Best idea from years I have seen. XFCE is one of the most popular lightweight Linux desktop environments around. And these lightweight Linux desktop environments have been developed with exactly this in mind. Because of this, Lubuntu has very low hardware requirements. At the same time, however, the operating system supports the Ubuntu software repository, giving users access to thousands of modern packages to play around with. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq4nl3i5AXI. I fully agree on i3 being the most lightweight. Zorin OS 15 Lite Desktop. Perhaps even more interesting, DSL can even be booted from within a host operating system, including Windows-based ones. Elive is a small operating system with big ambitions. Seit Ubuntu 17.10 ist GDM wieder Standard, lässt sich auf Wunsch aber durch LightDM ersetzen. Meanwhile, the fourth version is the most minimalistic one of all and allows users to only install the app packages they need, without any of the other bells and whistles. I was able to use my Pi as a keyboard/mouse server with synergy and it worked exceedingly well. The developers of VectorLinux set out to create a jack-of-all-trades distro that offers a little something for everybody. Many of these distributions aren’t very old themselves but they have been specifically tweaked to run on what most people today would consider outdated hardware. Linux Lite is certainly more demanding than other lightweight distros but it’s also one of the best in terms of features and performance. Lubuntu’s interface is based on LXQt, an open-source and lightweight desktop environment that requires far fewer resources than the Genome 3 environment found on regular Ubuntu. Similar to Linux Lite, Ubuntu MATE is a particularly good choice for users thinking about switching from Windows or even macOS. Xfce is light on resources but proves to provide a feature-rich user experience. Lubuntu can itself be considered a very modern distro considering it is based on Ubuntu 18.04 and Linux Kernel 5.00. Desktop users can choose between seven different flavors of Porteus, each of its own desktop environment. A few notable examples include web browsers like Firefox and Netrik, a word processor called Ted, an image editor known as Xpaint, an email client, Windows managers, text editors, and even an AOL-based instant messaging client known as Naim. Arch Linux + Lightweight Desktop environment. Of course, i3 is not for the faint of heart of those afriad to experiment . Despite that, the desktop still manages to look very modern thanks to the Arc theme and Papirus icons. The Cinnamon desktop environment is modern and stylish. The project’s goal is to provide a lightweight yet functional Linux distribution based on a rock-solid Ubuntu base. Install a lightweight Linux distro on them and they’re as good as new. The operating system comes with more than 2,500 packages with robust integrations, unique designs, and plenty of special features. Alternatively, you can install a lightweight distro on a modern machine to free up additional system resources. If you want a version that’s a bit more modern you’ll need to look into the HWE (Hardware Enablement) release. Written in the C language with the GTK+ library, LXDE is very good GUI to run on old computers, it is a component of many tools like PC… The first variant is known simply as Core and is the smallest of the three. Modules need to be downloaded and stored locally and can be activated/deactivated by simply double-clicking on them. Other times, you just need something that works without getting in the way. It is probably the least lightweight on the list but then, it gives more features and customization than almost all of the others. Core is recommended for advanced users but if you’re a novice you can check out TinyCore instead. The developers recommend using USBWriter if you’re a Windows user or Etcher if you’re a Linux or macOS user. Windows-10-Design für Linux: Dark Theme, Light Theme & Icon Theme kostenlos downloaden! LXDE stands for lightweight X11 desktop environment which is yet another popular desktop environment for Unix-like systems. Powered by, Passwordless Login Vs. It delivers a single panel at the bottom, a beautiful menu with several quick-launch icons, and a system tray in the bottom right corner. Do you own an old PC, like the ones that came with Windows XP? True to its name, this lightweight Linux distro is incredibly small, coming in at only around 50 MB in size. The only real drawback of this lightweight Linux distro is that is hasn’t been updated in many years, as the lead developer went to work on a different project. Some of the highlights include Google Chrome, Google Earth, LibreOffice, Kodi, GIMP, Inkscape, Calibre, and more. You can use the Live CD for testing purposes. However, the installation kit itself comes in at only a little over 600 MB and fits perfectly on a standard CD. You can choose what you like. If you are counting non-DE environments like IceWM, you should also include i3wm. Whether you’re looking for a project helmed by veteran developers or a fresh one that you can watch grow and perhaps even contribute to, there’s bound to be a small distro out there that’s right up your alley. But if you don’t mind working with an old operating system, we wholeheartedly recommend checking out Damn Small Linux. That’s not the case here. Alternatively, you can go with Porteus Kiosk if you need a secure operating system that you can take with you wherever you go. Bodhi Linux is an Ubuntu LTS-based lightweight release that features Moksha Desktop. Linux Lite is based on Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support) releases. Core weighs in at only 11 MB and doesn’t include much beyond a command-line interface and a few command-line tools to help you get started. What services? As the name suggests Linux Lite is a lightweight Linux distro that does not need high-end hardware to run it. So while the base version of this lightweight Linux distro may not seem too appealing, you can definitely turn it into a proper operating system with a bit of time and effort. Bodhi Linux is an Ubuntu LTS-based distribution that first launched nearly a decade ago. Thanks to its modular nature, the OS can be customized to work just as well on both old and modern systems. The developers stress the fact that Elive is much more than just Debian paired with Enlightenment. We also give value to other Linux distributions. However, over time the open-source project became something a lot bigger and more versatile that can now run directly from a CD or UBS drive, though it’s also possible to install it on a hard drive if needed. Just as its name indicates, this is merely the core of an OS, which you can then build upon by installing additional applications and extensions on top. Thanks for your article. Familiar experience . We have another lightweight Linux-based operating system on this list that also happens to be based on Xfce: Zorin OS Lite. VectorLinux Light is based on the JWM and Fluxbox window managers while VectorLinux Standard uses a faster but also more resource-intensive desktop environment known as Xfce. This release is optimized for hardware that’s over 15 years old and supports 32-bit architecture. This lightweight Linux distro doesn’t come with the preinstalled software or packages. While we wouldn’t go as far as to call Elive the best of the best, we will say that this is a very solid operating system that has a lot to offer. The latest version of Absolute Linux takes up a little over 2 GB of space while the image size is just small enough to fill up a standard 700 MB CD. Tint2 is a simple, lightweight panel for the Linux desktop. Porteus takes up less than 300 MB of storage space and supports both 32 and 64-bit architectures, which makes it ideal not just for old systems but also for modern ones. Despite requiring very few system resources, this lightweight Linux distro is very powerful and its Moksha desktop environment looks just as good as those of modern operating systems. Porteus Kiosk restricts access to everything except its web browser, which is locked down by default to prevent users from downloading software or modifying any of its settings. Kali Linux 2016.1 Light (Xfce 4.12) That's a nice looking Xfce desktop, but it is nowhere near as customized as the Kali Gnome desktop was. All applications have been chosen for the best balance of functionality, size, and speed. So far we have explored a range of lightweight desktop environments for Linux, almost all of which use the GTK toolkit. It uses Xfce desktop but is not very light-weight, because it comes with a suite of software. Main Features. Linux Lite (64 Bit) 5.2 Deutsch: Linux Lite ist ein vorkonfiguriertes und sehr einsteigerfreundliches Linux auf der Basis von Ubuntu. ​Did I leave out any lightweight distro? LETS CHECK INSTANT OS! Why will you like it? The developers have set up a forum where users can talk about their experience with the OS and there’s even a live chat service for those who require technical assistance. Meanwhile, the third variant, CorePlus, is quite a bit bigger at 106 MB but comes with a handful of useful tools like wireless support, non-US keyboard support, remastering tool, various window managers, and more. If XFCE and MATE are considered lightweight, in that case we should also mention KDE which consume only 600MiB of memory. Is “Lightweightness” simply a measure of the initial install or is there a level of functionality that becomes out of reach for some uses, purposes, and goals? CorePlus is the only one of the three variants that support wireless installation, with the other two versions requiring a wired network connection. You can install them on some bleeding-edge hardware and get the ultimate performance. Your first simple, fast and free stop in the world of Linux. The developers essentially created a version of Debian that was stripped down to its core essentials in order to make as much room as possible. All of those are included with the base version of Ubuntu Mate but you can access the Software Boutique to download countless other applications in order to customize the OS to your specific needs. This lightweight Linux distro is made for especially lower power old machines and netbooks. It started as a window manager but it can now hold its own as a fully featured desktop environment. Next to the desktop names there are numbers (i.e. Linux Lite makes the transition to a linux based operating system by offering a full, Microsoft compatible Office suite, familiar software like Firefox, Chrome, Teamviewer, VLC as well as full system back up tools, a comprehensive - easy to follow Help Manual to guide you on your journey, Steam so you can keep playing your Windows games and so much more familiar software. Ok Read More. VectorLinux requires at least 1.8 GB of hard drive space, which can be considered a lot when compared to some of the other distros on this list. He also loves to write how-to articles, applications reviews and loves to use new Linux distributions. With that out of the way and in no particular order, let’s take a closer look at the best lightweight Linux distros of 2020. Bodhi Linux, a popular and lightweight Linux distro, earlier shipped with Enlightenment as the default desktop; now it uses an Enlightenment fork named Moksha desktop. This is the follow-up project of Robert Shingledecker, the developer who also brought us Damn Small Linux a while back. Is there any app, service, feature, or anything else that can’t be added back in to a lightweight version of Linux? We also cover the latest Linux news, games, software, hardware and much more. Blackdown is your go-to place for quality Linux-related content. 10 Lightweight Linux Distros That Can Revive Your Old Hardware in 2020, The Best and Most Reliable Linux Server Distros of 2020. The Debian-based distribution is advertised as “maybe the best Linux OS ever made” and “probably the only distro you’ll stay with.” There are quite a few other catchy slogans like that on the distro’s home page, but is there any truth to them? If you want to make DSL a bit more versatile, you can use the MyDSL Extension Tool to add extra applications, games, themes, and more. DSL has a nearly complete desktop and a small core of command-line tools. If you’re not a fan of Firefox, you can install Chrome instead and there’s no need to worry about email and cloud storage because Linux Lite comes with both Thunderbird and Dropbox. The developers provide links to compatible package repositories on their website and there’s even a quick start guide for users who want to create their own customized distros. It is based on Ubuntu LTS, it’s lightweight and easy to use Linux distributions. This makes it an excellent choice for setting up web terminals, especially since Kiosk doesn’t save any passwords or browsing history. Your computer should have a 700 MHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, and 8 GB of free storage space for its minimum system requirements. It’s probably best to stick with the base version if you’re a beginner but advanced users can modify Absolute Linux to their liking even before installing the OS. Perfect alternatives to traditional GNOME or KDE/Qt applications. The 5th lightweight Linux for old computers is Peppermint. There’s no need to worry about outdated software here. I’ve been through several Linux CLI/intro trainings, but I haven’t yet tried it for daily use. It is also available on Sabayon Linux, Fedora, SnowLinux 2 Cream and most recently with Ubuntu MATE. Also, another window manager that can stand its own as a barebones desktop environment. This is particularly ideal for computers with very low hardware specifications. Like most distros, Absolute Linux has a live version that can be installed directly from a CD or flash drive. Kindly share in the comments and share this article with your friends. Bei der Suche nach einem passenden Linux-System für einen nicht mehr taufrischen Rechner ist die Wahl des Desktops mitentscheidend. This lightweight Linux distro even includes access to Steam, which now supports a plethora of Linux-based video games. „Linux Lite“ ist eine auf Ubuntu basierende Linux-Distribution, bei der Programme wie Firefox, der VLC Media Player, GIMP, Thunderbird und LibreOffice bereits vorinstalliert sind. It is reaalllyy light and faast manjaro-based mini-linux! You can use it on your less-pricey embedded board or salvaged computer. ExLight Linux distribution sees the light of day again after a long time sleeping with a new major release that promises a pure Debian experience with the latest kernel series and Enlightenment desktop environment. Porteus is a streamlined and lightweight Linux distro based on Slackware. This feature improves the speed of the system, which only has to worry about the activate applications. Linux Lite is a fantastic lightweight operating system based on the popular Ubuntu distribution. Absolute Linux is a lightweight distro designed for desktop use, and as such comes preinstalled with the Firefox browser and LibreOffice suite. At the same time, advanced users can take advantage of powerful built-in tools that can be used to compile programs or transform the system into a server. 5 Lightweight Linux Desktop Environments 1. Turns out, I was wrong on both accounts. Absolute Linux is a Slackware-based distro that runs on the iceWM desktop environment and can easily accommodate very old hardware. As a result, you may need to install some additional programs in order to tailor the Linux distributions we’re going to talk about in this article to your specific needs. Running XFCE or even MATE on severly constrained hardware (like a Rasberry Pi 2/3) is almost painful. Lightweight distros don’t even have to be used on old hardware. Lubuntu, Linux Lite, and Ubuntu MATE are some pretty good examples. Most distros are portable and can … Unlike LXQt, you will find a lot of major Linux distributions support XFCE editions. Consequently, you can expect the operating system to come equipped with everything you need, including a browser, multimedia apps, and office suite, right out of the box. @2020 - www.linuxandubuntu.com. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A major selling point of this distribution is that it can boot up in just 15 seconds when running locally or around 25 seconds when running from a flash drive. 512 mb). Damn Small Linux is a very versatile 50MB mini desktop oriented Lightweight Linux distribution. There are also well-known tools like System Monitor, Power Statistics, Disk Usage Analyzer, Dictionary, Pluma, and Engrampa, among others. The two work hand in hand to provide users with a clutter-free working environment that not only looks great but is also highly responsive. ​LXDE/LXQt. This distro is a bit more demanding than some of the others we’ve discussed so far, but this is a complete operating system that includes all the apps you’ll ever need, and then some. Since this list is all about the best lightweight Linux distro, we recommend first checking out VectorLinux Light. There are two versions of this distro, which are aimed at 32-bit and 64-bit systems, respectively. Given DSL’s extremely small size, it’s pretty safe to say the idea worked well. Ever since I learned that, I’ve been working tirelessly to make Linux as easy to understand as possible for everybody who wants to give it a chance, which I strongly suggest you do. A major advantage of Lubuntu is that it can be used just as effectively on both old and modern systems. Moksha is a continuation of Enlightenment 17 desktop with … You can revoke your consent any time using the Revoke consent button. Damn Small Linux is a Debian-based operating system, however, it also includes applications that don’t usually come with that distro. You can expect most of the apps that come with regular Ubuntu but as part of a smaller package that doesn’t eat up nearly as many resources. The desktop environment looks great even in its base form but you can make it even better by installing one of the many themes supported by Moksha. Linux plays an essential part in powering our modern world and can be surprisingly accessible if you know which distros to start with. One of the most famous lightweight GUIs over there, LXDE (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment) was first released in 2006, it was programmed to work on Unix-like platforms like Linux & FreeBSD, LXDE is the default GUI for many Linux distributions like Lubuntu, LXLE, Knoppix any many others. You get a text editor, network connection manager, Terminal, and that’s about it. Less resource needs. The MATE desktop environment is a continuation of Gnome 2 and looks absolutely gorgeous even in its basic form. The installation instructions for Elive are a bit more complicated than those of other lightweight Linux distros but you shouldn’t run into any issues if you follow the steps listed here. A few applications from the Standard edition are also included and you have the option of installing even more from the Open Source Lab repository. As far as we’re concerned, we like using distros that come out of the box with most of the basic applications you’ll find on modern systems. Web, FTP, and email servers are ready to go out of the box, as are a wide selection of popular desktop environments. older or embedded hardware) to be used productively. Synaptic Package Manager can be used to install the necessary software. It uses the minimal LXDE desktop environment and the X Window System. Despite the relatively large size, CorePlus doesn’t come with many apps right off the bat. TinyCore is quite possibly the most lightweight Linux distro currently available. Before you download Absolute Linux make sure that your system is compatible. Where does a lightweight Linux version cut me off from a possible goal? If you happen to be on the look for a lightweight Linux distro for old computers, make sure to check out this previous article which looks at some popular lightweight Linux distros. * You will receive the latest news and updates on everything that's Linux related! Wow; here’s an article to write… Tuning Linux to match your resources. Well, you don’t have to dump them just yet as they can be brought back to life with these lightweight Linux desktop environments. If you want to download Elive for free, you’ll need to enter your email address and wait about an hour to receive the download link. Here are all of these lightweight Linux desktop environments. It is a package management utility that allows you to install and manage Python software packages easily. The lower demands on hardware ideally result in a more responsive machine, and/or allow devices with fewer system resources (e.g. Down below you can find a few other examples of small distros that also work very well on older systems. In order to keep this list sweet and to the point we only went with 10 of the most popular lightweight Linux distros available at the moment, but there are many more where those came from. But just because your old machine can no longer handle the hardware requirements of a modern OS, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to throw it away. MATE has been... 3. you can’t get much lighter than i3, and i3 *can* with some work be configured to assume many tasks traditionally handled by a DE such as volume keys, even backlight levels can be managed. LXQt ist eine ganz frische Portierung von LXDE, die im Hintergrund auf Qt statt auf GTK setzt … * By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. While some of the other distros on this list can run without problems on fairly old systems, Damn Small Linux can be installed on completely ancient ones. For example, “what can I NOT do with these versions?” Noting that a key reason Windows and OSX have become so slow is due to background tasks that either overwhelm old CPUs or use up RAM, do these Linux alternatives turn off any background services that heavier versions typically use? Component-based design. True to its name, the operating system is completely portable and can run from any type of bootable media, including CD, USB flash drive, and hard drive. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. This project has been in development for over 14 years at this point and has been downloaded over 2 million times so you can bet Elive is as reliable as an operating system can get. It is highly scriptable, has dozens of excellent features like multi-monitor support, workspace support, theme support, and is the ultimate power-user taskbar for Linux fans. Despite requiring very few system resources, this lightweight Linux distro is very powerful and its Moksha desktop environment looks just as good as those of modern operating systems. The distro also features a built-in software center that allows you to download additional applications free of charge. The MATE(MATE Advanced Traditional Environment) desktop environment is a fork of GNOME 2. LXQT is the latest version of LXDE written in Qt. Despite its small size, the distro comes equipped with a pretty impressive array of applications. However, there’s also an application browser that gives you access to a repository featuring plenty of useful apps you can install manually. This variant is similar to Standard but supports modern hardware and kernel updates. Desktop environment for all. LXDE (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment) has been designed with very low resource usage. In my experience Enlightenment is much lighter than openbox, and the gap between XFCE and openbox is not nearly as big as suggested here. Hola instala batocera linux te dejo el link del video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq4nl3i5AXI, Linux might not be the preferred operating system of most regular users, but it’s definitely the go-to choice for the majority of developers and programmers. Instead, the distro comes with pre-compiled packages that you can freely activate or deactivate depending on your needs. Weitere virengeprüfte Software aus der Kategorie Desktop finden Sie bei computerbild.de! it can also be used to replace the WM component of XFCE, MATE, and LXQT, at least. MATE. The operating system was initially developed as an experiment and the goal was to see how many apps would fit onto a 50 MB live CD. The process is fairly simple and involves adding software packages on top of the core files, or removing them if needed. The Standard edition is just what it sounds like and was designed to run on machines that support 64-bit architecture. Even a beginner will be able to use it on older computers easily. It is less user-friendly than MATE and Xfce but comes with all the features you would expect from a modern desktop environment. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your particular system), the distro requires around 8 GB of storage space to run. Ubuntu doesn’t come with pre-installed Pip, but here…, “All the best people in life seem to like Linux.” - Steve Wozniak. Lubuntu is exactly what it sounds like, a lightweight version of Ubuntu. – Some Reasons For Converting To Linux, WhatsApp New Policy And the Backlash From “Common” People Will Cooldown. Unlike some of the other operating systems on our list, Linux Lite is particularly useful for Windows users who are preparing to finally switch from XP but aren’t quite ready to take on the more demanding Windows 7, let alone Windows 10. This is because it seeks to a fairly rich user experience that is appealing and easy to use with minimal resource utilization. Despite its name, Linux Lite is very close to a modern operating system in terms of its capabilities. A light-weight Linux distribution is a Linux distribution that has lower memory and/or processor-speed requirements than a more "feature-rich" Linux distribution. This is because it seeks... ​2. Damn Small can act as an SSH/FTP/HTTPS server right off of a live CD. XFCE is one of the most popular lightweight Linux desktop environments around. Featuring the interface and shortcuts you can easily get used to. It is designed to be small, fast and fully compliant with a lot of standards. Xfce is one of the most lightweight desktop environments out there. In addition, there’s also a very helpful Wiki page that contains tons of useful information about getting started and getting the most out of Bodhi Linux. It goes without saying that there’s no shortage of lightweight Linux distros to choose from. During this period, the operating system will continue to receive various small updates. ​​LinuxAndUbuntu.com  focuses on open source projects but specific on Debian based distributions. A few other notable apps and tools include Skype, Kodi, Spotify, TeamViewer, the LibreOffice suite, a password manager, and more. VectorLinux is available in two different variants – Standard and Light. It is developed using C (GTK+) and C++ (Qt) with latest stable release on 2 November 2015. It *works* in the barest sense of the definition, but actually doing anything useful will take way too much time. This version comes out of the box with Opera, which can act as your browser, email client and chat client. This distro takes the popular operating system and slims it down to its core essentials. Like most of the distros on this list, the goal of Bodhi is to make old computers to feel new again. Regardless of which distro catches your eye, don’t forget to check out the official documentation just so you can make sure that your system actually supports the operating system.