If you need a compact, streamlined distro capable of running on an aging machine, take a look at Puppy Linux 2.17, a fresh release containing a number of new features, including seriously upgraded printing capabilities and enhanced modem detection and configuration.

With the recent release of Puppy Linux 4.00, developer Barry Kauler and his team have provided a lightweight but functional Linux operating system. To help reduce size and include more functionality over the previous binary-package-based Puppy 3.01, Puppy 4.00 has been compiled from a Slackware 12-based source.

This week we begin your Puppy training in earnest and we'll start by connecting to the Internet. If the PC you are running Puppy Linux has a connection through a router or Wi-Fi adaptor then it should be a breeze. If you are using a dial-up modem see this week's Top Tip.

The most recent release of Puppy Linux, version 5.1 “Lucid Puppy” includes some significant changes such as binary compatibility with the Ubuntu 10.04 packages, easier package installation with Quickpet and Puppy Package Manager, a new Simple Network Setup utility and more. I dove into Puppy 5.1 over the weekend, took some screenshots, and made a video showing a few of Lucid Puppy's features.

Puppy Linux 5.0 is built from Ubuntu Linux 10.04 (Lucid Lynx) binaries, so it’s…er…pet name is Lucid Puppy. Like a lot of other things about Puppy Linux, the name is cute and adorable. I felt like giving Puppy Linux a dog bone and a pat on the head when I started using it.

By now, you might have noticed that I'm a big fan of Puppy Linux. I wrote about this tiny Linux distro in Linux (Pro) Magazine, and extol its virtues at any given opportunity. It is the distro I'm running on my workhorse ASUS Eee PC 701 4G netbook, and it helps me to stay productive not only in airports, cafés, and hotel rooms but also at home.

It's been a year and a half or so since my last Puppy Linux review. Then, I tested Puppy 2.1. Today, Puppy has reached version 4.1 - and boy, has it grown.

Scott Jarvis sent us info on his just released Puppy Arcade 5, a Puppy Linux flavor with a retro video game emulation based on TurboPup Xtreme (arguably the fastest Puppy derivative).

You're probably familiar with the live CD concept -- a fully functional operating system on a CD that can be run on any computer that boots from its optical drive, without affecting the one(s) already installed.