GParted & Clonezilla: 2 Small GNU/Linux Distros – ‘Special *PURPOSE* Linuxes’

(8/08/2021 – Some links had expired and were removed for this transfer)

Linux has been screwed up for at least the 25-years I have been following it. Not only is the so-called “Desktop” Linux Fragmented into over 2000++ ‘Fragments’, *EVERYTHING* in ‘n around Linux is also Fragmented…yes, especially the Linux Communities. For example:

GNU/Linux naming controversy
Within the free software and the open-source software communities there is controversy over whether to refer to computer operating systems that use a combination of GNU software and Linux kernel as “GNU/Linux” or “Linux” systems.

Nothing ever seems settled wid Linux…or GNU…or is it GNU/Linux!?

Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Too many choices overwhelm the consumer/customer/user.
Too many desktop choices held Linux back from succeeding as a desktop operating system?

As Linus Torvalds says, “Desktop Linux” is not for “normal people” – ‘“One of the problems Desktop” Linux has is it’s not made for “normal people, and by normal people I mean, obviously nontechnical people…”’

Well, that simple ‘n truthful statement has been obvious to actual Worldwide normal Desktop/Laptop OS users for decades, which is one of the many reasons why “Desktop Linux” has remained stuck at around 2+-% of the Worldwide Desktop/Laptop OS user market share for decades…”Desktop” Linux is currently @ just 1.66%.

Are Linux Distros about to become Apps for other OSes?

Looks like Windows 11 is going to offer Android apps along wid the Linux apps. Chrome OS has also been offering Linux apps. Have read Android offers Linux apps or is going to offer them. Apple/Mac…I don’t know anything about them.

Other than Ubuntu ‘n Fedora there is not much demand for “Desktop” Linux, so there will be little to no need for other OSes to even consider adding the other Linux Distros to their app selections. Special *PURPOSE* Linuxes would be an exception, of course.

Windows 10/11 and Android are already top OSes in Desktop ‘n Mobile categories, and it looks like Chromebook’s Chrome OS has moved ahead of Apple, at least temporarily, in the Desktop/Laptop category.

Top 3 operating systems in 2021
Let’s review the top 3 operating systems in the world, Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Google Chrome OS.
Some operating systems are designed by groups of people around the world, like the open source, freely available operating system Linux, while others are commercial products made by one company, such as Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s macOS. For ages now, every annual report on desktop operating system market share has had the same top two contenders: Microsoft’s Windows in a commanding lead at number one and Apple’s macOS in distant second place.
But in 2020, Chrome OS became the second-most popular OS, and Apple fell to third. That’s according to numbers from market data firm IDC and a report on IDC’s data by publication GeekWire. Chrome OS had passed macOS briefly in individual quarters before, but 2020 was the first full year when Apple’s OS took third place.

The modern ‘Technological World’ moves waaaaaay too fast for “Desktop” Linux to keep up. However, Special *PURPOSE* Linuxes are not held back by the attempt to become a “Desktop” Linux OS.

Special PURPOSE* Linuxes* as Companion OSes for Windows 10/11

Puppy Linux isn’t the only great ‘Companion OS’ for Windows 10/11. However, FossaPup64 9.5 (AKA Puppy Linux 9.5) has been my one of my favorite Linux Distros for a long time, because of its ‘Portability & Rescue’ abilities, but also for its ‘Companion OS‘ usefulness.

Special *PURPOSE* Linuxes offer all kinds of ways to use Linux as a Companion OS, a secondary OS, a utility OS, etc. Even after 25-years, I am still finding great ways to use Linuxes that can actually offer a useful ‘Purpose’ to Windows 10/11 users.

1) GParted: has been a personal favorite ‘Utility OS’, that is often considered just an app. Have wanted to incorporate it into Windows 10 for a long time, but it wasn’t offered as a choice until recently, in the testing area of the Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI (WSLg). It’s close to being fully operational in Windows 11, when it comes out later this year. GParted Live: ‘is a small bootable GNU/Linux distribution for x86 based computers. It enables you to use all the features of the latest versions of the GParted application.’ Haven’t really used the Live version much at all.
2) Clonezilla: an excellent ‘Utility OS’ for Linuxes. Surprisingly, most “Desktop” Linux users don’t know how to use it…probably spent most of their time trying to keep their favorite “Desktop” Distro OS working, and haven’t considered just doing a backup image of their Distro. Of course, doing a backup image of most “Desktop” Linuxes is a waste of time anyway, because they’ll just break again after restoring the image. Linuxes like Puppy Linux, Ubuntu Linux, Fedora Linux, AlmaLinux OS, and CentOS Stream Linux are easily backed up ‘n restored wid Clonezilla. I also have images of some other Distros made, if they were difficult to install, or took a long long time to install, or if they required money, etc., e.g. Redcore Linux, EOS Linux, Kali Linux, Elive Linux, Vanilla Arch (Gnome ‘n Cinnamon), Manjaro Architect (huge, hard to get iso, and slow install), and a few others.