimedia production with a useful assortment of applications for creative users.

While it may not be as feature filled as other multimedia-specific implementation of Linux, (such as DeMuDi), it was designed from ground up to be used as LiveCD (instead of a demo version): it does not require installation to a hard drive and attempts to recognize most devices and peripherals automatically (for example sound, video, TV etc).

Since it was not based on existing LiveCDs, its basic system requirements is low: a PC with an Pentium MMX (i586) class CPU and 64 MB of RAM (Compared to mediainlinux, which is based on Knoppix and require 128mb of RAM). It can also work on an Xbox game console.

dyne:bolic has been shaped by the needs of media activists, artists and creators, being a practical tool for multimedia production. With it one can manipulate and broadcast both sound and video with tools to record, edit, encode and stream.

It is also simpler to understand for Windows users: "installation", is running it from harddisk is as simple as copying a directory from the CD (also called Docking). Booting from a floppy disk is also supported. Additionally, unlike other LiveCDs, It can save user settings in a file on partition (or even user's own USB pen drive) which can be also encrypted for better privacy (so called Nesting). Window Maker is used as the desktop interface.

It is entirely based on free software. While it has many multimedia specific programs, it also has folders (in the CD) containing basic word processors, a feature lacking in many multimedia Linux LiveCDs.

The dyne:bolic author and mantainer Jaromil has also created various multimedia tools included inside: MuSE, HasciiCam, FreeJ, as well as other software functionalities such as the Nesting and Docking, while his friend Smilzo contributed the support for Xbox game consoles.

Since the latest versions it contains many JACK Audio Connection Kit applications and can easily turn a network of computers into an openMosix cluster.

dyne:bolic is the GNU/Linux distribution listed in the top 10 open source projects of year 2005, see this article on Slashdot.

Current version is 1.4.1. Dyne:II-bolic is currently being developed.