Familiar is also the name of a
Linux distribution for the
iPaq handheld and similar
StrongARM based mobile devices. It is something like a cut-down
Debian distribution. It comes with a
package manager, called ipkg, which is very similar to the Debian package manager in that it can download packages itself, and automatically downloads all required dependencies. A full installation of Familiar is approximately 20
megabytes, this includes all your favourite
Linux commands,
X,
Python,
gtk and various media players. It leaves you with about 12
megabytes to play with (there seems to be a
clustering of mobile devices with the following specs: 206MHz
StrongARM, 32MB
Flash, 64MB RAM, 240x320 VGA screen).
Familiar is supported in a number of ways by the remnants of Compaq, by, for example, providing web space for the project at: http://www.handhelds.org.
Its big brother is Initimate (geddit, Familiar is something that follows you around, an Intimate is like a more capable familiar).