Today, the emphasis in Linux is on the major distributions. NuTyX GNU/Linux [1], however, looks back to an earlier time, when a distribution was the work of a single user or at best a small group of developers. Inspired by Linux From Scratch (LFS) [2], Thierry Nuttens has developed NuTyX over the past 16 years to provide a transparent, maximized system that can be appreciated by all levels of users (Figure 1). Intrigued by this passion project, I invited Nuttens to talk about his efforts. His answers provide an in-depth look at how one small distribution is run.

Linux Magazine (LM): Why did you start to develop NuTyX?

Thierry Nuttens (TN): I tend to always want to understand the inner workings of what I put together. NuTyX is no exception to this rule. When I started discovering this system of explanation, more than 17 years ago, I didn't understand much about the free software world. What interested me the most was to have a high-performance, reliable, and easy-to-maintain system. My vision of Linux changed radically when I discovered the Linux From Scratch project, a project where (almost) everything is explained, from building a chrooted system to building the build toolchain to finally get a working operating system built yourself. Even today, I am still learning from this project and its simple and transparent maintenance.

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