It is based on Knoppix (Debian), but uses the Fluxbox window manager instead of KDE.
Its X Window System subsystem is based on a combination of Debian packages and the Kdrive. Xvesa. and Xfbdev servers.
Damn Small Linux has a nearly complete desktop, including: XMMS (MP3, and MPEG), FTP client, Dillo web browser, links-hacked web browser, spreadsheet, Sylpheed email, spellcheck (US English), a word-processor (Ted-GTK), four editors (SciTe, nVi, Zile -emacs clone-, and Nano -Pico clone-), graphics editing and viewing (Xpaint, and xzgv), Xpdf, emelFM (file manager), Naim (AIM, ICQ, IRC), VNCviwer, Rdesktop, SSH/SCP server and client, DHCP client, PPP, PPPoE (ADSL), a web server, calculator, generic and GhostScript printer support, NFS, games, system monitoring apps, a host of command line tools, USB support, and pcmcia support