Project: Linux Reviews

Windows rules or goes Phat?

By Chandrahas Shetty <chandra@freeos.com>
Posted: ( 2001-03-08 07:17:33 EST by )
This distro of Linux is for all those who are desperate to try out Linux but are scared to make the jump. Check out Phat Linux – you can’t get any closer to Windows than this. It not only installs on your Windows partition but also starts up from there.

I am(was) a great Microsoft Windows fan. One of the best things of Microsoft Windows is the sheer ease with which it can be installed. Over the years I have had to do it many times, especially since I keep getting this blue screen and I have to press the power button to get things going again. That and installing software that came on any magazine CD would have me formatting the disk every few months.

I was first introduced to Linux when I joined FreeOS. Actually they gave me no other options but to try it out – pretty mean of them. A few weeks of sweating it out with Linux and I thought I would try it on my home machine too. However, that was easier said than done. A few minutes into the installation and I was looking at obscure stuff like disk partitioning, mount points, root and swap…. oh well, let’s stick to good ol Windows. So life went on till one day this packet came in from Phat Linux containing just one CD. It looked pretty intriguing—a Linux distro that could be installed on Windows? And the CD said that neither had I to partition the hard disk nor had I to be a hardcore techie to install it. Sounded too good to be true. Anyway, no harm in trying it, I thought and headed for home with the CD.
Well, I was soon to find that Phat Linux is one of the most easy-to-install operating systems.

Phat Linux allows Windows users to run Linux while preserving their Windows9X partition. Installing Phat Linux is fairly simple. If you are in Windows 9x, then all you need to do is insert the CD and run setup.exe. It requires the VB6 Runtime files, which are included on the CD. Simply run install.bat to install them. If you are installing from DOS or Win3x, you need to run the following command from the CD:

unzip phatv33.zip -d c:phat

The install program then takes over and installation is completed in a few minutes. That’s all to it! No need to specify hardware type, partition the hard disk or any of that geeky stuff. Once the installation is complete, just run linux.bat and your Phat Linux is ready to be used. You can also install it on any other drive apart from C. Just mention your choice when starting the installation.

As Phat Linux starts, it will prompt you for a username and password. Key in 'root' for the username and the password is 'phat'. Once you have logged in, you can set your password with the 'passwd' command.

Phat Linux 3.3, the latest release, comes with a multiple choice of GUI. Take your pick from KDE 2.0, Gnome and Enlightenment. There is lots of popular software including Netscape for browsing, Kword for word processing, Knapster for music lovers. You can also get Gnumeric for spreadsheet work, GIMP and Image editors for image editing and the regular collection of CD players, PIM’s etc. Hardcore techies also get the Apache Web Server, a Dos Emulator, Popular Libraries, an Anonymous FTP Server and more! In short there is nothing wanting in terms of daily usage software.

I found it quite easy on my Cyrix 300 machine too. The basic advantage is of course that you don’t need to make any partitions on your disk. You can also start it any time from Windows by just clicking on the icon. No need to shut down and restart the machine. Phat Linux makes a folder in your C: drive called phat. This folder contains the bat file for this. Windows then shuts down and Phat Linux starts up. However when you shut down Linux, you have to reboot into Windows.

I think Phat Linux is a great way for newbies to get familiar with the world of Linux. Now all I need to do is decide what to stick too—Windows or go Phat!

Screenshots of Phat Linux and KDE are from the Phat Linux site.

About the author

Chandrahas Shetty is the Chief Accountant at FreeOS.com. In between juggling figures, balance sheets and handing out the dole checks to employees, he likes to fiddle around with Linux. Incidentally he refuses to take any kind off responsibility for this article! In case of problems or queries with Phat Linux, you would do better to direct your e-mail to questions@phatlinux.com or visit their site at www.phatlinux.com.

KDE
Phat Linux

Other articles by Chandrahas Shetty

Current Rating: [ 7.64 / 10 ] Number of Times Rated: [ 25 ]

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