Dynebolic is a portable Linux distro based on Devuan that provides a complete multimedia production system which can run on almost any computer. Here we show you what makes Dynebolic great, how it stacks against similar systems, and how to install and run it on a USB stick.
Why Use Dynebolic As A Portable System?
One of the biggest selling points of Dynebolic is that it can accommodate any kind of task right out of the box. For instance, the distro ships with a drawing tool, a digital audio workstation, and a fully-featured video editor. This makes Dynebolic an attractive option if you’re looking for a “no-fuss” media production environment.
Another selling point of Dynebolic is that it’s running entirely on Free and Open Source software. This means that every part of the system, from the kernel to the apps that you run, is free of any proprietary code. As such, Dynebolic is also appealing to security-conscious users who want to make sure that their distro is completely auditable.
Good to know: learn how Free and Open Source software can secure your computer by installing some of the best Linux-libre distros.
Comparing Dynebolic vs. Puppy Linux
Dynebolic is not the only Linux distro in the portable operating system (OS) market. Puppy Linux, a popular lightweight system, also offers a complete desktop that you can run from a USB stick.
While both systems are geared towards portability, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. To compare them, we’ll look at some of the qualities that make a good portable OS.
Overall Interface and Resource Consumption
Puppy Linux uses a custom JWM-based environment for its releases. This gives the system breathing room when running on lower-spec machines. However, its biggest downside is that it can be daunting and unfamiliar to new users.
In contrast, Dynebolic uses a standard KDE Plasma environment for its interface. This Windows-like desktop makes it approachable for both new Linux users and Windows veterans alike. Having said that, KDE Plasma can be resource-intensive which makes it unsuitable for slower computers.
FYI: revive your old computer by installing some of the best lightweight Linux distros.
Application Availability
Puppy Linux only comes with basic apps such as AbiWrite for writing text, and Inkscape for graphics editing. While it’s possible to install third-party apps, doing so requires you to manually download and configure them on your Puppy installation. As a result, you might find the OS a little lacking if you don’t tinker with it.
On the other hand, Dynebolic is designed to be a fully-featured multimedia powerhouse. The developers included most of the popular production apps such as GIMP, Audacity, VLC, and OBS. Dynebolic doesn’t require you to configure anything or manually download files to be useful for media production.
Data Permanence
Puppy Linux uses “saves” to preserve any changes made in its system. These are small files that live in a separate filesystem which the OS rewrites whenever you turn off your computer. This gives Puppy Linux the best of both worlds. It allows you to save files on a live distro while also keeping it portable.
Meanwhile, Dynebolic solves data permanence by “nesting” on a host OS’ existing filesystem. This is a process where the OS stores its mutable system files on an existing filesystem instead of your computer’s volatile RAM. Under nesting, the OS behaves a lot like a regular distro. However, doing so prevents Dynebolic from being a portable Linux system.
Good to know: learn how to create your own encrypted cloud backups with Rclone.
Updates and Developer Support
One quirk of live Linux distros is that they don’t receive constant system updates from their developers. This is because, by design, most of the system runs in “read-only mode.”
Puppy Linux follows this trend by not providing a mechanism to update the system from inside the OS. As such, updating a Puppy Linux install to a new version requires you to re-burn the new ISO to your USB stick.
Just like with Puppy, Dynebolic also doesn’t provide any internal tools for updating the OS. That said, the developers have confirmed that they are working on a solution for this, which could make it easier to maintain the OS in the long run.
Obtaining and Installing Dynebolic
The first step in obtaining Dynebolic is to download the latest ISO file from the developer’s website.
Burn the ISO file to a USB disk using either BalenaEtcher or dd.
Turn off the machine that you want to run Dynebolic on, then plug in the USB disk on the computer’s USB port.
Turn on the machine, then go to its Boot Menu. I was able to access this on my Lenovo ThinkPad by pressing F12.
Select your USB stick, then wait for Dynebolic to load its bootloader screen.
Highlight “dyne:bolic – no NEST”, then press Enter to boot into the system.
Doing this will load the kernel to your computer’s RAM as well as load the KDE Plasma desktop.
Using Dynebolic For The First Time
By default, Dynebolic automatically logs you into its live system and its initial “Start” mode. To change to a different mode, click the label on the system’s taskbar.
Select the mode that you want to switch to from the left sidebar. In my case, I will switch to the “Audio” mode.
From here, I can select the “preset” apps on the desktop’s taskbar and start working on audio-related projects.
Tip: jumpstart your audio editing journey by checking out our extensive cheatsheet for Audacity.
Saving Files in a Live Dynebolic Instance
The easiest way to save your files in a portable Dynebolic Linux install is to put them on an external disk. Start by plugging in your external storage disk, then click “Mount and Open” on the window that pops up on the desktop.
Click “Allow” on the OpenSnitch prompt.
Navigate to the location of the files that you want to save, then press Ctrl + C to copy them to your clipboard.
Find your external disk’s name on the file manager’s left sidebar.
Press Ctrl + V inside your removable disk, then close the file manager window.
Click the Removable Drive symbol on the desktop’s icon tray, then select “Safely remove.”
Nesting Dynebolic on a Hard Disk
While Dynebolic is a live, on-the-go Linux distro, it can also replicate itself inside an existing OS. This allows Dynebolic to use its host OS’ storage to ensure that any changes you make in the system won’t disappear after a reboot.
Start by booting Dynebolic on a machine with an existing OS. In my case, I am booting on top of my Ubuntu 24.04 installation.
Open the File Manager, then look for your main system’s hard disk on the window’s left sidebar.
Click your Hard Disk, then type “dyne” on the password prompt to mount it to Dynebolic.
Click “Allow” on the OpenSnitch prompt, then select the terminal section on the File Manager.
Run the following command to copy the current Dynebolic instance to your hard disk.
sudo dyne-install
Reboot your machine, then select “dyne:bolic” on the bootloader prompt.
Test whether Dynebolic has persistent storage by changing your system’s theme, then rebooting the machine again.
Dynebolic and its apps are just a sliver of what the entire Linux ecosystem can give to you. Explore the wonderful world of Free and Open Source by looking at some of the best software for Linux.
Image credit: Godfrey Nyangechi via Unsplash. All alterations and screenshots by Ramces Red.
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