What would be the easiest way to take the kernel from Ubuntu and software from Puppy and build a small distro? Thanks for your help.

Linux from Scratch! Well, you'd go GNU, anyway.
There is (in Linux) no Kernel-from-that-or-this-distro...the kernel is what it is. It's the stuff around the kernel that makes the actual distro.
The bits that make Puppy what it is, stand loose from the actual kernel. The kernel used in Ubuntu is identical to any other kernel, save from some tiny bits (compiling, packaging and so) but you could just as easily download a (vanilla) kernel from kernel.org, compile it and use it.

So, I guess, for you, Linux from Scratch is a good start...unless you're like me and wheel it completely unscripted - but I have way too much time on my hands (being a bachelor and so)...

Enjoy!

Thor

Good advice above; here's 2 alternate suggestions:

1. Follow this instruction to install the Ubuntu Minimal CD:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/minimal

This will give you a basic, command-line only install.

From there you can install your favorite applications that Puppy uses: JWM windows manager, Seamonkey browser, Rox filer, etc. (I think... it's been a long time since I used Puppy) You'll end up with something that looks and feels like Puppy but is completely based on Ubuntu.

2. Create your own "Puplet" (Puppy Linux "spin"). http://puppylinux.org/main/Puplet%20...20features.htm


HOWEVER


The word "distro" is based on "to distribute" so I would say if you REALLY want to "create your own distro," then you need a community of like-minded individuals, and a website, forum, software repository, etc. to share your work with others. Visit distrowatch.com and decide whether the world really needs more Linux distros, or maybe you will decide to donate your time to an existing project (like Puppy or Ubuntu) instead.

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Thanks for the links, snowpine! The minimal installs were what I was after all along...saves me the hassle of hard-wiring the whole thing on my own.

You just made my weekend, dude!

Thor

I'm running Lucid Puppy 5.2.8 on a pre-historic machine (Acer 3000) and Puppy runs so fast that you might think for a moment that this machine wasn't actually utterly obsolete! I was also looking at the possibility of compiling a bare kernel and OS with nothing but the absolute essentials for hope of squeezing a little more life out of this machine but it turned put that puppy itself was perfectly ok!

Get Lupa from the puppy site?

That looks interesting, better than Linux From Scratch, which IIRC is no longer active. Thanks for the link.

Reason I wanted to use Ubuntu kernel is I think it has better support for recent hardware.

I wonder if creating a puplet would be sufficienty different from Puppy for me to claim it as my own?

Distro is the only word I know that describes what I want to make. If there’s a better word, let me know.

Until I succeed in making something, distributing or supporting it is a moot point. But if I do succeed, IMO, I doubt I could do much worse than Puppy does. Plus I don’t care to support the Puppy cult, way to much baggage. But that’s not what this thread is about.

As for whether the world needs anymore distros I say, “enjoy the choice” or “competition improves the breed”.

LFS released version 7.0 not long ago and is still active. But even if they weren't, while you can use LFS as your main distro (and I bet some members here do that), I would think that the main purpose of LFS is to teach people how a Linux system actually is build out of parts, how they work together and how you can change it.
Once you understood that you can make everything you want out of Linux from that what you learned with LFS.

To be honest, I can't really remember where I got it, but it was a torrent so I probably got it from linuxtracker or distro-watch

You're not exaggerating there at all. I got my head lashed off by Puppy cultists when I was asking for help on creating a non-root account that I could use for day-to-day usage! I could create the user accounts just fine but couldn't get X to start properly after logging in with those accounts. Those 'puppists' acted as if I was some sort of monster for not wanting to use the root account all the time (as if it was like any other account).

I still love Puppy though, because it's the only distro (and I have tried all the Fedora and Ubuntu spins, Crunchbang, Bohdi, etc) that runs smoothly on this ancient Acer laptop I use in the living room (that I just can't bring myself to retire!).

@ All
Truth be told, I like to do things the easy way. In a perfect world I’d download a Ubuntu kernel, some Puppy software, click “Make Distro” button, and moments later I’d have a live CD that runs in ram like Puppy does.

Problems are:
1. We don't live in a perfect world.
2. Making a working Linux system is much more complicated than you seem to think, at least if you have some wishes like yours.

Just to make it clear: The Ubuntu kernel does not support more hardware than any other kernel with the same or higher version number. You also don't need Puppy software to have a system that runs in RAM.
When I think about it, the best way for you may be to try Tinycore Linux, especially with their new CorePlus approach:
1. It runs in RAM.
2. The base system (of the CorePlus version) only contains a kernel, a X system, a windowmanager, the fltk toolkit and wbar. The rest can be added with a simple package manager, so that in the end the system is small, fast and does only contain what you want it to contain.

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+1 there is nothing magical about Ubuntu's kernel.

I think the reason a lot of people say "Ubuntu has good hardware support" is because of their jockey-gtk application to identify your hardware and activate/download nonfree drivers.

You can probably install jockey-gtk in Lucid Puppy, which is advertised as compatible with Ubuntu packages (haven't tried it personally).

(but then again, doesn't puppy have their own utilities for video drivers/wireless firmware/etc?)

We don’t live in a perfect world, why the hell not? This is the 21st century, by now I should have one big button in the middle of my desktop that says “Click Here to Make Software”. This business of having to wait for someone to write the stuff is sooooo yesterday.

I hear you. I got some confusing advice about kernel version versus hardware - driver support (which I assume includes firmware too). I'm still not entirely certain if drivers / firmware have to be built into the kernel or added on by some other means, or both. IIUYC though either everything needed to support hardware is included in the kernel or it's not.

I'll take a look at Tinycore. Thanks for the tip.