An Overview of Helpful Tools and Links
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Table of Contents


LIVE HELP

Free live help, including Onsite Help is available online by visiting www.pocketrocketlinux.com/?help

If you are unable to get online due to a hardware or software issue, our partners also offer free, live, onsite help, and our help system that comes with Pocket Rocket Linux can walk you through troubleshooting most issues from audio and video, to browser, wifi and even memory problems and classes on how to perform your own upgrades.

In fact, students who can configure Tiny Core and Pocket Rocket Linux as described on this page, can contact our partners for paid positions in high-tech earning $20 - $100 per hour, starting with your very first class: "Installation."


No toolbars? Click here to open in a new window. Main menu doesn't load? Close all firefox windows and PRL DESK will try again.
You can customize your desktop, change background image, icons and frames, embed your favorite web page or Music Player, change the splash video, remove frames, and increase the size of your icon images and much more.
Get more configuration help on our web site. This is just the "Main Topic Overview". One look at the huge Tiny Core Repository providing over 3000 FREE applications, where you'll find a solution for almost anything you want to do, and new tools are added all the time. The Tiny Core Forum Admins, tutors and staff listen to user needs to find or often compile the right tool for the job. Note: Without loading Flash, Firefox and Skype, Office and other Pocket Rocket Linux preset applications, Tiny Core will boot and run much faster without loading the full Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop system.

  • If you are familiar with Linux, terminal command prompts and configuring things manually, you may prefer using Tiny Core without the Pocket Rocket Linux menu.

  • If you prefer using an "Easy to Configure Desktop" with built-in Flash and Audio Tools, have a weak WIFI signal and want fast, automatic reconnections, or want an "All-In-One" Office suite you can add to, or have specific applications you wish to add to your desktop, you will probably prefer the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop.

You should try both methods to determine what works best for your home or office, or change the applications you want to load during the startup, or you can click the Tiny Core Icon near the SHUTDOWN SWITCH on the desktop to stop the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop system, and return to basic Tiny Core and JWM.

Why switch to a lightning fast Linux package that secures your personal data and internet session? Learn more >>>

Pocket Rocket Linux can be installed with any Linux Package on PCs that support multi-tasking. Multi-tasking requires a WINDOW MANAGER to handle different Windows: i.e. a word processor running at the same time as a web browser and a spreadsheet. The default Windows Manager that comes with PRL is JWM which has proven to be small and robust. If you are a tech, we invite you to share your experiences testing other WM systems with PRL.

The Pocket Rocket Linux default version is configured to run with Tiny Core Linux. Tiny Core Linux is an active distribution and is known in the Linux community as a robust, configurable and fast performing Linux distribution. If you have any problems running Pocket Rocket Linux, you can remove the line ONLOAD.TCZ from the Tiny Core file /tce/onboot.lst, or select JWM MODE when Pocket Rocket Linix is booting or click the Tiny Core Icon on the Desktop to terminate Pocket Rocket Linux and switch to JWM. You should try running Tiny Core (also known as TC) in "Plain, JWM Desktop", and try Pocket Rocket Linux. Tiny Core considered "JUST FOR TECHS", because it was hard to configure and a little small for big office and multi-media jobs, you had to learn to use Linux and TC configuration tools to get every thing to work. But the folks at TC are doing a lot of work to improve their package and make it more friendly. And if you are willing to learn, you may not need the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop wrapper at all.

Pocket Rocket Linux was originally designed to make any Linux distribution MORE FRIENDLY, by providing a well-known interface based on the Mozilla Firefox Browser. When we started, Firefox was the "First Choice Browser" for people who wanted an open source robust browser, especially Windows Internet Explorer users. So we built the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop around the Mozilla Firefox Browser so everyone could use Linux easily, install applications painlessly and have a rich, flash and multi-media experience. We also include common packages like Skype along with word processors and spreadsheets packages, and other packages can be added easily. While most people use Skype, please note: ""Users of Skype for Linux have just found out that it reads the files /etc/passwd, firefox profile, plugins, addons, etc, and many other unnecessary files in /etc. This fact was originally discovered by using AppArmor, but others have confirmed this fact using strace on versions 1.4.0.94 and 1.4.0.99. What is going on? This probably shows how important it is to use AppArmor and other Firewall utilities and outbound packet sniffers, in any closed-source application in Linux to restrict any undue access to your files."

We are compiling packages for engineers (CAD/CAM), musicians and film makers, and adding to the list of programs that will run on Pocket Rocket Linux. Along the way, the folks at Tiny Core are always adding packages - over 3000 and counting - so chances are good there is a free utility to get your jobs done, already made and ready to be installed in less than a minute: all 100% free.

Pocket Rocket Linux selected Tiny Core for both energy savings and TC's ability to perform well on new and older equipment, thereby prolonging the useful life of your PC to help save energy and our planet. Tiny Core Linux is one of the few Linux Distributions capable of booting in as little as 10 seconds. To boot that fast, you have to remove most of the initial programs that load on boot; i.e. flash, audio drivers, internet access, textpad, a word processor and spreadsheet program. Since most users want these to load when their system boots up, common applications are included with the default version, but you can fine tune your boot sequence below to speed things up.

Unfortunately, fast, high-performance Operating Systems like Tiny Core, are not always the easiest packages to configure. Usually, the more "CONFIGURATION HELP" an operating system provides, the "fatter and slower" the overall package becomes. Windows is a classic example of "An operating system that talks to itself more than it talks to you." One method of making things easier is to increase the available online help. Both Tiny Core Linux (www.tinycorelinux.com), and Pocket Rocket Linux (www.pocketrocketlinux.com) have plenty of help, including forums and administrators/tutors to help you get things working.

Jobs, Revenue and Working from Home with Pocket Rocket Linux:

There are several ways to earn cash with Pocket Rocket Linux, described at our web site.

Here is an overview:

  • Youth and Family agencies can earn thousands, both by distributing Pocket Rocket Linux and by hosting the "Free PCs for Kids" program our partners sponsor.

  • Students can earn $25 - $50 per hour after learning to install and configure Pocket Rocket Linux: the class takes less than one hour and you get paid CASH, running your own business, so this is ideal for both students and seniors, and even foreign students in a student exchange program. While the government wants you to have a work visa to work for others, they have no problem with you running your own high-tech business, and potentially employing other students and creating jobs.

  • Our partners have a variety of positions for techs who can install and configure Pocket Rocket Linux. These pay $15 - $100 per hour. Some are home-based/telecommute jobs and some are in-office.

Booting:

Normally, you insert your USB drive and turn on your PC, Laptop, Tablet or Phone that can read USB or Boot Chip, CD/DVD etc. The system starts with a standard, minimal Pocket Rocket Linux and by default, TOR is loaded (see Troubleshooting and FAQs about TOR in the last chapter).

If you load all Flash and Audio drivers, booting can take a minute. If not, it takes 10 - 20 seconds.

A file ONLOAD.TCZ (in /tce/onboot.lst), runs a series of steps to prepare the Pocket Rocket Linux (PRL) system. Your screen and desktop will probably BLINK-BLINK-BLINK while various drivers are loaded.

  1. You could also just run the plain JWM Desktop. then PRL will stop running and Flash, Audio Drivers, Skype, Wifi and other utilities will not load.

If you click the blue TINY CORE icon,

...then PRL will shut down and you will be using the JWM Desktop for the rest of your session.

Using JWM means you will load drivers manually using the Application Browser or setting up entries in /tce/onboot.lst. This is actually quite easy to do for some folks, while others prefer to let PRL handle this. The JWM Desktop system is a little faster than the PRL system, and is better suited for older PCs that have minimal RAM. The JWM Desktop is actually ACTIVE, even behind the PRL Desktop, and you can use either one if you continue to load the PRL Desktop and all the Flash, Audio and other drivers.

The JWM system is a little harder to configure, and embedding flash videos, players, notepads and other special, personal "FRAMES" directly in the desktop is somewhat difficult with JWM, but a piece of cake with the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop. Each has its advantages, and its up to individual users to try both out to see what works for them.

  1. If you select the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop, the Flash, Audio, Wifi, Skype, Spreadsheet, Leafpad, AbiWord, and other utilities continue to load. This can take 30 seconds, or up to 2 minutes on slower PCs.

  2. While utilities load, a screen about high-tech careers loads for Single Parents, At-Risk Youth, Students and Seniors. The folks who developed Pocket Rocket Linux have been providing "Free PCs for Kids and Free Labs since 1983" and we encourage you to explore a career offering Free Training, most of it at home, leading to a job with flexible hours that pays $20 - $50 - $100 per hour working with our partners. These high-tech positions are ideal for single parents, students and seniors, much of the work can be done at home and you can learn more about these programs at www.pocketrocketlinux.com/?jobs.

  3. The Help or Job screens will disappear once the Flash drivers have loaded and then the next PRL Splash screen loads and music plays to show that the Flash and audio drivers are functioning correctly. If you see the music video, you can watch online content, such as YouTube, assuming you have internet.

  4. When you see the LOAD AUDIO AND FLASH DRIVERS prompt, you can load the full Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop, or keep using the MINIMUM (fast/secure) desktop and TOR.

  5. If you have programs you want to run after the Desktop has loaded, place them in the userprefs.sh file.

The Pocket Rocket Linux system is based on the Mozilla Firefox Web Browser. Because Firefox is open source, the variants used here include:

  • Aurora - a version of Firefox used by TOR

  • Minefield - a slightly faster/tighter version.

You can set which versions you want to run in the PRLPREFS.JS file by changing the bootdistro and flashdistro settings to:

  • orig - use Firefox
  • tor - use Aurora
  • minefield7 - use Minefield - version 7

In the bottom right corner is a WIFI STATUS bar - dark green shows the best signal, red and orange are the worst. One big advantage of the Pocket Rocket Linux system is the Pocket Rocket Wifi Driver was made to handle difficult, congested cross-traffic Wifi Signals.

For example, if there are multiple broadcasters on Channel 1, and you want to connect to THECOOLHOTSPOT, once you LOCK ON, your signal and Wifi Session will be able to ignore all the other signals, and associated interference. The system also allows you to IGNORE specific signals, set PREFER to others as well as ONLY for others, which will ignore everyone else.

We tried using other Linux Wifi Utilities, such as Wifi-Radar, which generally work well under ideal circumstances. We also tried utilities from Puppy Linux, Arch Linux and 20 others, which also usually worked well in ideal circumstances. But we found that NONE OF THEM worked well in congested areas. So we developed our own utility that can handle difficult Wifi Connections and keep you online.

Another advantage to the Pocket Rocket Linux system is that you don't have to "GO LOAD" most office and communication utilities, which you will need to do if you select a minimal Tiny Core Linux boot. The basic Office and Communication Tools are all preset to load automatically and are ready to to go. You can also change which utilities you want on boot, which can speed up your PRL boot process. You can also customize them or use a standard Tiny Core / JWM boot. If you want the fastest boot of all, simply edit /tce/onboot.lst, remove the ONLOAD.TCZ line, and you can literally boot Tiny Core in about 10 - 20 seconds, and have a JWM Desktop with no utilities loaded in about 10 - 20 seconds. For many users, this is what they like about Tiny Core: "It is Tiny Core's STAR feature", and we do recommend you try it.

Generally, no other version of Linux will boot as fast as Tiny Core when configured to a minimal boot. Although a small handful of "experimental" Linux versions can boot faster, they all lack many of Tiny Core's other features, including over 3,000 applications (called Extensions), which all work with either the JWM or Pocket Rocket Linux desktops. Booting in 10 - 20 seconds is pretty amazing and something you should see. The problem is some people have a hard time getting applications to load or changing configurations, while others want a completely anonymous/zapped shut down process - every user is different and with your choice of either a JWM or PRL Desktop, you can choose the fastest boot or the full Firefox/HTML based desktop of Pocket Rocket Linux with a single click.

To add the Pocket Rocket Linux system to the Tiny Core system, simply add the line:

ONLOAD.TCZ

to the file /tce/onboot.lst, and make sure the file onload.tcz is in the /tce folder, along with the appropriate Extensions from the Tiny Core web site (like Firefox, Flash etc.)

If your USB drive was made using our Install Utility at www.pocketrocketlinux.com/?install, then you should have all of the files required for a normal Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop boot.

There are other ways to configure your Tiny Core Linux boot process, including editing files such as /opt/bootlocal.sh, which are the more standard methods for configuring Tiny Core. One problem is that every Linux Distribution is different: with Tiny Core you change onboot.lst and bootlocal.sh. With Puppy Linux, you will need to change other files, and with Red Hat or Ubuntu, still other files.

With the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop System, you simply set up your configuration ONE TIME and then you can run any multi-tasking Linux distribution by simply grabbing the appropriate ONLOAD file(s) from our web site at www.pocketrocketlinux.com/?install. New versions are being added by users, as well as different configurations (i.e. CAD/CAM for Draftsmen), so once you get your Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop configured, you won't have to change very much to work on a wide variety of Linux systems.

If you stick with the basic Tiny Core / JWM Desktop, there are a few utilities and files you will need to learn about relating to backups and configuring various utilities related to a standard Tiny Core boot. We suggest you visit the Tiny Core Forums to learn more; they're a great group of techs (many techs love Tiny Core), and tutors and if you're willing to put in a little time, you will end up with a very fast system with "zero fat".

Tiny Core is configured through the APPLICATION BROWSER utility, and you can add or substract all kinds of software applications: well over 3,000 different TCZ files (applications) and growing. These work with either Tiny Core / JWM, or with the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop and we suggest that you try different boot configurations to see what works best for you.

Note: Not everyone at the Tiny Core Forums recommends, or even likes the Pocket Rocket Linux system. Compared to the World Champion Fast Boot of Tiny Core in its minimal configuration, PRL is absolutely slower. Flash, Skype and even Firefox are memory hogs and the idea of running a desktop environment on a Firefox browser is absolutely slower than running it on JWM, which is considered a very tight desktop with a small memory footprint. However, Pocket Rocket Linux generally provides better looking, and easily configured / customized desktop for people who are used to working with browsers like Firefox. With the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop, you can make your system look like a Windows Box, a Mac, I-Pad or almost any system. You can adjust the size of the icons easily, change the images and customize far more features with the Pocket Rocket Desktop than nearly any other Linux Deskop made.

Pocket Rocket Linux has more preloaded features (like Flash, Skype and Office Tools), allows you to change them, and if you add all of these to a standard Tiny Core boot process, you'll find the time it takes for everything to load is just about the same, the memory useage is about the same, the speed of executition is about the same, but you won't have the same desktop environment based on Firefox, HTML and Javascript, which many people already know how to "adjust".

Unless you are a tech, learning to configure Tiny Core or ANY LINUX SYSTEM can literally take months to get everything working right: its all up to you.

Here is a brief comparison:

There are many differences and shared resources of both systems and we suggest you try both, visit all Forums, and even try other Linux packages to find out what works best for you. Here are a few alternative Linux Distributions (Distros) that we suggest you visit:

  • Puppy Linux
  • Knoppix
  • Ubuntu
  • Arch
  • Red Hat/SUSE

...to name a few.

As the chart at www.eduhosting.org/?linux shows, there are well over 200 different flavors of Linux. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages and development history. Nearly all of them run SLOWER than Pocket Rocket Linux, and its very hard to find one that runs faster than Tiny Core in its minimal configuration (virtually impossible to beat TC's speed).

Before settling on Tiny Core for the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop, we did a test of over 20 different Linux packages, and nothing ran faster, nothing was as stable, many of the others wouldn't even boot, several crashed hard drives, whereas Tiny Core makes a great disk recovery system, almost all of the others required that you wipe out your Windows system (ouch), and few of them could boot entirely from a USB drive.

You can even run either Tiny Core Linux or the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop on PCs and Laptops with NO HARD DRIVE: this is perfect for people who want to carry all of their data on a USB stick, go to a friend's house or office, plug in, boot up, get their work done, then unplug, go home and take their data with them.

So ... yes, you can use the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop on other Linux systems, and we suggest you try several, but chances are you are going to switch back to Tiny Core if you want a really fast, robust, easy to configure system.

Note: The introduction screen can be removed when any new user downloads and installs their own free copy, and lists you as the smart person who introduced them to Pocket Rocket Linux. They'll receive a numeric code and you can enter the code on our web site to download the registered version which skips the long introduction screen and jumps to the main menu and desktop screen as soon as Pocket Rocket Linux loads. Of course if you enjoy the music, you may wish to let it run while the applications continue to load. As soon as everything is loaded - Flash, Skype, Abiword, Spreadsheet, PDF and other applications, the SKIP INTRO button appears and you can continue to the main desktop.

Why is Pocket Rocket Linux FREE?
Why don't we use a "nag" screen asking you
to share Pocket Rocket Linux with your friends?

First, if you want to help save a planet, share it. Due to faster run times and ability to run entirely in RAM, power requirements are lower and you are making a difference. If this isn't important to you, stick with Windows - slow and power hungry.

Next, we DO NOT collect any personal information.

In fact the Pocket Rocket Linux system was originally designed for one of a client who asked us to develop "A fast, robust Linux Desktop System that could protect sensitive financial data." This is why we included TOR and we strongly suggest you use it and get to know how it works and how you benefit.

We looked at two dozen of the most popular packages and TC came up as the fastest and one of the most robust, but was difficult to configure (most of them were). Pocket Rocket Linux is designed to run in an Anonymous, Secure Mode by Default, so that when you turn off your PC, your entire session disappears without a trace. This helps prevent virus and trojan infections from passing your data around internet. You can learn more about security features at www.pocketrocketlinux.com/?security including setting up Firewalls, anonymous IP address re-direction, encrypting emails and erasing your web traffic, even setting up your own anonymous, online business or work with an offshore trust or bank.

We believe in your right to privacy
and give you the tools to quickly secure
your personal information.

When you turn off the PRL system
your session history is zapped
except for files you specifically save.

One of the members of the PRL Team
was a law clerk for a Federal Judge.
We designed PRL so your data is secure,
your session history is erased,
and you can safely surf the web
anonymously.

In exchange for giving you a fast, free, robust Linux distribution, we do ask that you help us save our planet by chipping in and using an energy efficient Operating System that can reduce Green House Gasses and works on older PCs, prolonging their useful life. The more PCs and Laptops that run Pocket Rocket Linux and Tiny Core, the more energy we can save (and the faster all PCs everywhere will run). Its good for the earth and good for everyone's PC performance. Please share Pocket Rocket Linux with a friend today. Please visit www.pocketrocketlinux.com/?friends to learn more.

Much of the music performed by Tevaka was written to inspire people everywhere to work together to heal the planet we all share. We invite you to visit www.Tevaka.com for more music from this inspirational group, and to share Pocket Rocket Linux and Tiny Core with your friends and associates who will love the high performance energy saving features of this well-designed, reliable, free Linux Distribution.

Pocket Rocket Linux has two additional features you won't find in most Linux packages:

  1. FREE LIVE HELP:

You can establish a live one-on-one chat session with our users and get your problems fixed instantly. Depending on where you are located, some of the tutors can even be reached by phone - usually via Skype or other VOIP phone utilities.

Unfortunately, many hardware and software problems prevent you from getting online at which point, most Linux and other operating systems leave you stranded. So we thought it would be smart to offer a solution that should allow you to fix nearly any problem - free:


All Pocket Rocket Linux Live Help Techs have a minimum of 10 years experience configuring PCs and Software, or are Fully Tested and Certified in their areas of expertise.

  1. FREE ONSITE HELP AT YOUR HOME OR OFFICE?!? WHAT?!?

You bet. We deliver help like pizza - hot, fresh and unlike pizza, help is free!

From configuring Pocket Rocket Linux to adding RAM, getting rid of viruses or getting a new hard drive installed or DVD installed (even getting free equipment), if you are a customer working with one of our partners or affiliates, depending on where you are located, you can probably get a free onsite visit to assist you with configuration or resolving a difficult troubleshooting session.

Our partners and affiliates, such as www.wedeliverfrys.com, make their money with other reasonably priced products and great services (i.e. delivering discount computer parts).

EARN $25-$100/HR

NO EXP REQD

Free Training
Get a free PC,
laptop, even a car,
insurance and gas !!!

In exchange for free and discount advertising on our web site, they can often provide free live, onsite assistance to Pocket Rocket Linux Customers like you - 100% free - while also providing a great product or service: i.e. new and used laptops and computers for as little as $25. If you are a computer geek or wanna-be-computer-geek, earning $25 - $100 an hour (or more), and would like free or discount advertising on our site, tons of referrals and loyal customers, we invite you to contact us today.

We love our partners. They are dedicated to providing the highest level of quality to our loyal customers and enjoy a rapidly growing market share through word-of-mouth referals in their area. One of our Partners even offers Free PCs for Kids all around the world - even free shipping!

Please visit www.pocketrocketlinux.com/?partners to learn more.

Instead of putting an extra burden on your CPU and MEMORY, to improve the performance of your PC, and the ability of average users to be able to install and configure their system, Pocket Rocket Linux uses your web browser for running and configuring the Linux core. We know many users are comfortable setting up their browser and most users want to go online and require a browser anyway; so this method doesn't add any overhead to CPU or memory. But the browser method does have many unique advantages over conventional help and configuration systems:

  1. You can easily watch flash and youtube content while learning how to install specific features.

  2. You can easily get live help through a live chat, skype call or instant messaging and SMS.

  3. If the browser is reliable, (Firefox is considered more reliable than most), you don't have to worry about it crashing, whereas many operating systems using many different menus and programs often crash when you need them most.

    You can also use Pocket Rocket Linux
    with Opera (tested with Opera-11
    and try it with other browsers.

The Pocket Rocket Linux method of using a browser extends to our Desktop. This provides another series of unique advantages:

  1. You can embed your multi-media players right into your desktop, as well as a notepad or database, spreadsheet, or any other content that a browser can access.

  2. The program icons can be easily changed, as they are simply images and you can swap them with images you prefer.

  3. The Desktop background can be easily changed.

  4. The Desktop performance and operation can be changed by anyone familiar with HTML and Javascript. This means your local tech or nephew studying computers can easily configure and customize your system. Try doing that with Windows or an Apple operating system.

  5. We are improving the "SETUP" features so you won't have to write javascript to change your Desktop. However, if you are reading this, you are working with an early version of Pocket Rocket Linux and a lot of changes will come from our user forums and their suggestions.

    The files that control your desktop typically install in the /opt/prldesk folder. Linux is a little funny to Windows users: instead of C:\My Documents\Bob\Photos, you'll find drives almost always start with /mnt and are followed by an identifying drive number, like SDA1, SDA2, or SDB1, etc. followed by the folders. Additionally, Linux slashes are forward slashes, not back slashes, so:

    C:\My Documents\Bob\Photos in Windows might be:

    /mnt/sda1/My Documents/Bob/Photos in Linux.

    With Tiny Core, the /opt folder is normally NOT on a hard drive: its in RAM which is one reason TC runs so fast. HOWEVER, if you find you are having RAM issues (older machine etc.), you can set this to run on a hard drive. If your system is running slow or won't boot, this is the first place to check.

    Under the /opt folder you will see subfolders called:

    • /opt/prldesk/sh (sh scripts)

    • /opt/prldesk/htm (html pages and most javascript)

    • /opt/prldesk/cfg (live configuration files)

    • /opt/prldesk/tmp (temporary settings and some live, real-tim javascript)

    • /opt/prldesk/logs (temporary files that track the boot and desktop)

    • /opt/prldesk/prlff (default firefox settings)

    • /opt/prldesk/img (icons and other images)

    • /opt/prldesk/newgz (a place to download tcz and gz files before moving elsewhere)

    • /opt/prldesk/Downloads (a place to download other files)

    • /opt/prldesk/Uploads (a place to store files before you Upload them)

    Additionally, when Pocket Rocket Linux first boots, it stores a COPY of the default installation on a hard drive and as you make changes to your configuration, this MIRROR IMAGE of your /opt folders also stores on the hard drive. You can disable this, which will make all components of your system start from scratch each time (i.e. your Browser settings, screen size, etc.), or keep a copy of the initial installation on a hard drive as a back up.

    Your PERSONAL DATA (i.e. documents and spreadsheets) are NOT automatically stored on the hard drive. Anything you wish to save, such as a new spreadsheet, must be manually saved to a hard drive, USB stick or CD/DVD.

    Click the START BUTTON or SETUP (wrench on a keyboard icon) to configure your Desktop and other settings. For example: to get rid of this help frame. This will increase the size of your icons.

Some bad news about ALL browsers:

  • IE crashes, Firefox crashes, Opera Crashes - they all crash.

  • Since your desktop is based on "A Browser" - you can expect that sometimes it will freeze, lock up or crash.

  • The good news: In Windows, if your desktop crashes, your entire system freezes/locks up, and you have to reboot. You usually lose all data, changes to files you were working on - it all disappears while you pray your system will reboot.

The Firefox and Pocket Rocket Linux Advantage: If Firefox (or Opera) locks up or crashes, only the desktop is affected. Any word processing applications, spreadsheets or other files you were working on continue to run.

  • You don't have to reboot.

  • The desktop will normally refresh and reload automatically.

  • If you need to do a MANUAL refresh, simply go to a terminal prompt and type

    sh /opt/prldesk/sh/prldesk.sh

    ...and your desktop should restart from scratch.

The default browser used for the Pocket Rocket Linux desktop is Firefox; in independent surveys, Firefox crashed less than the other browsers.

But Firefox is far from perfect.
There are some conditions (often Flash related)
that cause Firefox to crash constantly.

It may be Firefox - it may be Adobe Flash - and someday, it may be fixed by either one, or both packages; "someday" is the key word.

If you find this is happening to you - Firefox is crashing every time you play a youtube video or visit certain web sites (often seems to be the ones that use Flash), try using the Opera browser for browsing the internet (click the big red "O" on your desktop to open Opera), or even as your desktop (use the Set Up utility to select your desktop browser).

The good news: you have a choice.

The bad news: Opera doesn't like to Autoplay Flash videos. Opera doesn't like all web sites and gives "Security Warning" messages. You can tinker with this, but just as Firefox isn't perfect, Opera has its own issues too. Often Flash won't play videos at all, and Opera isn't open source, so you don't really know what Opera is sending out or recording (packet sniffing?) and until Opera is an open source product, we recommend you use it sparingly, although some folks swear by it and yes - you can get Flash to work with Opera.

So, why use Linux? Tiny Core? Pocket Rocket Linux at all?

  1. Unlike Windows, the Linux world is generally "FREE" and that's a great reason to at least try it, and recommend it to your friends.

  2. Overall, Linux - at least the Tiny Core distro, is a much faster platform and more reliable. Many Linux packages do run slowly - even slower than Windows (hard to believe, but true). Speed and a responsive system is not a problem here.

  3. If you want to boot and run even faster, you might try using a straight Tiny Core Linux install (no Pocket Rocket Linux desktop). The folks in the Tiny Core forum are pretty good about helping you through some sticky issues, and they are improving the package all the time, but be forewarned: newbie users may find working with a straight Tiny Core installation is frustrating and involves a lot of tweaking your settings and often, learning to work at a Shell/Terminal prompt. Heads up.

  4. Overall, if a Windows desktop crashes, or even the desktop in Tiny Core (which has been known to happen); you are dead meat. You lose your open/changed file data, word processing files etc., and have to reboot.

    By using the Pocket Rocket Linux system, if the desktop crashes (a browser), your other applications should keep right on working and in under a minute, the desktop should restart and you're back in business.

One of the key reasons - besides a free, fast, reliable, robust system with tons of applications to pick from - you are immune to virus and spyware and can even protect your online ID, surf the web anonymously and using the Pocket Rocket Linux wifi utility, lock onto wifi access points like a bulldog.

That's why we include both Firefox and Opera on the Desktop. You can pick your favorite (or even add other browsers) and if you don't like the way it performs, try the other one.

Getting Around The Firefox/Flash Crash Problem:

Many users report that their Firefox never crashes due to "Flash" issues, but the problem is well documented at the Mozilla web site, Bugzilla and other Firefox sites. At those web sites you will find "suggestions", such as changing your Firefox preferences using the about:config option.

Here is a little trick that works "sometimes" and is useful if you want to play a series of Youtube videos (playlist), which Opera will not do, since Opera can't/won't autoplay Youtube videos.

  1. The default "FRAME" on your desktop (right side) is set to this help text. This can be changed.

    By setting this to your page with your playlist, it seems to "trick" Firefox (or Flash) into not crashing. Who knows why? Don't argue with it, and it doesn't always work, but...

  2. Either use the SETUP utility to change the frame URL, or edit the file prlprefs.js.

  3. You can edit the prlprefs.js file manually, by clicking the NOTEPAD/LEAFPAD icon, with the big pencil icon.

  4. Usually, the file is in the /opt/prldesk/htm/ folder, or the full name is /opt/prldesk/htm/prlprefs.js.

    Be careful: if you mess up this file while editing manually, it will really screw up your desktop. The good news: when you reboot, the original file will be restored. We'll show you how to make the change permanent in a second.

  5. Click SEARCH - REPLACE and then find:

    prlshelp.htm
    and replace with
    http://yourwebpage.com

  6. Then save the file and in a blank area on your desktop, RIGHT-CLICK-RELOAD and the page will reload with your new frame.

  7. If Firefox still crashes, the PRL Desktop should restart automatically. Try it again. Sometimes it takes Firefox a few times to get it right.

  8. If the change worked, you can make it permanent.

Making changes to your Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop Permanent:

The Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop System was designed for business and was originally made for attorneys, bankers and financial analysts who want a "CLEAN SYSTEM" with "NO RESTORE" and "NO MEMORY" of past browser sessions, passwords, or configuration. In other words, the default boot mode is "DO NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING" from the prior session.

If you want to change that, you can make the change using the Setup utility, or as before, in the file prlprefs.js.

Here's how:

  1. You can use the SETUP utility, or if you want to edit the prlprefs.js file manually, click the NOTEPAD/LEAFPAD icon, with the big pencil icon.

  2. Usually, the file is in the /opt/prldesk/htm/ folder, or the full name is /opt/prldesk/htm/prlprefs.js.

    Be careful: if you mess up this file while editing manually, it will really screw up your desktop. Once you make your changes permanent, if you messed up, simply delete BOTH files you will save (below), and reboot. The original file will be restored.

  3. Click SEARCH - FIND and then find:

    restoreprlff

    When you find the line, it will say:

    var restoreprlff="off"

    or

    var restoreprlff="on"

    You want to set it to on. This will cause the Pocket Rocket Linux system to restore your Firefox settings on the next boot. You can also change restoresh, restoreimg and other restore codes. When set to on (lowercase), any settings saved on your hard drive will be restored each time you boot.

    For example, you could change the image you use for your desktop Image Editing utility. This is normally imag.jpg. If you replace that file - /opt/prldesk/img/imag.jpg but don't set the restore code, your changes will be lost the next time you boot.

    However, if you set the restoreimg="on", then all images from the hard disk backup location will over-write the /opt/prldesk/img images.

    The same is true for scripts in the sh folder (restoresh="on" or "off"), htm files, cfg files and other prldesk folders.

    Again, be careful - notice the quotes and the other lines around the words "on" or "off": be careful.

  4. Save the file as /opt/prldesk/htm/prlprefs.js (or wherever you found it), and then...

  5. Save a second copy on your hard drive, which should be the folder:

    So, save the file as:

    ...and the next time you reboot, it will become the default desktop configuration file.

Use the Setup help (below) to learn more about selecting your desktop browser.

Making SOME changes to your Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop Permanent:

You might not want the system to remember everything, but only a few special, customized settings. This gives you the ability to restore specific files, and leave others out, retaining your privacy, yet giving you the best of both worlds. This is a little difficult to do with Tiny Core alone, but not impossible. With Tiny Core, each time you shut down, you can back up, and typically your settings will be restored the next time you boot - all of them.

If you don't want all of your settings restored, here is a pretty simple method:

  1. You can use the SETUP utility, or you can create a script that restores specific files: click the NOTEPAD/LEAFPAD icon, with the big pencil icon.

  2. Create your shell script, starting with the cp command, which is COPY in Linux.

A few examples:

To use a different Firefox Preference file, make your changes to your preferences:

  • First, update your Firefox preferences:

    • In Firefox, click EDIT-PREFERENCES or

    • In the URL address bar, type about:config

    Change whatever you want, and a new prefs.js file will be created. This is stored under the folder:


    (note: this changes each time you run Firefox)

  • After making your changes, click the NOTEPAD/LEAFPAD icon, with the big pencil icon and open the file prefs.js in the folder above.

  • Save the file in the folder:

    with the filename:

  • If you have set restoreprlff="on", then your new settings will become the default Firefox settings each time you reboot. If you want to just restore this file, but "FORGET" everything else, then create a script that will copy this file to your working desktop when you reboot.

  • To create a script (Linux shell script), you only need to know one command - the copy command. This is cp (lowercase), such as:

    cp afile bfile
    (example)

    In this case, we want to copy your Firefox prefs.js file from one place to another, so you would use the command:

  • Open up the file:

  • Copy this text:


    (or whatever name you gave your preference file)

  • Paste it into the file you are editing and save the file.

WHERE SHOULD YOU PASTE IT?

The userprefs.sh file has several places to put "custom user commands". In this case, you should place your copy (cp) command in the area right after the two lines that say:

echo "I was called by prldesk"

# A good place to put Firefox Custom Preference settings

When you are finished, it should look like this:

echo "I was called by prldesk"

# A good place to put Firefox Custom Preference settings

Note: Tiny Core Linux also lets you "change things/customize" the boot process. You do this by creating a file bootlocal.sh (another Linux script file) and store it in the /opt folder, or you can create a script in the /home/tc/.X.d folder - give it any name - and it will run when the desktop loads. Those are the two basic places you can customize Tiny Core Linux during the boot.

Pocket Rocket Linux allows you to customize ANY process, by putting your commands in the userprefs.sh file (one file to edit), and then adding four lines to any other script: for example, the prldesk.sh script has the lines:

tfile="$rms/userprefs.sh"
if [ -f $tfile ]; then
sh $tfile prldesk &
fi

and these trigger the userprefs.sh file to run any scripts dedicated to prldesk.sh.

If you are having problems getting scripts to work, you may want to use the LIVE HELP feature - meet some users / techs / tutors who have done this before, and they can help you customize your system - usually free of charge - depending on the complexity of the changes you are trying to make.

Pocket Rocket Linux and Tiny Core Linux are both 100% Free.

Pocket Roket Linux is designed to be easily installed by most users - even kids. We've taught Free PC labs to kids since 1983 and try to design our systems so a 10 year old can handle most jobs. If you find some feature isn't working for you, and if you can't get the answer through these help screens, we invite you to obtain LIVE HELP and FORUM HELP online at www.pocketrocketlinux.com/?help. For assistance with configuring Tiny Core Linux, you can visit www.tinycorelinux.com.

Please note: Tiny Core Forums are NOT for Pocket Rocket Linux questions and issues, but if you have a problem using or configuring Tiny Core, we'll do our best to help you at the Pocket Rocket Linux forums, and through the free live and onsite help.


HOW TO:

From a Windows Machine: (W2K, XP, Vista, Windows 7)

Tiny Core and Pocket Rocket Linux can be installed directly onto an NTFS partition, although we suggest you install to a USB stick if at all possible.

What you will need:

  1. A USB stick or hard drive: You will need 150 MB - 500 MB of space. While Tiny Core itself is only about 10 MB (compared to most Linux packages that are 500MB - 5G, if you want Flash, Firefox, Audio Drivers, Word Processing, Skype and all the other applications, you can expect your installation to require 150MB or more of space.

    Note: Tiny Core does have a feature that allows you do download applications on demand. If you have good bandwidth and don't mind downloading and installing components every time you "need a word processor", try it out. But this method does take longer than downloading once and using the application repeatedly.

  2. A BOOT Loader: This tells your system to boot from the USB stick or hard drive. You can use UNETBOOTIN or LINUX LIVE, GRUB or SYSLINUX to create a bootable USB stick. We prefer using GRUB for hard drive installs on a Windows machine (grub4dos), and for a pure Linux USB stick, SYSLINUX works pretty well. You can get links and/or copies of everything you need to download at our site at http://pocketrocketlinux.com/?install

  3. An ISO utility: (optional) If you want to EXTRACT a different version of Tiny Core from an ISO (CD image), you will need a utility that can MOUNT an ISO (a CD) and allow you to copy the files to a Windows hard drive.

  4. The Pocket Rocket Linux files: These are available to download at our site at http://pocketrocketlinux.com/?install

  5. The Tiny Core Linux Version You Want To Use: Pocket Rocket Linux was tested with the version offered by Svolli, because it reads NTFS (Windows) files easily. The link is on our download page. This was based on Tiny Core 3.57, and TC is several stages past that version. You may wish to try a newer TC or stick with the Svolli version which works well.

That's it. If you have a Windows 2000, XP, Vista or Windows 7 Machine, there is a script to use that will prompt you to collect all the pieces above, puts them in one folder and will make a USB stick or install the components to your hard drive. The script runs pretty fast: as quickly as 3 seconds if everything is already downloaded and ready, however fetching all the TCZ files and adding utilities to your system can take longer.

For more assistance installing on a Windows PC, or creating a USB stick using a Windows PC, please visit at our site at http://pocketrocketlinux.com/?windows

"Help - I can't get online!!!"

  1. Either use the Free Onsite Help described above (you will probably have to order a computer part: like a Network Card or Wifi Device) and have it delivered to your door, or

  2. Read the Help Section (below) on connecting to the Internet, or

  3. You can order a USB stick or CD from the folks at Tiny Core to get the basic package mailed to you, (they charge a reasonable fee for that), and after you get online with a basic Tiny Core system, you can download the rest of what you need.

From a Linux Machine or New PC: (no operating system)

Tiny Core can have complete control over your new PC or share control with another operating system. Usually GRUB will let you boot from different hard drives or USB drives, or you can simply install TC and PRL on a USB stick and if you don't want to boot to Pocket Rocket Linux, simply remove the USB stick.

You can also leave all operating systems OFF the PC and simply boot from a USB drive. This allows you to use 100% of the hard drives of your PC for DATA STORAGE. You can also configure the system to boot from the hard drive. One user had a Laptop install with a dozen different partitions, with 5 different Linux systems on the drives. When any of them failed, they simply inserted a Tiny Core USB stick to get the system working and manually tinkered with the "Other Linux Systems" to get them working.

Tiny Core is a great PC RECOVERY TOOL
for either Linux or Windows.

For more assistance installing on a Windows PC, or creating a USB stick using a Windows PC, please visit at our site at http://pocketrocketlinux.com/?linux

"Help - I can't get online!!!"

  1. Either use the Free Onsite Help described above (you will probably have to order a computer part: like a Network Card or Wifi Device) and have it delivered to your door, or

  2. Read the Help Section (below) on connecting to the Internet, or

  3. You can order a USB stick or CD from the folks at Tiny Core to get the basic package mailed to you, (they charge a reasonable fee for that), and after you get online with a basic Tiny Core system, you can download the rest of what you need.

From a Mac: (untested)

The Mac is a closed architecture system and newer Macs already have a version of Unix (call it Linux - almost identical) installed: Therefore, you'll be wrestling with hardware and software issues that are beyond the scope of our help system. HOWEVER, there are folks at the Tiny Core forum who love Macs, and once you have Tiny Core working you should be able to use all the rest of the Pocket Rocket Linux system.

You can get help online from several sources:

  1. http://pocketrocketlinux.com where you will find installation scripts, live chat and phone support (typically from other members - a Skype account is usually required), and examples of configuration scripts provided by users from all around the world.

  2. http://tinycorelinux.com is the main site for questions about your Operating System: Tiny Core. There are downloads and forums, although free live support is not offered. This is the official place to fetch your TCZ files (software applications like Skype and Firefox). You will probably have to sign up and join the forum to get access to everything you need from Tiny Core, but unlike "some" Linux forums, these folks are very helpful and with a little assistance learning a few tricks in Linux, you may find you don't need the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop at all.

  3. http://isodisk.com - for Windows users creating a TC disk. The Pocket Rocket Linux - Windows Version - installation utility will automatically fetch this for you.

  4. http://sourceforge.net/projects/grub4dos/ - for Windows users or anyone else who wants a MULTI-OPERATING boot system. While SYSLINUX is ok for a pure Linux system, the fact is Grub and Grub4DOS are becoming the standard methods most folks use to create Linux boot disks.

  5. http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ - again for Windows users. This used to be the standard method for creating a USB Tiny Core Boot stick, as it can work with TC and many other Linux distributions, but times are changing and other methods may work better for you. That said, its a good place to start to create a bootable USB drive.

  6. http://svolli.org/software/tinycore/ - last, but far from least, is Svolli's version of Tiny Core which helped inspire Pocket Rocket Linux. We used the LiteCore version - which reads NTFS (Windows) drives easily, then added modules (like Firefox and Skype), and then created a "WRAPPER" - the Pocket Rocket Desktop - to create our package. If you are a Windows user, then to use the same process, you will need to download either the LiteCore ZIP or ISO (required ISODISK above). This gives you the "Basic Tiny Core Svolli Version" and then you can go to the official Tiny Core site to get more TCZ files (the applications like Skype) and build your system manually...

OR

... you can use our script at http://pocketrocketlinux.com/?install which will automatically go fetch everything you need above.

Each site has a different level of support. You may not need to visit the ISODISK site if you are starting from scratch. You won't need UNETBOOTIN or SYSLINUX if you are using GRUB and you won't need to grab Skype if you have no intention of using Skype.

What to do?

We suggest you start with the default install script on our site and let it make a USB stick for you. If you do not have a PC that can boot from a USB stick, the script will install to your hard drive, but will leave your Windows system intact: you can still boot to Windows or you can choose to boot to Tiny Core - both should work fine.

If you cannot get online and want an installation disk with everything on it, we suggest you order a USB stick or CD direct from Tiny Core - the basic system - and then once you get online you can download whatever else you need,

OR

...contact one of our partners and you could have someone stop by, drop off a new hard drive or USB stick you purchase from them (great prices), and get you all installed and connected for about the same price through their free, live on-site support

If you can get online and are having problems, please visit one of the forums or web sites above. Our site does provide free support, and in most cases, free live support, including Skype Chat by members.

Quick Wifi Help

  • Tiny Core uses "utilities" that detect Wifi Antennas. If your antenna isn't working, there are additional downloads at the Tiny Core web site to "fine tune" specific models. These work with drivers provided by the manufacturer and in some cases, can even use the drivers made for Windows. Each driver and wifi antenna has special requirements, so you'll need to get to a PC that can get online to grab the right utilities for your antenna - IF - you are having problems.

  • MOST antennas will work with the standard drivers and utilities provided by Tiny Core. These are included with the Pocket Rocket Linux set up.

  • If your Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop is working, in the lower right corner is a wifi indicator. If you are online with ethernet, ignore these instructions.

    The colors are:

    • DARK GREEN - very strong signal
    • LIME GREEN - strong signal
    • YELLOW - weak signal
    • ORANGE - very weak signal
    • RED - dying

    You won't see orange or red very often: as soon as Pocket Rocket Linux detects really bad signal strength, it begins to look for a better antenna. These are also called "Hot Spots" or "Access Points", but really its just an antenna (a radio) transmitting and receiving internet traffic. A wireless router in your home is the same thing.

  • The "DEFAULT" mode is ANY OPEN Hot Spot. This means the system will scan for a good signal and jump online.

    WARNING: This also means some third-party could listen to your internet traffic.

  • If you want a secure signal, you can select a specific hot spot, router, access point that is more secure.

  • Click the color-bar link in the bottom right corner and a small window will pop up.

  • You can select a different antenna. Typically, you will be using WLAN0. Some laptops have a built in antenna, and often users will buy an external antenna for better signal. In that case you will probably want to use WLAN0 or WLAN1.

  • You might find your antenna is some other number - like WLAN5.

    Note: this is different than the CHANNEL (below).

  • You can also select a Wifi Hot Spot/Access Point. This will display different "broadcasters" near you who are providing internet - called an Internet Service Provider, or ISP. If you are at home trying to attach to your wireless router, you should see your gear in that list.

When you select from the list of Hot Spots, you will see:

  • Encryption (Open is none, Encr requires a WEP key or other access code)

  • Signal Strength

  • Channel - typically 1 thru 11

  • SSID or ESSID (same thing) - the name of the Hot Spot

If you have a wireless router in your home, it may be called Linksys (default for Linksys equipment out of the box), or MyCafeHotSpot, SunCoffee or some other name.

If you want to make your home Wireless Router more secure, we do NOT suggest you use WEP keys and other "Encryption" methods, which slow down your internet connection and are easy to forget. Instead, you should use MAC ADDRESS FILTERING, which means your Wireless Router will ONLY talk to your wifi antenna. This means someone with a different antenna will not get online, won't be able to crack any WEP passwords or keys and in fact, won't even be able to talk to your router. This method does not slow down your internet connection and is the most secure.

To set up MAC ADDRESS FILTERING, you will need to go into your router configuration. Typically, you open a browser, type in http://192.168.1.1 or some other IP address, then put in a password (a default password usually comes with each router, though if you forget it or don't know it, you might have to reset your router with a paperclip - see your manual). Once inside the configuration program, find the MAC ADDRESS FILTER CONFIGURATION, and add your antennas Mac Addresses. Typically the wording in the router configuration is DENY or ALLOW. You want to ALLOW your Mac Addresses and DENY all others.

Be careful - if you DENY your address, you will probably have to reset the router to get back into the configuration.

If the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop System was able to access your WLAN Antennas, you should see a list of your MAC addresses for your antennas below. If the list is blank, it is REFRESHED during the wifi cycle. Try refreshing this page until it appears.


Note: data is refreshed every 60 seconds and will change

If you see a MAC address, (example 12:34:BC:0D:21:4A), it means Pocket Rocket Linux found at least one working wifi antenna. If you see a PAGE NOT FOUND message, it may be that:

  • You can simply refresh in a few seconds - the Wifi utility was updating the page, or

  • The wifi utility isn't running. Click the wifi icon on your desktop to restart it, or

  • You can click the black terminal on your desktop and type:

    sh prlwifi.sh

You can even change your MAC ADDRESS, which is useful if you accidently DENY your antenna, and need to access your router or the internet with a different wifi antenna. This method works so well, many bars, restaurants and hotels block outside traffic - primarily from hackers - by using the MAC ADDRESS FILTER, and pinpointing specific antennas known to cause problems. So can you.

There is also a utility that comes with Tiny Core called WIFI-RADAR. For many users, this utility is easier to use to connect to the internet. But it tends to discard/ignore weak signals or drop you frequently. Once its figured out who you want to connect to, the Pocket Rocket Linux Wifi Utility locks on like a Pitbull and if you are dropped, you might not even know it: Pocket Rocket will reconnect and it happens so fast that sometimes even VOIP Phone Calls (like Skype) will remain connected even though internet was briefly cut off. If you can't connect with Wifi Radar, try using the Pocket Rocket Linux Wifi utility - bottom corner of the desktop - and see if this helps.

The Pocket Rocket Linux Wifi Utility was developed to shoot a wifi signal 1/4 mile and back under extremely tough conditions, such as signal interference, multiple antennas broadcasting on the same frequency and strong signals stepping on everything else: once locked on to the right Hot Spot, the Pocket Rocket Linux Wifi Utility will keep you connected and reconnect to the same antenna automatically if you get dropped.

One of the coolest things about Tiny Core has always been its ability to get online fairly easily. Even the base package, (long before Pocket Rocket Linux was even thought of), can have you online in just a few minutes, IF you have a wired ethernet connection.

Newer versions of Tiny Core have included stronger WIFI support and in many cases, you should be able to get online easily, but if you rely strictly on a weak wifi signal, you may find downloading large files (or a lot of files) doesn't work too well.

We tried Wifi Radar", which is a good utility for average users with good signal, but it choked in our tough tests. We tried several other Linux packages - several that were much "prettier". None of them could keep the signal alive.

If you have a good signal, you won't need our utility. If not, and if you lack a hard-wired ethernet connection, you may have to get Pocket Rocket Linux Wifi working before you have a reliable wifi signal to download everything needed.

We include a "smaller" install script at http://pocketrocketlinux.com/?install which can fetch what you need to get going, and then once installed and working, our wifi utility will establish a robust signal, will download everything you need, including restarting aborted downloads and confirming files are intact, and then completing the installation process.

For those of you familiar with IFCONFIG, IWCONFIG and IWLIST, the Tiny Core web site has several utilities, notably wireless-2.6.33.3-tinycore.tcz and wireless_tools.tcz. Once loaded, these will allow you to configure your signal, select an ESSID (ISP access point), and get you online.

Here are the steps to manually load TC (or Svolli's version) and the utilities you need. This assumes you are not afraid of a command prompt.

  1. Pick either the latest Tiny Core release or Svolli's Litecore.

    If you don't have an internet connection, you'll need to go somewhere to get these files or order them on a USB stick or CD.

  2. Once installed and running, go fetch wireless-2.6.33.3-tinycore.tcz and wireless_tools.tcz with the Tiny Core Application Browser, or at a Linux command prompt, type:

    tce-load -wi wireless-2.6.33.3-tinycore.tcz tce-load -wi wireless_tools.tcz.

  3. At a command prompt (terminal prompt), type:

    sudo ifconfig wlan0 down

    wait a few seconds and then type:

    sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

    This will turn your antenna off then turn it on.

  4. Type:

    sudo iwlist wlan0 scanning

    This will give you a big list of internet signals in your area. You will need to find one that has ENCRYPTION KEY: OFF

    If you want to capture this list in a file, type:

    sudo iwlist wlan0 scanning >wifilist

    and then type:

    editor wifilist If your list is empty, there is a problem with your antenna or no one is broadcasting.

    If there is a problem with your antenna, you will need to find the right utility at the Tiny Core web site to get it resolved. It may be a simple one-file driver or it may take awhile longer: every PC is different. We wish it was easier and sometimes it is and sometimes wireless/wifi is just a nightmare.

  5. Got an ISP (wireless router/access point) you want to connect to? Then type:

    sudo iwconfig wlan0 essid "NAME OF ISP/SSID" rts 250 frag 400 txpower 100mW

    Note: your antenna may or may not support rts 250 frag 400 txpower 100mw. These settings help eliminate some of the cross-chatter interference in heavily congested areas: they keep your signal stronger and "alive". However they also slow down your connection - a little. You can try eliminating these and just type:

    sudo iwconfig wlan0 essid "NAME OF ISP/SSID"

    But you may find you can connect, but the signal keeps dropping.

    The NAME OF ISP/SSID is the name shown in the IWLIST step above, usually it looks like: ESSID:MySignal (an example), so you would type:

    sudo iwconfig wlan0 essid "MySignal"

    Often, Linksys boxes show their SSID as "Linksys", so you would type:

    sudo iwconfig wlan0 essid "Linksys"

    Notice the quote marks. These are required.

  6. After typing the iwconfig line, which sets your antenna to listen and talk to the ESSID you specify, you then type:

    sudo udhcpc -b -i wlan0

    and this should get you an IP ADDRESS from the remote access point or router...sometimes...sometimes not.

    If you are "wifi challenged" you may have to play around a bit until you have all these steps down pat. You can also try writing your first shell script (its a good place to start learning Linux), and see if you can get one to lock on and get you a signal.

  7. TO TEST your signal, type:

    ping -c1 google.com

    and you should see something like:

    PING google.com (74.125.224.116): 56 data bytes
    64 bytes from 74.125.224.116: seq=0 ttl=56 time=21.500 ms

    --- google.com ping statistics ---
    1 packets transmitted, 1 packets received, 0% packet loss
    round-trip min/avg/max = 21.500/21.500/21.500 ms

    If you see that, you have internet. If you don't, then you may see "unknown host" or some other error message.

  8. WHEN YOU HAVE INTERNET, at a terminal prompt, you can type:

    firefox google.com

    ... and a browser will open if you have already installed and loaded firefox.

  9. To install and load firefox, you can use the Tiny Core Application Browser or simply type:

    tce-load -wi firefox

If you have any problems with any of these steps you can visit the Tiny Core Forum or get help at the Pocket Rocket Linux web site, although again - if you lack internet it can be impossible to get online help and this can create a very frustrating "Catch-22" - you need internet to get help so you can get online. Sometimes wifi in signal-congested areas just makes you want to scream.

PLAN B: Get Free Live Onsite Help

Some of our Partners provide free help at your site in conjunction with their own services (i.e. purchasing a hard drive or USB stick and paying a reasonable door-to-door delivery charge). They can usually get you online in 5 minutes or less if you have all the equipment ready to go. Screaming at your PC or Wifi Antenna is not required and the shipping/delivery fee is often LESS than the price of having a component shipped from a store. The reason is our Partners are buying in bulk and may have 5, 10 or 20 parts in one shipment, so their only fee to you is normally $15 - $30 to stop by and drop it off. Along the way, they can look at your PC, even help you set up a fully functional USB boot stick or CD with everything you need right on it. For some people, "Easy" is the way to go.

The main audio drivers that come with Pocket Rocket Linux are related to the ALSA family of audio drivers. We found these are the most reliable when it comes to working with Firefox and VLC - the media player that comes with Pocket Rocket Linux. Yes, there are other choices, like the older OSS and sometimes they have an advantage, but for most folks ALSA works.

The ALSA Player and ALSAMIXERGUI utilities are also part of the Alsa Suite, but we found that VLC is a little more robust and plays flash video easily, so the default player is VLC. You can change that to whatever Linux player you wish to use.

The Flash version that comes with Pocket Rocket Linux is Flash 10.

Video Resolution is based on XVESA which is known for working when other video drivers choke. Yes, there are better/higher resolution video drivers and if you want to get free help at one of the web sites above, you can find out if they will work with your video card.

Need to convert audio or video formats? There are several utilities at the Tiny Core website, or you may want to try this neat online utility.

The Pocket Rocket System is currently based on the Firefox browser because it is an open source package and is well known and generally well-liked. At this time, we cannot confirm whether or not PRL will work with other browsers, such as Opera or Sea Monkey, but we are starting to test them out and will let you know.

The PREFERENCE file, PREFS.JS is re-created from the default each time and therefore, if you change the preferences, i.e. - block pop ups - then your changes will be erased the next time you boot. To retain your changes, you will need to place a copy on the boot device (i.e. the USB drive, in the folder:

/mnt/DRIVE/prlsrc/prlff/d0/prefs.js (the default file), or

... you can copy the file to the .mozilla/firefox/?????.default folder. The ????? indicates this changes everytime you boot. There are special scripts in the Pocket Rocket Linux system to figure this out.

Another method is to use the Firefox PROFILE feature. This means each time you start Firefox, it will ask you what profile you want to use and grab the associated configuration and prefs.js file. But again, since these are all running in RAM, they are refreshed/erased each time you boot.

Another method, and the one most Tiny Core users rely on, is to use the Tiny Core mydata.tgz file. This BACK UP will load your system with the last configuration the next time you reboot and will usually get everything right, HOWEVER, we have seen isntances (especially with Skype), where it still forgets and you have the default configuration or some other settings.

To get around that, we created the hard drive mirror image and the folder /mnt/DRIVE/prldesk/cfg where you can store configuration files for various applications, and /mnt/DRIVE/prldesk/prlff/d0/prefs.js where you can store any changes to your Firefox preferences. If Pocket Rocket Linux is running and you change the running Firefox configuration/preferences, they are saved in that hard drive folder and will be reloaded the next time you boot. You can make changes either through the Firefox Preferences/Options menu, or by typing about:config in the address bar.

WARNING: do not tinker with the sessionstore settings or you may find Pocket Rocket Linux no longer works. This file contains data about your session and is used to let PRL know what you want to do next.

The basic office tools included with Pocket Rocket Linux are from the Tiny Core web site and include:

  • LEAFPAD (a basic text editor)
  • AbiWord (more comprehensive documents)
  • GNUMERIC (spreadsheet)
  • GIMP (imaging/photo editor)
  • EPDFVIEW (to view a PDF)
  • CUPS-PDF (to create a PDF by printing a document, screen or web page)

  • SCROT (A screen shot utility)
Most of these utilities are on the Desktop and you can configure them, hide, change or add to the list, and replace them with applications you prefer. SCROT (Screen Shots) is accessed by clicking the small CAMERA in the gray tray at the bottom by the START button, where you will also find:

  • Alsa Mixer (to adjust audio levels)
  • CPU (to see how your CPU and memory are doing)
  • SCROT (Screen Shots)
  • Application Browser (To get more aps)
  • Mount Utility (To access other hard drives, USB and CD/DVD)
Example of using an office utility: SCROT

  1. SCROT is called by clicking the camera in the tray to get a screen shot.
  2. There is a 10 second delay, so you can go to the window where you want to get your shot.
  3. You can adjust the delay by changing how long SCROT SLEEPS. Edit the file screenshot.sh and change the sleep command. This is usually in /opt/prldesk/cfg/scrotsleep.sh
  4. After clicking the camera, use ALT+TAB to go to the window where you want to get a shot.
  5. In about 10 - 12 seconds, you can use your mouse to create a frame around the area you want to capture.
  6. The final image is stored in the ~/ folder. You can also adjust that path to the folder in the file /opt/prldesk/cfg/scrotsleep.sh

Also included in the office tools is a direct link to Goggle Docs - right on the Desktop - and another for an anonymous email and online business service through one of our partners. You can change the default desktop icons, features, email or cloud computing links in your Desktop settings (more examples below and at www.pocketrocketlinux.com).

Most people cannot read or write Javascript: we know that and are developing new applications so you can adjust and customize your Pocket Rocket System easily. These setup tools are our #1 priority with our early versions, to make your life easier and reduce support issues.

However, since Pocket Rocket Linux is 100% open source, anyone who can read Javascript can make most of the adjustments easily with LEAFPAD (above). Leafpad is the little pencil you see on your desktop - its a simple text editor.

While most of the setup features have menus, some folks want to go in and adjust things "Like a Tech". Here is an example of how to change your system "LIKE A TECH". Lets say you want this Help Frame to go away and you want your Desktop Icons to get bigger and take up the extra space.

NOTE: read everything before doing anything.

  1. Click the PENCIL (Leafpad - a text editor)

  2. Open /opt/prldesk/htm/prlprefs.js - this is where your desktop menu features are stored

  3. Find the line that says:

  4. You can save your changes or replace the page with something else, such as:

  5. Then right-click on the desktop and reload and you should see this help page/frame disappear and your ICON images will get big and fat and cover most of the screen.


    (a web site that teaches you how to use anonymous, encrypted email and other features)

  6. Then right-click in a blank area of your desktop and reload the frame.

If things don't reload, DO NOT PANIC! Just hold the power button for 5 seconds and your PC should shut down.

As long as you didn't change the PocketRocketLinux TGZ file, the next time you boot, your changes will be "forgotten" and your old desktop with this help text will return.

There is also an automatic menu-driven setup for removing or changing that frame and your desktop appearance here.

This is a great way to learn Linux or Javascript: if you screw up and your system freezes or doesn't run right, just reboot and things will be the same as when you started. If you find sometime is working as planned, then you can re-write the PRLSRC area and your changes will stick permanently.

Note: you can get more help configuring your system on our web site. This help screen is just an overview of MOST of the main topics. There are plenty of others. One look at the huge Tiny Core Repository where all the applications are stored, and you'll soon see that the number of programs you have to choose from is rather large (over 3000), and almost anything you want to do can be done with Tiny Core Linux. You really do NOT need the Pocket Rocket Linux Installation and Desktop system, unless you are an absolute NEWBIE, and want the benefits of Free Live Support, Free Onsite Support and another layer of help using these great products.

OUCH - you're stuck or something isn't working!

First, please remember that you are running a "Beta System", and its almost certain you will find bugs, problems and errors, experience delays and crashes or perhaps something just sits there and doesn't GO.

We appreciate the time you take telling us about problems and you can even get LIVE HELP in our forums and through chat - free. The time you spend helps us refine Pocket Rocket Linux to work on all PCs, Laptops, Tablets and PDAs. Unlike most operating systems, Pocket Rocket Linux was designed to work on virtually any PC, but that means there will be problems as each new hardware variety takes a shot at using this desktop.

About Tiny Core Linux Bugs:

Tiny Core Linux is much more developed and refined than the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop. So is Mozilla Firefox, yet both packages do encounter problems now and then.

There are dozens of places to get help using Mozilla Firefox, which is one reason we selected it to be the basis of the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop: it made sense to us to use a popular, well-developed, open source, secure browser, rather than some "other" desktop package that might change and screw everything up.

HOWEVER, Mozilla is a pretty big software package with lots of revisions, and many of the errors you encounter are related to some little bug they're working on. A common problem is FLASH AND CRASH (documented in this and at the Mozilla web site). This is actually a problem with ADOBE FLASH, and not really a problem with Mozilla Firefox or Pocket Rocket Linux, but it shows up sometimes after loading load Flash drivers and run a video - like Youtube.

POOF! Firefox crashes and the Pocket Rocket Menu should reboot in a second or two.

There is an automatic test (default) that runs after the menu starts. This re-installs the Flash drivers into Firefox. This usually fixes the problem. If your desktop will not run because Flash keeps crashing, DON'T LOAD IT until you get help (free).

Using TOR and Aurora (Firefox variant) instead of Firefox?

Aurora is Firefox, but was built by the team at TOR to run with their software.

  • The default menu browser with no Flash drivers is Aurora, with TOR loading automatically.

  • The default menu browser after loading Flash is Firefox, since TOR is useless if you are running Flash and visiting web sites that track you.

What is TOR?

Working with VIDALIA and POLIPO, TOR allows you to surf the internet anonymously. By default, if you don't load the Flash drivers, TOR will run in the background. You can change your Vidalia settings with the POP UP that appears when TOR loads. We suggest you consider hosting a RELAY or BRIDGE and you can EARN CASH by creating a fully functional Pocket Rocket Linux TOR based network.

If all TOR and VIDALIA relays and bridges are working correctly, instead of showing your location, you will "appear" to be somewhere else: this helps protect youir privacy. You can learn more about why that's important at The TOR web site.

While TOR is great for encrypting your internet session and protecting your privacy, it does slow down your browser: you are depending on TOR relays instead of directly accessing web sites.

If you don't want to use TOR, set the bootdistro flag in prlprefs.js to "orig" instead of "tor".

TO CHANGE YOUR DEFAULT FIREFOX PREFERENCES:

Every system with a hard drive has a "BACKUP" area where configuration files are stored on the hard drive. This doesn't save your session data, rather it keeps a copy of the default installation in case your main USB drive or CD/DVD crashes or can't be read. If you put configuration files in this area, they will be reloaded when you reboot.

To save your Firefox preferences, do this:

  • Find the Firefox Preference file called prefs.js

    This is usually in a folder called ~/.mozilla/firefox/xxxxxxxx.default where xxxxxxxx = some random characters Firefox assigns each time you restart Firefox.

  • To find that folder, you can use a file manager included with Tiny Core Linux (has bugs, but usually works), or use the drive list shown at the bottom of the Pocket Rocket Linux Menu (less bugs), or go to a terminal prompt (click the black screen), and type:

    • cd ~

    • cd .mozilla

    • cd firefox

    • ls

      This will list the files in that folder and you should see the xxxxxxxx.default folder.

    • cd xxxxxxxx.default - replace xxxxxxxx with the correct characters.

    • ls -lt prefs.js

      You should see the prefs.js file with the last time it was modified.

    • cp prefs.js ~

      This will put a copy of the file in the root folder so you can get to it easily.

    • Now you have to find the backup area where your Firefox Preference File is stored.

    • cd /bin

    • editor prltop.sh

    • You should see a line such as dkdir="/mnt/sda2/prldesk"

      This is the hard drive area where your copy of the prldesk system is stored.

    • cd /mnt/sda2/prldesk/prlff/d0 - using this example

      We have added 2 folders to this path - the prlff and the prlff/d0 folder.

    • You should see a prompt that says something like:

      tc@box:/mnt/sda2/prldesk/prlff/d0

      If not, you have mistyped the path in the last cd command.

    • Once you have the right path, then you type:

      cp ~/prefs.js .

      and the Firefox prefs.js file with your changes will be stored permanently and used on each boot.

    Why do this? If you want to tinker with your Firefox, save bookmarks and other data, you need to store it somewhere: here you go.

    Why skip this? First, the default Firefox preferences do NOT save passwords or forms and keeps your cache and disk space very low. We specifically fine-tuned the prefs.js file to run faster than a normal Firefox session. You may find Firefox doesn't work as well after changing your settings.

    Is there an easier way?

    Yes. You can use the Pocket Rocket Linux backup button and store all your current configuration files, however this feature is being developed and we cannot guarantee that all of your Firefox, Skype and other settings will be stored correctly.

    Is there a more secure method?

    Absolutely: you can use the built-in backup feature of Tiny Core Linux, and you'll probably encounter less problems and if you do encounter problems you can usually get help at the Tiny Core Linux web site. In fact, if you can use all of the features of Tiny Core, from the backup to the wifi, to loading applications and managing your data, you don't even need the PRL Desktop at all: the system you have installed basically has TWO desktop systems: Pocket Rocket Linux, based on Mozilla Firefox, and JWM, with both running on Tiny Core.

    The JWM menu is a little faster than Mozilla, but might not give you the RICH Desktop layout, although it can be customized to be very good looking. There are forums online to learn to do that.

    The Pocket Rocket Linux system was designed so anyone who understand Firefox and can either hack into Javascript (most kids can do this today), or use the customize features in the PRL Setup package, can make a very nice Desktop the same way you would create a web page, with all of the same features.

    For example, Tiny Core Linux and JWM cannot embed a Flash Player right into the Desktop as a frame. Pocket Rocket Linux can. TC and JWM cannot embed an online web page, such as Google Docs, right into the Desktop as a frame. Pocket Rocket Linux can.

    There are many things you can do with Pocket Rocket Linux that other Desktops simply cannot do. However, doing this means you are basically sitting on top of a Firefox/Browser session to do your work. If you like using Firefox, then Pocket Rocket Linux is perfect. If you only want Firefox running when you go online, then there are several ways to use this version of Linux - Tiny Core - configured with the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop.

    Video, Audio, Flash, Wifi/Ethernet and other problems:

    Most Linux, Mac and Windows help tutorials are based on ONLINE WEB PAGES and forums where you can get help on specific topics: the same applies here. We suggest you try our system at www.pocketrocketlinux.com/?help and if you need live support, we have that too - free.

    Using Opera instead of Firefox?

    For Firefox, the Tiny Core repository has a flash10.tcz and flash10ff.tcz. Try both and you can test them when your desktop loads: if you hear the short music intro, flash is working. This file is included automatically with PocketRocketLinuxtc.tgz - the package you normally download and use to run the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop.

    Opera requires a plug-in which you can download from http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/completion/?installer=Flash_Player_10.3_for_other_Linux_(.tar.gz)

    (the link at Adobe's site may change)

    Here are the basic instructions (from that site):

    Installation instructions for tar.gz (Opera Flash Plug-In from Adobe web site)

    • Click the download link to begin installation. A dialog box will appear asking you where to save the file.

    • Save the .tar.gz file to your desktop and wait for the file to download completely.

    • Unpackage the file.

    • Copy the libflashplayer.so file to the plugins folder of your browser. Refer to your browser vendor for the location of this folder.

    • To verify the plug-in is installed in your Mozilla browser, launch Mozilla and choose Help > About Plug-ins from the browser menu.

    Once you have the plugin, each Browser requires a different set of steps. The Firefox Flash should be working automatically (as the flash10ff.tcz file). But Opera requires these steps (also done automatically by the Pocket Rocket Linux desktop)

    • (from the Opera Website)

      If Adobe Flash Player is not installed, or you wish to upgrade, proceed as follows:

      • Download the plug-in from Adobe's website. The plug-in is available in various formats, including .deb, .rpm, and .tar.

        (Tiny Core Linux uses the .tar version)

      • Follow the instructions on the download page (described above).

        If you choose the .tar file, you need to unpack it. The command line is:

        tar xvf install_flash_player_10_linux.tar.gz

      • Then copy libflashplayer.so to /usr/lib/opera/plugins.

      • A user without root access can copy the the plug-in to $HOME/.local/lib/opera/plugins.

      • Restart Opera.

      • Verify that the plug-in is working by going to Adobe's test page.
      These steps are automatically done by the Pocket Rocket Linux Desktop, but if you are switching back and forth between Firefox and Opera, the automatic method may not work.

      Downloading an Updated Plugin:

      Make sure to put a copy of install_flash_player_10_linux.tar.gz in the /mnt/?DRIVE?/prldesk/prlff/plugins folder. If Pocket Rocket Linux finds this file (which also comes included with your PocketRocketLinuxtc.tgz file, but may need updating), then it will be unpacked and added to your Firefox and/or Opera folders automatically.

      If you are still having problems getting flash working, visit either the forum at http://tinycorelinux.com, or get live help at http://pocketrocketlinux.com?help