Dotsch/UX For Linux

Dotsch/UX is a unique project that tries to develop a diskless computer operating system for the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC). It is derived from the world’s most popular distribution of Linux, Ubuntu.

This Ubuntu-based operating system is distributed as 32-bit/64-bit Live CDs, which means that it can be used on modern computers or machines with old and semi-old hardware components.

Dotsch/UX runs in persistent mode when booted from the Live CDs. This means that you will be able to save your session and reuse the bootable medium (only works with USB thumb drives) wherever you like.

Despite the fact that is runs on 32-bit and 64-bit machines, the operating system has been designed from the offset to be low on resources, which means that it will be bootable on computers with as low as 64MB of RAM (in text mode).

The graphical GNOME desktop will require more RAM, about 128 MB or more. The interface is classic, uses a two-panel layout and provides a productive environment for students and teachers alike.

An interesting feature of Dotsch/UX is that it includes a server for diskless clients, which comprises of several tools, requiring you to only configure the main parameters. The distribution offers a proxy server that can create an isolated network between the diskless, USB and HDD clients.

There are many other attractive features in Dotsch/UX, such as the BOINC client that comes pre-installed and it’s automatically started in background as a daemon, SSH (Secure Shell) support, a client/server backup solution, as well as the Ganglia HPC/HA cluster grid client/server performance monitoring utility.