How often are writes to the "OS" portion of an installed Linux Distro really needed?

[Oren Beck]

I am trying to understand several aspects \of how Linux "works" In the pre-
X mac world they had a data and resource forking to simplify the concept. In
Linux there seems to be a debate over modular Vs monolithic software
architectures. What I am trying to expand my understanding of seems trivial
but likely is not. It centers on which architectural path causes/needs the
least writes to the core areas of what we call a "distro"  I admit to being
more than a bit fixated in my logic on a "distro in flash" eventual goal.
The precedent I am looking back to is influenced by Apple's OS in ROM
approach. Or the MP3 players which load their "OS" from a partition of their
pooled flash resource into the devices working RAM area.

We have several folks on list who are way better coders than most folks ever
meet. I am curious to hear their comments on what if any Kernel tweaks would
optimise a distro for running from flash as Puppy appears to be using. I'm
NOT a low level coder, I can follow along some distance when it's presented
clearly. The idea I'm targeting is to get a distro in flash that does not
abuse the flash media needlessly.

-- 
Oren Beck

816.729.3645
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