Linux Live Kit is another tool you can use to create your own distro or back up your system. It prefers Debian but fortunately can be run on other distros as well, provided it supports aufs and squashfs kernel modules.
Linux is traditionally associated as being an operating system for coders and programmers, but over the years there have been real attempts to make Linux more attractive to general consumers. This is not least due to general consumer dissatisfaction with Windows security issues or even Apple's walled garden.
However, Linux comes in many different forms, known as 'flavors' or 'distros'. This is simply because Linux is so incredibly configurable that different forms tend to be developed for different userbase needs or interests.
For example, as mentioned, some have moved toward trying to entice disgruntled Windows users into something more familiar. However, others remain focused on specific environments that may favor programming or scientific applications, or other concerns such as security, resource use, and similar.
Different Linux distros can all work with Linux software and applications, and of course, any cloud-based apps that run through a browser. However, Linux distros come with a variety of different ranges of bundled software. Some might come with a lot of basic applications already pre-installed, while others will have the barest minimum.
And, as mentioned, Linux is very customizable, far beyond what normal Windows or Mac users may be used to.
Altogether, this is why it helps to have a good idea of what different Linux distros can offer. Do you need a GUI more familiar to Windows? Are you more concerned about privacy? How comfortable are you with typing commands rather than clicking icons?
All these concerns may determine which Linux distro is best for you, and here we aim to help you with that decision.
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The very best Linux distros are tailored to specific types of users. Ubuntu for instance is very easy to use, as it’s designed for newcomers. Arch Linux on the other hand appeals to experienced users who can take advantage of using the Terminal to type commands to perform tasks such as installing apps. This guide focuses on picking out the very best distros overall.
1. Elementary OS
Smartly designed and looks great
Not many preinstalled apps
If you’re after a distro that gets you as far away as possible from the image of a nerdy hacker type bashing away at a terminal interface, Elementary OS is what you need. It’s probably the most attractive distro around, with a style similar to that of macOS. This operating system’s superb desktop environment is known as Pantheon, and is based on Gnome.
The latest version of Elementary OS is called Loki, which as well as being that bit prettier and neater than its predecessor Freya, has its own application installer UI called AppCenter. It’s a delightfully simple way to install apps outside the terminal, which is handy as there aren't very many preinstalled.
Elementary OS does, however, come bundled with the Epiphany browser, the Geary email client and a few basic ‘tool’ apps. You may need to add more programs, but this is easy to do using the integrated AppCenter, which contains paid programs designed specifically for the OS such as Quilter for budding writers or Spice-Up for composing presentations. The inconvenience of buying and downloading additional apps is balanced by Elementary OS’ Elegance.
- You can get started with Elementary OS here
2. Linux Mint
Ideal for those switching from Windows/Mac
Impressive amount of customisation options
Linux Mint is a great ‘default’ distro for new Linux users, as it comes with a lot of the software you’ll need when switching from Mac or Windows, such as LibreOffice, the favoured productivity suite of Linux users. It also has better support for proprietary media formats, allowing you to play videos, DVDs and MP3 music files out of the box.
You can download three main starter flavours of Mint 19, each of which uses a different desktop environment, the top-most layer of the interface allowing you to change elements such as the appearance of windows and menus. Cinnamon is currently the most popular, but you can also choose the more basic MATE, or Xfce.
Linux Mint 18.3 was the last release to have an official KDE version. Unfortunately, this is no longer available with Linux Mint 19, but it can still be installed on top of version 19 if you miss it.
While Timeshift was introduced in version 18.3 and to all Linux Mint releases, it is one of the main features of Linux Mint 19. Timeshift enables users to restore their computer from the last functional snapshot.
All these desktop environments offer a good deal of customisation options, so feel free to download a few and boot as Live CD prior to installing to see which works best.
- You can get started with Mint here
3. Arch Linux
Massive potential for customisation
Arch Linux itself isn’t for the faint of heart
If you’re willing to try a slightly less user-friendly distro, Arch Linux is one of the most popular choices around. Arch allows you to customize your build using the terminal to download and install packages, and it’s particularly handy for developers and those with older machines who may not want unnecessary packages taking up space.
Of course, this used to be the way all Linux distros were set up, but there are now much more user-friendly methods available. There’s even such a version of Arch Linux, named Antergos (pictured above). Antergos comes with more drivers, more applications and a load of desktop environments to let you change the look of the system. Its aim is to hold your hand and get you up and running with all the basics right from the initial install, but it’s still Arch Linux underneath.
The hardcore crowd may turn their noses up at packages like Antergos, but when it saves those newer to Linux hours of potentially frustrating fiddling about, we’re all for it.
Antergos’ graphical installer can guide you through the setup process and boot you to the Gnome 3 desktop environment. It can also use the Cinammon, MATE, KDE and Xfce environments if you prefer. Antergos doesn't come with an office suite but you can install this and other programs via the delightfully named Arch package manager ‘pacman’.
- You can get started with Arch Linux here
- You can get start with Antergos here
4. Ubuntu
Very accessible for novices
Lubuntu spin is great for underpowered PCs
Ubuntu is one of the most popular flavors of Linux and along with Mint is strongly recommended for Linux newbies, as it's extremely accessible.
New versions of Ubuntu are released every six months, and every other year the developer Canonical releases an LTS (long term support) version of Ubuntu. These guarantee five years of security and general maintenance updates, so you can carry on using your machine without the hassle of running a full upgrade every few months. Standard releases are supported for one year only.
The current LTS version of Ubuntu uses the Gnome 3 desktop environment, which may be less familiar to Windows and macOS users.
There are variations of Ubuntu which employ different environments such as Lubuntu, which uses a minimal desktop environment based on LXDE and a selection of fast, lightweight applications. This places far less strain on system resources than the graphic-intensive Unity.
- You can get started with Ubuntu here
5. Tails
Emphasis on security and privacy
Something of a niche OS
Tails is a privacy-oriented Linux distro which has the aim of concealing your location and identity as much as possible. Even Edward Snowden used it.
The OS routes all its internet traffic through the anonymising Tor network, which is designed to prevent data from being intercepted and analysed. Underneath all the security measures, it’s based on Debian Linux and uses the Gnome desktop so the interface is still clear and user-friendly.
Tails isn’t for everyone, but this niche OS does give you some peace of mind if you’ve been fretting about all the worrying privacy-trampling legislation being passed these days.
- You can get started with Tails here
6. CentOS
Built for stability
Not so great for daily desktop usage
CentOS is a community offshoot of the Enterprise version of Red Hat Linux, and its focus is on stability rather than constant updates. Like Red Hat, security and maintenance updates for CentOS are pushed out up to 10 years from the initial release of each version.
CentOS is designed to be super-reliable, which is why it’s a great choice for a server. It's not quite such a good bet for someone looking for a new OS for daily use on their desktop PC or laptop.
On the plus side, you can enjoy the pleasure of having something for nothing – packages compiled for the commercial version of Red Hat Linux are fully compatible with CentOS, so you can use them free of charge.
- You can get started with CentOS here
7. Ubuntu Studio
Spin on Ubuntu aimed at audio and video production
Support for audio plug-ins and more
If you want a home music recording studio or a video production workstation without spending the thousands of pounds involved with industry standard software, consider installing Ubuntu Studio.
This officially recognised flavour of Ubuntu Linux has been designed for audio and video production, as an alternative to paid software such as Pro Tools. Support for audio plug-ins and MIDI input is built in and a virtual patch bay comes preinstalled.
Ubuntu Studio’s repositories have access to the packages in the main Ubuntu OS as well as a few digital audio sequencers. Its main strength is in audio recording through tools like the JACK Audio Connection Kit.
- You can get started with Ubuntu Studio here
8. openSUSE
Primarily targeted at devs and sysadmins
Nicely secure
Previously known as SUSE Linux and subsequently SuSE Linux Professional, openSUSE is aimed at developers and system administrators. For that reason, it’s extremely stringent on security protocols.
The operating system is divided into two main distributions: openSUSE Leap and openSUSE Tumbleweed. Leap uses the source code from SUSE Linux Enterprise, which makes it much more stable. New versions are released roughly once a year and are supported for three years, making Leap perfect for business applications.
Tumbleweed (pictured above) is based on Factory, openSUSE's main development codebase. It follows a rolling release model – in other words, packages are made available for download as soon as they've been tested in Factory. This means Tumbleweed contains the latest stable applications and is good for day-to-day use.
The OS makes uses of the shiny KDE Plasma desktop, which is perfect if your machine can handle the more advanced graphical features.
One of the more polished Linux distros around, openSUSE is consistently ranked in the top five distros on DistroWatch.com. What’s more, the SUSE Studio Express website allows you to create your own version of openSUSE, complete with tailored preinstalled software packages, desktop and system settings.
- You can get started with openSUSE here
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Do you have an old PC lying around gathering dust? Would you like to make use of the old small-capacity USB flash drive sitting in your draw? You can reuse your old computer and a USB flash drive by installing a super small Linux operating system (also known as a “distribution” or “distro”) on them.
There are Linux distros specifically for the Intel Atom Processor. Others will give your old PC a new lease of life. The vast majority install direct to your USB flash drive, too.
Here are eight of the smallest Linux distros that need almost no space!
Before You Start: How to Create Bootable USB Flash Drives
The first thing you need is a tool to create bootable USB flash drives. There are numerous tools you can use to create a bootable USB flash drive. However, I would suggest Windows users try Rufus, while Linux and macOS users should try Etcher.
Rufus
Rufus is one of the fastest, smallest, and easiest USB burning tools available to Windows users. It has decent customization options and can automatically detect your USB flash drive. Furthermore, Rufus can detect the type of ISO you are attempting to burn and apply a common setup.
Download: Rufus for Windows (Free)
Etcher
Linux and macOS users should use Etcher, an open source USB burning tool. Like Rufus, Etcher is tiny, very fast, and comes with a great GUI that makes the tool incredibly simple to use. Etcher doesn’t have many settings, but it does work well the overwhelming majority of the time. Windows users who find Rufus confusing can also use Etcher.
Download:Etcher for macOS, Linux, and Windows
Now, onto the tiny Linux distros, all of which are free (unless otherwise stated)!
1. ArchBang
ArchBang is based on Arch Linux and inspired by CrunchBang, which was another small Linux distro. ArchBang is essentially Arch Linux made easier and reduced in size. It includes the power and flexibility of Arch Linux without the complex setup and installation. (Here’s 10 reasons why you should consider switching to an Arch Linux distro.Should You Install Arch Linux? 10 Reasons for Arch-Based DistrosShould You Install Arch Linux? 10 Reasons for Arch-Based DistrosArch Linux is one of the most popular Linux operating system around. Here's why you should use Arch-based Linux distros.Read More)
ArchBang works on i686 or X86_64 compatible machines, uses 700MB of disk space, and requires just 256MB of memory.
You can use ArchBang as a fully featured desktop operating system or as a portable live OS. It is fast, stable, and always up to date.
Download: ArchBang for i686 | x86_64
2. Tiny Core Linux
Tiny Core Linux is an extremely small Linux distro developed by Robert Shingledecker, lead developer for former-distro, Damn Small Linux. (The Damn Small Linux site is now dead, but you can find active ISOs online.)
The Tiny Core Linux “TinyCore” installation is a minute 16MB, including the base distro and a decent GUI. The base installation requires at least 46MB RAM to run, but you will need a little more if you want to run additional applications and other software. Note you’ll need to use an Ethernet cable to get online with TinyCore as there is no out of box wireless support.
The best option for most people is the “CorePlus” installation, which comes in at 106MB. CorePlus has wireless support, support for non-US keyboards, plus installation tools for alternative window managers, and other handy setup tools.
Download: Tiny Core Linux “TinyCore” for x86 | Tiny Core Linux “CorePlus” for x86
3. Elive
Elive is a lightweight Linux distro with a custom desktop environment. Based on Debian, Elive comes pre-installed with a bunch of handy apps, plus a few games, too.
“Elive is not made for newbies. Elive is not made for experienced people. Elive is not made for enterprises or personal user. Elive is art. It is simply for the people who appreciate it and want to use it. Feel free to try Elive, because only you decide what you want in this world!”
It is quite the statement from the Elive development team.
The Elive desktop environment is a highly customized version of Enlightenment, offering a light and beautiful experience. (Check out the 12 best Linux desktop environments to rival EnlightenmentThe 12 Best Linux Desktop EnvironmentsThe 12 Best Linux Desktop EnvironmentsPicking a Linux desktop environment can be difficult. Here are the best Linux desktop environments to consider.Read More.) It works well, even on very old hardware. The minimum requirements for Elive are a CPU speed of 500MHz and 198MB RAM, plus 700MB hard drive space.
You cannot direct download Elive. The developer understandably asks for a small donation to keep the project alive for an instant download. Otherwise, you must head to the site, enter your email address, and wait for four hours.
Windows users must use Elive’s USBWriter to create a bootable USB flash drive. The Elive developer states that other programs make unintended changes to the ISO during the burn process. macOS and Linux users can continue using Etcher.
Download: Elive USBWriter for Windows (Donationware/free)
4. Porteus
Porteus is a lightweight, but complete, Linux distro that is optimized to run from a USB flash drive. Don’t have one? Don’t worry! Porteus will also work on an SD card, CD, DVD, hard drive, or other bootable storage media. It’s small and insanely fast, allowing you to boot and get online while other operating systems are still thinking about booting.
Porteus runs on any Intel, AMD, or VIA x86/64 processor, requiring only 512MB of disk space and 256MB of memory. No hard disk is required, as it can run from removable storage media. If you use Porteus on a removable storage media device, you can take advantage of its “Persistent” mode, which saves data directly on the storage device.
It is available in both 32-bit (perfect for older PCs) and 64-bit. A kiosk edition is also available, which is a minimal system that is locked down for use by the public on web terminals. You can choose to download the Cinnamon, KDE, MATE, or Xfce version of Porteus.
Download: Porteous 32-bit | 64-bit
5. Puppy Linux
Puppy Linux is a very lightweight Linux distro that you should only install on and run directly from a USB flash drive, SD card, CD, DVD, or other bootable storage media. You can install Puppy Linux on your hardware if you want. But there isn’t really a need if you have your bootable USB flash drive with you.
It is also worth noting that Puppy Linux isn’t a single distribution, nor is it a Linux distribution with numerous “flavors” (for instance, Ubuntu variants include Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, and so on). Rather, Puppy Linux is a collection of Linux distributions built using the same shared principle, using the same tools, using a specific set of “puppy” applications.
Check out the below image to see the various Puppy Linux paths, in the official Puppy Linux family tree.
At the time of writing, there are four official Puppy Linux distributions. All require 300MB or less hard drive space but do have varying CPU and RAM requirements.
To find out more, and choose the right version for you, head to the official Puppy Linux distribution download page.
6. SliTaz
SliTaz, or Simple Light Incredible Temporary Autonomous Zone, is a lightweight, fully-featured graphical Linux distro. Simply put, SliTaz is small, fast, stable, and easy to use.
SliTaz’s minimum requirements include an i486 or x86 Intel-compatible processor, at least 80MB disk space, and 192MB RAM (however, this can drop as low as 16MB RAM depending on the version of SliTaz you use).
One cool feature of SliTaz is that it runs largely in your system memory. Once you boot SliTaz up, you can remove your bootable USB flash drive for other tasks. SliTaz also has a “persistent” feature that allows you to store your data and personal settings to the removable media, ready to use on your next boot. (You have to keep your media in the machine for this feature to work, mind).
Download: SliTaz Universal Version (Free)
7. wattOS
wattOS is a fantastic tiny Linux distro based on Ubuntu. You can run wattOS from a USB flash drive, CD, DVD, or other bootable media. Furthermore, wattOS has a kiosk mode, or you can install it directly to your hard drive.
The minimum hardware requirements include an Intel or AMD processor, 700MB disk space, and 192MB for the “Microwatt” edition of wattOS. The wattOS LXDE version uses slightly more RAM, but has considerably more customization options and is suitable as a daily desktop environment.
The Microwatt edition is extremely lightweight, however. It is based upon the i3 tiling window manager, offering low resource requirements and a simplistic design.
Your final tiny Linux distro to check out is Bodhi Linux. Bodhi Linux is an Ubuntu LTS-based fully-featured Linux distro that uses the Moksha Desktop. Furthermore, Bodhi Linux comes in three flavors: the Standard edition, the AppPack edition, the Legacy edition.
The Standard edition comes with a limited range of options and applications, whereas the AppPack edition offers more features, applications, and options out of the box. Of the three, the Legacy edition is the smallest, designed to work with older, less powerful hardware.
Bodhi Linux’s minimum specifications require a 500MHz processor, at least 128MB RAM, and 4GB disk space.
Download: Bodhi Linux Standard for x86_64| Bodhi Linux AppPack for x86_64| Bodhi Linux Legacy for x86_64
Revive Your Old Hardware With a Tiny Linux Distro
You can bring your old PC or other hardware back to life with any of these super small Linux distros. These lightweight Linux distros are a great way to provide a single computer for a relative who doesn’t need the bloat of a more complex operating system.
ArchBang
Tiny Core Linux
Elive
Porteus
Puppy Linux
SliTaz
WattOS
Bodhi Linux
Furthermore, these Linux distros will allow them to surf the web, watch and listen to media, check email, and create simple documents.
If you are preparing a machine for someone new to Linux, you should take a look at the MakeUseOf Linux FAQ. Also, why not check out the changes Windows users need to accept when moving to Linux6 Changes Windows Users Need to Accept to When Switching to Linux6 Changes Windows Users Need to Accept to When Switching to LinuxThinking about switching from Windows to Linux? It's not as tough as you've heard, but there are some changes to get used to.Read More. It certainly makes switching easier!
Explore more about: Linux Distro, USB Drive.
Another re-warmed/recycled article. What's going on at MUO. Are you guys running out of ideas and.or writers. For the past couple of weeks, most of the articles are updated old ones. Some of them are almost 10 years old. There is little difference between the old articles and their updated versions.
I agree, you would think nothing is going on in the world of Linux. Also if it is all they seem to care about anymore is phones (android) or raspberry pi.
TBH, that seems to be endemic amongst most of the tech blogs nowadays. Smartphones and rPi get all the headlines.
Kinda sucks for those of us who don't bother with either 'genre'.
A '7 Smallest Linux Distros' article , and you did not mention Tiny Core Linux? You should have sorted them by size.
Tine Core is #2 on the list. 2. Tiny Core Linux
wattOS download link dead
Who is the target audience for this article? Linux users? Windows users? Users switching to Linux from Windows?
Where is antiX, Tiny Core Plus or Q4OS? Q4OS just released a new version based on the latest release of Debian 9 Stretch. This new version of Q4OS works on all systems going back to i386.
There are 560 distributions in the DistroWatch database that are either dormant or discontinued that will run on old hardware. How 'light' they are and how useful they are any more is the question one needs to ask themselves.
According the the DistroWatch database neither DSL nor ArchBang have had any releases since 2012. I know DSL has been discontinued. What about ArchBang? Does anybody have any info on it?
Obviously aimed at windows users as Rufus is not available for Linux & other tools need to be used (dd from the command line or unetbootin )
I'll take your word for it. :-)
The reason I asked is that, with the exception of Puppy, the above distros are not usually the ones recommended by 'experts' to Windows users. They are 'too different'. OTOH, for most Linux users these distros would not be the primary choice.
I've played with both TinyCore and SliTaz before (in a VM environment). TinyCore has problems with basic mouse movement in a VM. But when all you want is the smallest distro out there, nothing beats TinyCore. The people behind Damn Small Linux are the authors of TinyCore. There was a falling out in the DSL community of which TinyCore was the result, which explains why DSL is 'dead' and TinyCore is still doing well. TinyCore is NOT for the feint of heart. Even if you think you are a hardcore Linux person, you've not come even close. There are so many quirks with TinyCore that I lost count. However, if you are building embedded hardware, TinyCore is awesome because all the other distros requires hundreds of MB to GB of storage. TinyCore also fully boots into RAM in under 5 seconds on the crappiest of hardware specs.
SliTaz is the next smallest and really the only small distro that's usable by the average Linux person. It also has a respectable package manager that isn't based on the usual suspects (pretty sure they made their own custom package manager). SliTaz has a longer boot time than TinyCore but is also really fast (15 second boot times).
Everything else out there is based on Debian, RedHat, Arch, or Slackware and have user experiences similar to the big, bloaty distros that sit on top of those (e.g. Ubuntu) that require 500MHz CPU + gobs of RAM + GB of disk. There's nothing particularly wrong with those but I'd like to see more non-traditional ultra-tiny distros pop up. People claim 'choice' but when I want ultra-tiny, then there are only two active distros to pick from and one of those is of limited capability. That's not really much of a choice.
Just thought I'd make mention of 'Lightning Linux' and 'LxLE'....two distros based on Ubuntu but uber-fast and light. One runs the OpenBox desktop environment and is quite pleasing to the eye. While being light on resources, and still can handle things like CodeBlocks, Ninja-IDE and Eclipse Programming IDE's. The other is running the LXDE desktop and also is ablt to handle things like web browser videos, downloads, and watching hi-def movies in VLC without breaking a sweat. Just thought I'd throw hat out there....great article! Awesome information to have!
'Think machines with early Pentium processors (such as the 486 series) and very little memory.' ... '...early Pentium processors (such as the 486 series)' ... WHAT??? Who writes these things anyway? :!
Not to mention, DSL hasn't been updated in like 6 years. It still runs a 2.4 kernel which flat-out *will not work* with anything newer than about a Core 2.
Christ, you people think EVERYTHING should run on brand-new hardware.
That's the whole POINT of these tiny distros.....that they rejuvenate OLD hardware. And there's still a LOT of that around.
It's not a question of OLD hardware. It's a question of OLD software. Would you run Win98/Me or Win XP if you had the hardware? I still have the i486DX4 PC that i built. It has Win 3.11 WFW installed on it. Yeah, it works but only in stand alone mode and only with applications of that vintage. It's not very useful.
DSL has been DISCONTINUED. That means no one is working on it any more. It's last production release was in 2008. The last alpha release was in June of 2012. So no security updates have been released for DSL in at least 5 years. Since the last release of DSL of any kind, there have a few major security problems with components used in Linux distros. Do you, perhaps, recall something called 'Heartbleed'? DSL certainly hasn't been patched for it. Would you want to use an O/S that full of security holes, even if it 'rejuvenates' your old hardware?
I agree about the old software. When I used Windows I would fix older computers for people. In the Vista days, you could get Win98 to run, but don't think you are getting on the Internet with it. It would take hours to load if ever, and that was years ago. I can't imagine old Linux software would be much better.
@ Dragonmouth:-
Don't ever go thinking that because Puppy's keeping a 17-yr old, P4-powered Dell laptop alive, that it's doing so with OLD software.
Puppy's a 'do-ocracy'. If somebody in the community can see a need for something to be upgraded, 'fixed', 'patched', for whatever reason, they'll get on and do something about it. We don't sit around on our backsides, whinging & whining, and expecting our small bunch of devs to sort it out; we dive in at the deep end, if we think we're capable of handling it, fix it ourselves, then if the result is deemed acceptable it's merged upstream into the Woof-CE build-system stuff over at Github, for use in future Puppies, and for the benefit of the whole community.
We have at least 4 or 5 members that I know of who spend a lot of their time doing nothing but build brand-new, up-to-date kernels, along with whatever patches are 'current'.
Pup can run much of the very newest software, in perfect safety, and do so on the oldest of hardware..... Now THAT is how WE keep old hardware useful.