Currently, Linux operating systems are available in distributions, commonly called “distros” such as Debian or Ubuntu. There are more than one hundred Linux distributions. Each distribution includes a desktop appearance combined with a bundle of programs. Each distribution can be customized by changing the desktop appearance and adding or subtracting programs. However, the problem is that each customization must be made one computer at a time. If one wants to customize the appearance and programs for a group of computers, one has to either clone the modified operating system or start a new distribution – which is why there are so many distributions, even though creating and managing each distribution is a lot of work.

In this presentation, we introduce a new simple process for adding a specific bundle of programs and appearance customizations to an existing distribution – a process that does not involve cloning or creating a new distribution. This new process, which we call a DistroTweak, is faster, easier and more reliable than current Linux customization options. DistroTweaks can be easily shared over the Internet such that a company or college can now offer their own custom Linux Operating system to their employees or students – built on top of an existing distribution rather than by creating a new distribution. Our presentation describes this process and summarizes its strengths and limitations.

How Creating a DistroTweak Solves a Lot of Problems

I teach courses in writing books and creating complex interactive websites. I want my students to have access to the same custom computer system and the same custom programs I am using. I have made several dozen modifications to the Linux Mint Distribution and added a couple dozen programs to the default programs that come with Mint. I have also made more than a dozen modifications to LibreOffice – one of the programs that comes with Mint. Before DistroTweaks, to get a computer that looked exactly like mine, my students had to read my books and then follow dozens of steps listed in those books. While this was a good learning exercise, and students may want to read these books in order to understand why I made these dozens of modifications, this “learning by doing” process is a long ordeal that may be too intimidating for most people. The simple DistroTweak process exactly copies all custom settings and custom programs - resulting in a special DistroTweak file. People can now install Linux Mint on their computer in the normal way and then add a custom DistroTweak file. In a matter of minutes, they will have a very stable exact copy of any computer including all customized Mint settings and all custom programs and even all customizations to LibreOffice. The DistroTweak process is so easy that anyone can create their own custom DistroTweak – with their own added programs and custom settings. Come see how to create your own DistroTweak!