In today's world, Light-weight Linux distribution has become a topic of great importance and interest to a wide variety of people. Whether due to its relevance in the cultural, social, scientific or technological field, Light-weight Linux distribution has become a key reference point in contemporary society. Over the years, Light-weight Linux distribution has sparked the curiosity of researchers, academics, professionals and hobbyists, generating a vast body of knowledge and debate around this topic. In this article, we will explore the multiple facets of Light-weight Linux distribution, analyzing its impact in different areas and offering a global vision of its importance and relevance today.
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A light-weight Linux distribution is one that uses lower memory and/or has less processor-speed requirements than a more "feature-rich" Linux distribution. The lower demands on hardware ideally result in a more responsive machine, and/or allow devices with fewer system resources (e.g. older or embedded hardware) to be used productively. The lower memory and/or processor-speed requirements are achieved by avoiding software bloat, i.e. by leaving out features that are perceived to have little or no practical use or advantage, or for which there is no or low demand.
The perceived weight of a Linux distribution is strongly influenced by the desktop environment included with that distribution. Accordingly, many Linux distributions offer a choice of editions. For example, Canonical hosts several variants ("flavors") of the Ubuntu distribution that include desktop environments other than the default GNOME or the deprecated Unity. These variants include the Xubuntu and Lubuntu distributions for the comparatively light-weight Xfce and LXDE / LXQt desktop environments.
The demands that a desktop environment places on a system may be seen in a comparison of the minimum system requirements of Ubuntu 10.10 and Lubuntu 10.10 desktop editions, where the only significant difference between the two was their desktop environment. Ubuntu 10.10 included the Unity desktop, which had minimum system requirements of a 2 GHz processor with 2 GB of RAM, while Lubuntu 10.10 included LXDE, which required at least a Pentium II with 128 MB of RAM.
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Distribution | Minimum system requirements | Desktop / Window manager | Based on | Package manager | Image size | Purpose | Latest release year | Maintainer | Created | Founder |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Absolute Linux | CPU: Intel/AMD 64bit
RAM: 64 MB |
iceWM | Slackware | XPKGTOOL | 2264 MB | Desktop | 2023 | Absolute Linux Team | 2007 | Absolute Linux Team |
Alpine Linux | RAM: 128MB (256MB to install) | None by default | BusyBox, musl | APK | 8 MB (container), 130 MB (disk) | Lightweight desktop, security | 2023 | Alpine Linux development team | 2010 | LEAF Project members |
antiX | CPU: Intel/AMD X86 | IceWM, Fluxbox, JWM | MEPIS < Debian | Synaptic | 700 MB Base, 1GB Full, 310 MB Core | Desktop, portability (with persistence) | 2023 | Anticapitalista | 2007 | Anticapitalista |
Bodhi Linux | CPU: 32 bit 500 MHz (non-PAE)
drive: 5 GB |
Moksha (a fixed E17) | Ubuntu < Debian | APT | 575 MB (Standard), 1024 MB (AppPack) |
Desktop | 2023 | Bodhi Linux team | 2011 | Bodhi Linux team |
BunsenLabs Linux | RAM: | OpenBox | Debian Stable | Synaptic, APT, dpkg | 674 MB (i386, no PAE) |
LiveCD, LiveDVD, lightweight desktop | 2021 | Core maintainers | 2015 | Core maintainers |
CrunchBang Linux | CPU:x86/ARM
RAM: 1 GB Drive:2.1 GB. |
OpenBox | Debian | dpkg | 1600 MB | Lightweight Desktop | 2013 | Philip Newborough (corenominal) | 2010 | Philip Newborough (corenominal) |
CRUX | CPU: x86-64 (AMD Athlon 64, Intel Core, Intel Atom) or newer processors | OpenBox | - | pkgutils | 1773 MB | BSD / experienced users, lightweight | 2022 | Core maintainers | 2002 | Per Lidén |
Damn Small Linux | CPU: 486dx | Fluxbox, JWM | - | APT (optional) | 50 MB | Desktop | 2024 | 2005 | John Andrews, et al. | |
Elive | CPU: 32 bit 500 MHz (non-PAE) | Enlightenment | Debian | APT | 3 GB | Desktop | 2024 | Samuel F. Baggen | 2005 | Samuel F. Baggen |
Gentoo Linux | RAM: 32 MB | None by default, but you can install any | - | Portage | 400 MB | Desktop, server, source-based, advanced | Rolling release | 2002 | Daniel Robbins | |
GoboLinux | RAM: 128 MB RAM
CPU: x86_64 |
Awesome | - | 1900 MB | Desktop | 2020 | GoboLinux team | 2003 | Hisham Muhammad and André Detsch | |
Knoppix | RAM:
32 MB text 512 MB LXDE CPU: 486 |
LXDE | Debian | dpkg | 701 MB | Live | 2020 | 2000 | Klaus Knopper | |
Lightweight Portable Security | iceWM | Arch Linux | 390 MB | Secure live operating system | 2021 | United States Department of Defense | 2011 | United States Department of Defense | ||
Linux Lite | CPU: Intel/AMD 64bit
disk: 8 GB |
Xfce | Ubuntu | APT | 955 MB | Desktop (Windows users) | 2023 | Jerry Bezencon | 2013 | Jerry Bezencon |
Lubuntu | LXQt | Ubuntu | APT | 916 MB | Lightweight desktop | 2022 | Lubuntu team | 2009 | Lubuntu team | |
LXLE | RAM: 1 GB (2022)
CPU: 64-bit (2022) |
LXDE | Ubuntu LTS | APT | 1300 MB | Older computers, intermediate users | 2022 | LXLE team | 2012 | Ronnie |
Nanolinux | RAM: 64 MB (2017)
CPU: 486 |
SLWM on Nano-X | Tiny Core Linux; MicroCore Linux with BusyBox. | 19 MB | Lightweight, Runs on RAM, advanced | 2015 | Georg Potthast | - | Georg Potthast | |
OpenWrt | CPU: x86 and over 50 router platforms | None (headless server) - Includes LuCI admin UI | - | opkg | 6 MB | SOHO Routers | 2023 | OpenWrt developers | 2004 | |
PCLinuxOS |
CPU: 64-bit (from 2016) |
KDE, MATE, XFCE | Mandrake | APT-RPM | 1000-3800 MB | Live | 2020 | Bill Reynolds | 2003 | Bill Reynolds |
Peppermint Linux OS |
CPU: x86 |
XFCE | Debian, Devuan | APT | 1332 MB | Desktop | 2023 | Peppermint, LLC | 2010 | Peppermint, LLC |
Porteus |
CPU: 32 bit |
(multiple) | Slackware | USM | 260 MB (LxQt) | Lightweight, portable (with persistence) | 2022 | Porteus | 2010 | Fanthom |
Puppy Linux | JWM-2.3.2 | Ubuntu LTS from Puppy 6 | Puppy Package Manager | 234 MB (Slacko) | Portable (with persistence), lightweight | 2023 | Puppy Foundation | 2003 | Barry Kauler | |
Salix OS |
RAM: 512 MB Hard drive: 8 GB |
MATE, KDE, Xfce, Fluxbox, Openbox | Slackware | slapt-get | 613 MB (Fluxbox), 852 MB (MATE live) | Desktop | 2022 | George Vlahavas | 2009 | George Vlahavas, Thorsten Mühlfelder and Cyrille Pontvieux |
Slax |
RAM:256MB without web browser |
KDE till Slax 8 Fluxbox since Slax 9 |
Slackware till Slax 8 Debian from Slax 9 |
APT | 226 MB | Portable | 2023 | Tomas Matejicek | 2002 | Tomas Matejicek |
SliTaz |
RAM: 128 MB loram 256 MB standard |
Openbox | - | TazPkg | 50 MB | Portable. Live (no persistence by default) | 2021 | dev team | 2008 | Christophe Lincoln |
Tiny Core Linux |
CPU: 486DX |
FLTK/FLWM | Tiny Core Linux | appbrowser (GUI) tce (CLI) | 11 MB (Core), 16 MB (TinyCore), 106 MB (CorePlus) | Portable, advanced | 2023 | Tiny Core team | 2009 | Robert Shingledecker |
Tiny SliTaz |
CPU: 486DX RAM: 4 MB 8 MB recommended |
None (VNC viewer or headless server) | SliTaz | Tiny SliTaz WEB site | Down to 800 KB, likely a 1.44 MB floppy | Portable. Live (no persistence by default) | 2021 | dev team | 2016 | Pascal Bellard |
Trisquel Mini |
RAM: 256 MB |
LXDE | Ubuntu LTS | APT | 1200 MB | Free software: desktop | 2023 | Rubén Rodríguez Pérez (quidam) | 2005 | Rubén Rodríguez Pérez (quidam) |
TurnKey Linux Virtual Appliance Library | None (headless server) - Includes Webmin admin UI | Debian (a minified base) | dpkg | 212 MB (Core) | Lightweight headless server | 2020 | TurnKey Linux team | 2008 | Alon Swartz, Liraz Siri | |
VectorLinux Light |
RAM: 64 MB Light edition 96 MB Standard |
Several / IceWM | Slackware | slapt-get | 618 MB | Desktop | 2017 | - | 2001 | - |
Void Linux |
CPU: ARMv6 Pentium 4 (SSE2) RAM: 96 MB |
Xfce, or none | - | XBPS | 250 MB (i686, without desktop environment) | Desktop/embedded | 2022 (rolling release) | Void Linux Team, Void Linux Community | 2008 | Juan Romero Pardines |
Xubuntu | CPU: Intel/AMD 64bit
RAM: 1 GB |
Xfce | Ubuntu | APT | 1660 MB | Lightweight desktop | 2023 | Xubuntu team | 2008 | Xubuntu team |
Zenwalk | Xfce | Slackware | netpkg | 974 MB | Desktop | 2020 | development team | 2004 | Jean-Philippe Guillemin | |
Distribution | Minimum system requirements | Desktop / Window manager | Based on | Package manager | Image size | Purpose | Latest release year | Maintainer | Created | Founder |