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Best lightweight Linux distro for desktop use
1.
The installer is nearly 3GB in size.
It’s also text-based and there’s no Live mode to try it out.
Nevertheless, it’s incredibly simple to follow.
Once installed, Absolute Linux is incredibly nimble.
The distro includes many useful custom scripts and utilities to ease configuration and maintenance of the installation.
There’s also plenty of documentation accessible from within the desktop itself to assist new users.
The distro uses its own repos together with that of Debians.
The install process is extremely quick taking only around 3 - 10 minutes.
antiX boots into a pleasing looking IceWM window manager with icons on the desktop.
Best lightweight Linux distro for Debian
3.
BunsenLabs
Crunchbang (or #!)
was a very popular Debian-derived distro specifically designed to use as few system resources as possible.
However, one of those successors, Crunchbang++, has now been discontinued.
It features a gorgeously configurable Openbox window manager.
you’ve got the option to install extra software from the Debian repositories too.
you might test drive BunsenLabs in “live” mode before installing.
Best lightweight Linux distro for Windows users
4.
The bundled web web client isGoogleChrome.
This is unusual for a Linux distro, as Chrome isn’t open source software.
Still, the web app works well and can stream content from popular websites likeYouTubeand Netflix.
Linux Lite also comes with VLC Media Player and LibreOffice preinstalled.
The OS includes the zRAM memory compression tool which makes it run faster on older machines.
There’s also a special Lite Upgrade utility.
That said, this shouldn’t be too much to ask of any computer made in the last decade.
Try it on modern hardware and you’ll be amazed at just how quickly it runs.
It also supports multi-booting so you could keep your existing OS if you wish.
The distro has dropped support for 32-bit and is only available for 64-bit systems.
Best lightweight Linux distro for older machines
5.
Lubuntu is primarily designed for older machines.
you might use Lubuntu’s “Discover” Software Center to install more apps.
The most recent releases have even reverted to using LibreOffice rather than Abiword for word processing.
The most recent release of Lubuntu has now lowered the minimum required RAM to execute the OS to 500MB.
Its available in 32-bit and 64-bit incarnations.
Best lightweight Linux distro for Ubuntu LTS
6.
LXLE
LXLE is a lightweight version of Linux based on the Ubuntu LTS (long term support) release.
The most recent version at the time of writing is a remaster of the current version of Ubuntu LTS.
The most recent release of LXLE (Focal) is available as a Live image for 64-bit machines.
The hardware requirements are 1GB of system RAM at a minimum, with 2GB recommended.
Best Slackware-based lightweight Linux distro
7.
The distro is incredibly fast as it’s small enough to run entirely from system RAM.
Porteus is available for 32-bit and 64-bit machines.
Best established lightweight Linux distro
8.
Puppy Linux
Puppy Linux is one of the oldest lightweight distros out there.
FossaPup64 9.5 is based on Ubuntu Focal Fossa (20.04).
The more recent S15Pup64 22.12 version of Puppy Linux (pictured) is based on Slackware64 15.0.
There are also graphical tools to manage Samba shares and set up a firewall, for example.
This gives users access to the parent distro’s vast software collection in each case.
There’s a separate tool for installing a more heavyweight web online window post-install.
As slick and customizable as Puppy Linux is, the lightweight interface does look a little dated.
This is definitely a distro built for speed, not comfort.
Best lightweight Linux distro within Windows
9.
The rolling release distro has a stable and a developmental version.
SliTaz is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms.
Best smallest lightweight Linux distro
10.
It’s recommended for users with a wired connection.
it’s possible for you to also choose to install CorePlus, which measures a relatively hefty 248MB.
This spin offers a choice of lightweight window managers such as IceWM and FluxBox.
CorePlus also includes support for Wi-Fi and non-US keyboards.
TinyCore saves on size by requiring a wired online grid connection during initial setup.
The recommended amount of RAM is just 128MB.
There are 32-bit and 64-bit versions as well asPiCore, which is a build for theRaspberry Pi.
There are builds for otherARMdevices like theGK802 Mini PCtoo.
This minimalist distro doesn’t feature many apps.
After installation there’s little beyond the Terminal, a basic text editor and a data pipe connection manager.
Use the graphical package manager ‘Apps’ to install additional software such as multimedia codecs.
Best for KDE users
11.
Q4OS boots to a welcome screen that can be used to install additional apps as well as proprietary codecs.
If you have resources to spare it’s possible for you to even turn on desktop effects.
You also get the option to replace its system launcher with KDEs Kickoff menu, using the welcome app.
FAQs
How to choose the best lightweight Linux distros for you?
If youre migrating from Windows, youll want to pick a distro that eases the migration.
How we test
We test lightweight Linux distros across various factors.
We also check how smoothly the distros run on legacy systems and modern ones.
Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
