Mailing the story:

Damn Small Linux (DSL) is primarily a live CD, or emulation thereof, which means that the base system is read-only. So how do you save your settings? Mastering DSL's backup and restore method is essential to enjoying DSL without using a traditional hard drive install. Here's how to back up your DSL settings, files, and applications to a single archive file on a local medium (such as a floppy disk, pen drive, or hard disk).