Fatdog64 Linux is a small, desktop, 64-bit Linux distribution. Originally created as a derivative of Puppy Linux with additional applications, Fatdog64 has grown to become a distinct, separate project while maintaining much of the style of Puppy Linux.
To compare the software in this project to the software available in other distributions, please see our Compare Packages page.
Notes: In case where multiple versions of a package are shipped with a distribution, only the default version appears in the table. For indication about the GNOME version, please check the "nautilus" and "gnome-shell" packages. The Apache web server is listed as "httpd" and the Linux kernel is listed as "linux". The KDE desktop is represented by the "plasma-desktop" package and the Xfce desktop by the "xfdesktop" package.
Colour scheme:green text = latest stable version, red text = development or beta version. The function determining beta versions is not 100% reliable due to a wide variety of versioning schemes.
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Looking like yet another evolution of the very stable Fatdog series. Just works and is my daily boot.
I run it all in ram, booted from USB, not saving any changes after its configured as I like, so boots the exact same each/every time, with all filesystems disconnected after bootup (save docs/data externally). I also wifi net connect using the home 'guest' network - so even if native root is zero day compromised (thinking CopyFail here) there's little that can be done by the attacker and a simple reboot wipes it all back to factory fresh pristine again.
I boot using a kernel.org sourced kernel, compiled with all firmware/modules built in (16MB vmlinuz size), overlayfs mount fatdog and chroot into that for a full desktop, but where even without X/fatdog the kernel/initramfs is capable of ssh/scp, wifi net connecting, displaying videos/images etc. i.e. radeondrm based framebuffer (in reflection of my radeon/amd laptop hardware).
Each later version of Fatdog has been inclined to build upon prior releases, updating program versions, improving its quality/stability, and 904 looks to have yet further extended that approach. Making it a real solid system, where things just work, no further updates being needed between one release and the next. From past experiences with other systems that 'upgrade' periodically in some cases that induces problems.
Thanks to all of the Fatdog team for all of their work over the years, I appreciate the effort that involves. Their combined skills and efforts are extraordinary and are much appreciated.
Version: 903 Rating: 8 Date: 2026-01-13 Votes: 1
This version I run as live, and it has worked very well. My only beef is LibreOffice, which I dislike very much. Fact is most do not need an Office suite, just a good WP, and I always go with AbiWord, even in WinOS which Abi is no longer updating, but Linux Abi is more WP than most of us need. Furthermore, FatDog has made it difficult to install AbiWord. Libre is tiresome to set up and use, and it's defaults stink. Fatdog 903, however, setup very nicely with NO problems...even on this old Gateway which I normally have to insert an i915 graphic mode line in boot to get many a Linux to display. Using FF Nightly, but Midori on another laptop, Midori does more but requires a close setup. A later Handbrake than I usually work installed easy, and converts to even smaller, for instance, an 8GB movie converted to 600MB with all bells and whistles, but I generally just go 5.1 surround and English VOB. I am using Fatdog now; I did make a 1GB swap file, because this Gateway only has 4GB RAM. Only use ethernet connection.
Version: 901 Rating: 8 Date: 2024-02-15 Votes: 1
I do not know why it uses sh by default instead of bash, or why a broken copy of dpkg is included on the system, lacking the /var/lib/dpkg* folder is missing, since its supposed to be using slackware's package management. From my Test, at Idle it only uses 219 MB of RAM, and with its included browser open, with a few tabs, and a few other things, it used about 660 MB of RAM out of the 2 GB of RAM my system has. The Installer was kinda hidden away in a menu inside of the control panel. Also the Firefox downloader didnt work for me, i got an 'Exec format error' when launching firefox using the lastest downloader, however this might be a me issue and not a fatdog issue. Overall, this kinda goofy pile of Puppy-like functions, a decent palette of built in programs, and a decent package library (in terms of independent Distro standards), I think this is a fairly decent, albeit kinda unclean distro