Get DoudouLinux

DoudouLinux is currently available for download in versions for CDROM and USB media (USB key or CD disk). Both versions come in a variety of languages depending on which language you wish to use. Thus you can also initiate your children to French or Spanish by just downloading the corresponding version [1]. We intend to setup later an online shop to let you order ready to use DoudouLinux CDROM and USB keys or even flash cards. This would avoid the required technical operations to people who would not feel skilled enough or who would simply like to financially support the project [2].

Download DoudouLinux

Creating a CDROM

An ISO file must be downloaded for the CDROM. This file is to be written onto a CDROM using the function “burn an ISO image” of any CD burning application. Warning: do not just copy an ISO image like another file to be copied onto a data CD. You must use the special burning function previously mentioned otherwise the CDROM structure won’t be correct for booting. Indeed the ISO image contains several files that will appear on CD as soon as it is written. If you use a data CD creation function, you will have one file only on your CD: the file you just downloaded…

Creating an USB key

The USB key image to be downloaded, called “disk image”, is a low level representation of disk data as an IMG file. Thus in the same way you could not just record the ISO file on a data CD, you cannot just copy the IMG file onto any USB key. Nevertheless the process to write DoudouLinux onto the USB key is more technical than for the CDROM version. You need specific tools that some system do not provide, especially Windows®. The creation process of an USB key is described on the page Creating a DoudouLinux USB key.

Moreover, starting a system from an USB key is less supported on older machines (about 2005 and earlier) and is often less easy to activate whenever this is not set as default. On Macintosh®, machine boot is different from PC’s boot and booting on an USB key is not trivial - or even not impossible. Use this version only if you feel comfortable enough with your computer!

Creating a flash card, a hard disk

The procedure is exactly the same as for USB keys because all these devices are detected as storage devices whatever the technology involved. Please note however that if you would like to start DoudouLinux from within a flash card inserted in a card reader itself being integrated in your computer, success is not certain. Trials performed with two netbooks from different brands were not conclusive [3]. On the contrary trials on a more standard laptop computer did succeed.

Checking downloaded ISO files and disk images

Before writing a CD or disk image, we recommend to check the downloaded file integrity. You may then detect download errors, storage errors (wrong data on your disk) or even compromising of our servers [4]. The way to check file integrity consists in computing a [checksum] using the SHA1 algorithm:

$ sha1sum doudoulinux-2010-05-ar.img
ed4588f33e86cfaae5e75eb4200bd3d58c047248  doudoulinux-2010-05-ar.img

This value is to be compared with the one on the download page. All possible errors but some deliberate ones [5] will then be highlighted. Note: you need to have the sha1sum tool installed in your system to do this, which is not the default case under Windows®…

Checking checksums

We also provide a file containing all checksums and which is signed with the DoudouLinux repository key using a digital signature process. The file is checksum-sha1-all and its signature is checksum-sha1-all.gpg. You can check this file using the following command:

$ sudo gpg --keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --default-key D92ACBA0 --verify checksum-sha1-all.gpg checksum-sha1-all

You will need to have installed the package with the DoudouLinux repository key before hand. This supposes that you are running Debian Linux or any Debian derivative.

Reference: How to manually check for package’s integrity