list of lightweight Linux distributions with a comparison table showing typical RAM and CPU requirements
list of lightweight Linux distributions with a comparison table showing typical RAM and CPU requirements
🪶 Lightweight Linux Distributions – Comparison Table
Distribution | Base | Desktop Environment | Min RAM | Min CPU | ISO Size | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lubuntu | Ubuntu | LXQt | 512 MB | Pentium 4 / AMD K8 | ~1.5 GB | Modern, full-featured but light |
Xubuntu | Ubuntu | Xfce | 512 MB | Pentium III / Athlon | ~1.5 GB | Balance between speed and usability |
Linux Lite | Ubuntu LTS | Xfce | 768 MB | 1 GHz+ | ~1.6 GB | Beginner-friendly, Windows-like |
Puppy Linux | Varies | JWM / Openbox | 256 MB | Pentium III+ | ~300 MB | Runs entirely in RAM, very fast |
antiX | Debian | IceWM / Fluxbox / Rox | 256 MB | Pentium II+ | ~700 MB | No systemd, extremely lightweight |
Bodhi Linux | Ubuntu | Moksha (Enlightenment) | 512 MB | 1 GHz+ | ~800 MB | Elegant, minimal base install |
Tiny Core Linux | Independent | FLWM (or none) | 64 MB (CorePlus) | i486 / Pentium II | 16–100 MB | Extremely minimal, advanced users |
Slax | Debian | Fluxbox / Openbox | 128 MB (CLI) | i686 | ~270 MB | Portable, USB-friendly distro |
Peppermint OS | Debian/Ubuntu | Xfce + LXDE hybrid | 1 GB | 1 GHz+ | ~1.4 GB | Cloud-centric, snappy interface |
Q4OS | Debian | Trinity / Plasma (option) | 512 MB | Pentium III+ | ~1 GB | Windows-like UI, very stable |
MX Linux (Fluxbox) | Debian | Fluxbox | 256 MB | Pentium III+ | ~1.2 GB | Low resource use with full Debian base |
SliTaz | Independent | Openbox / custom | 192 MB | Pentium III+ | ~50 MB | Fast booting, ideal for really old PCs |
📌 Notes:
-
Min RAM = minimum recommended RAM for a GUI install.
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Min CPU = the least powerful CPU likely to run the distro with GUI.
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ISO Size = approximate installer size; smaller often means fewer preinstalled apps.
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Many of these distros can run even better with swap space on low-memory machines.
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