Frequently Asked Questions

There is no particular order to these FAQs. Use your browser's "Find in this page" facility to search for keywords.

While FaunOS certainly can run from devices other than USB, (e.g. DVD or the good old hard drive), the discussion here mostly concerns USB flash devices. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, we're referring to the USB version of FaunOS (not the DVD version).

The idea is that a user should be able to carry and maintain their operating environment on a portable storage device in a way that is minimally dependent on the hardware it is going to run on. This, we believe, has always been a good idea, but only recently has it become both technically and economically feasible. Right now, USB flash memory devices offer the most cost-effective, portable storage solution in a small, fairly resilient package. While we are certainly not the first Linux-based distro to tread down this path, we think FaunOS currently offers the most complete, usable operating environment on a USB flash memory device.

Our mission is to a make a portable operating environment that can reliably serve as your primary OS. Think of it: all other things being equal, why wouldn't you want your primary OS on a portable, detachable device?

Acronym for the class of portable operating environments, of which FaunOS is an example of.

We came up with this terminology in order to describe FaunOS-like functionality without using a distro-specific name. For a tentative definition see here.

FaunOS is based on Arch Linux. It includes a number of kernel customizations (fbsplash, aufs, and usb suspend persistence). It also uses larch, "a live CD/DVD/USB-stick construction kit for Arch Linux".

You need at least 500 MB of RAM (1 GB recommended). Out of the box hardware support for most late model PC hardware is good. Since FaunOS is based on Arch Linux, any hardware listed in the Arch Linux Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) should also work on FaunOS. Some hardware may require additional setup as specified in the HCL.

And of course, the target machine must be bootable from USB. For target machines that don't support booting from USB, use the USB in combination with the small, bootstrap CD.

Each release is accompanied with installation and download instructions in [hopefully] plain in English. FaunOS images are available for download from this site, a few mirrors, and not a few torrents. You'll need at least a 1 GB USB flash drive--2 GB, if you plan to install additional stuff and/or save your customizations. For instructions about the latest version click here.

Alternatively, if you prefer the convenience of getting FaunOS pre-installed on a USB through the mail, check out the FaunOS Shop.

Beginning with FaunOS Shadow, applications, system packages, and even the kernel itself can be updated using the built-in package manager.

Apart from maintaining the software, you should also backup your environment on a regular basis. Besides it being good general policy, frequent backup is especially important on USBs (since many flash devices tend to degrade with multiple writes). Fortunately, backing up FaunOS to another USB is both easy and fast.

Use the site's search feature to find relevant discussions in both the forums and the wiki. Bear in mind that most wiki entries have been distilled from forum discussions. If you can't find your answer, do post your question on the forum.

Username: guest
Password: guest
        

Username: root
Password: root
        

Also, guest has been set up to do a lot of things through sudo. For example guest can:

sudo pacman -Syu
        

Check out /etc/sudoers to find out more.