Simple installs for older machines, By Mayank Sharma last updated February 28, 2025
We list the best lightweight Linux distros, to make it simple and easy to run a simpler Linux OS on older x86 machines.
This means you shouldn't expect these distros to provide blistering performance, but they can allow you to bring an old computer or two back to life - and use - as a dedicated Linux machine.
Such a computer setup could be good for a beginner to learn Linux on, or for more a seasoned user to have as a dedicated programming PC or even just a second PC for general use.
We’ve tested the Linux distros below extensively and looked at factors such as the hardware requirements, documentation, simplicity of configuration and maintenance, custom apps that come with it, and support for multi booting. We also considered whether the distros made it easy for Windows users to migrate to Linux, among other things.
1. Absolute Linux
Best lightweight Linux distro for desktop use
Reasons to buy
+Highly streamlined and nimble distro
+Plenty of help documentation on hand
Absolute
Linux is a lightweight distro designed for desktop use, and as such
comes preinstalled with the Firefox browser and LibreOffice suite. It's
based on Slackware but unlike its parent OS, aims to make configuration
and maintenance as simple as possible.
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. The way Absolute is
structured also means that you can add and remove packages from the
install media to create a distro which truly suits you, though you'll
need some time and experience with Linux if you really want to make the
most of this feature.
Once installed, Absolute Linux is incredibly
nimble. This is ensured through the lightweight IceWM window manager,
along with popular apps such as LibreOffice, making this OS perfect for
older machines.
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.
2. antiX
Best lightweight Linux distro that’s chock full of apps
Reasons to buy
+Minimal hardware requirements
+Out of the box functionality
+Useful set of custom apps
antiX
is one of the best options that’ll be content on a computer with very
little resources. The full edition of antiX, which uses IceWM together
with the Rox file manager, is one of the lightest distros around and yet
ships with lots of apps, including both mainstream and lightweight
ones, for virtually every desktop task.
The distro uses its own
repos together with that of Debian’s. While it bundles the Synaptic
package manager, one of the interesting aspects of the distro is the
metapackage installer that helps make the distro accessible to new
users. 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. One interesting aspect of the distro is the
home-grown antiX control panel which you use to modify virtually all
aspects of your installation.
For example, you can modify
different aspects of the desktop’s appearance such as themes, menus,
wallpaper as well as configure the antiX ad blocker, image a partition
and tweak the automount behavior using the custom modules in the control
panel.
You'll most definitely want to do this, as by default the IceWM, desktop and icon theme look very dated.
3. BunsenLabs
Best lightweight Linux distro for Crunchbang enthusiasts
Reasons to buy
+Blazing fast performance
+Smartly configured Openbox window manager
+Available for 32-bit machines as well
Reasons to avoid
-Lengthy installation process
Crunchbang
(or #!) was a very popular Debian-derived distro specifically designed
to use as few system resources as possible. While it was discontinued in
2013, the community fondly remembered its lightning speed and responded
with two Crunchbang-based distros to continue its legacy.
However,
one of those successors, Crunchbang++, has now been discontinued.
BunsenLabs is still active, though, and its current release (Beryllium)
is based on Debian 11 (Bullseye). It features a gorgeously configurable
Openbox window manager. You can install extra software from the Debian
repositories too.
The distro ships with an assortment of themes
and wallpapers, and includes a number of everyday desktop apps to
provide a very usable out-of-the-box experience.
BunsenLabs is
available for both 32-bit and 64-bit machines, and the developers
recommend running the distro on a machine with more than 2 GB of RAM.
You can test drive BunsenLabs in "live" mode before installing.
4. Linux Lite
Great distro for migrating Windows users
Reasons to buy
+Aimed at easing migration of Windows users
+Features a host of familiar apps
Reasons to avoid
-Fairly heavy on system resources
Linux
Lite is based on the latest LTS (Long Term Support) Edition of Ubuntu
(Currently 22.04.2). It uses the Xfce desktop and is specifically
developed to ease Windows users – particularly those with old machines –
into the world of Linux.
The bundled web browser is Google
Chrome. This is unusual for a Linux distro, as Chrome isn't open source
software. Still, the browser works well and can stream content from
popular websites like YouTube and 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.
Despite
its name, this distro isn't the least resource hungry out there, as it
requires both a 1.5GHz processor and at least 1GB of RAM to run
smoothly. 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. Linux Lite can boot from a Live
medium such as a USB stick or CD, or install to your hard drive. It also
supports multi-booting so you can keep your existing OS if you wish.
The distro has dropped support for 32-bit and is only available for
64-bit systems.
5. Lubuntu
Best lightweight Linux distro for older machines
Reasons to buy
+Ubuntu but slimmed down
+Uses nifty lightweight apps
+Compatible with Ubuntu repositories
Reasons to avoid
-Not good for high-performance PCs
The
'L' in Lubuntu might as well stand for lightweight, as the distro
unashamedly appeals to those Ubuntu users who are looking for an OS
which requires fewer resources than most modern distros, but doesn't
force you to compromise on your favorite apps.
Lubuntu is
primarily designed for older machines. The default desktop is based on
LXQt, which is far less resource hungry than mainstream Ubuntu's Gnome 3
desktop. It comes with a selection of useful tools and utilities
including the latest 'Snap' version of Mozilla Firefox, Featherpad and
VLC Media Player.
You can use Lubuntu's "Discover" Software Center
to install more apps. Still, as a lightweight distro, Lubuntu focuses
on being fast and energy efficient, which explains why it comes with so
few preinstalled programs. The most recent releases have even reverted
to using LibreOffice rather than Abiword for word processing.
This
doesn't mean that Lubuntu is lacking, though – it's based on the latest
Ubuntu release, so it's a proper modern Linux distro – it's just shed
all unnecessary weight, in the manner of a rally car having all but one
of its seats removed.
The most recent release of Lubuntu has now
lowered the minimum required RAM to run the OS to 500MB. However, to
ensure smooth running, try to use a machine with at least 1GB of RAM.
It’s available in 32-bit and 64-bit incarnations.
One of the
unique selling points of Lubuntu is its compatibility with Ubuntu
repositories, which gives users access to thousands of additional
packages, although the more you install the less lightweight your
distribution will become.
The minimalist LXQt environment is also
very efficient but if you have a high-performance machine, you may
prefer a desktop that's visually richer like GNOME or KDE.
6. LXLE
Excellent lightweight Linux distro for older machines and Windows users
Reasons to buy
+Emphasizes stability and support
+Good-looking distro
+Impressive range of apps
Reasons to avoid
-Customizing can be difficult
LXLE
is a lightweight version of Linux based on the Ubuntu LTS (long term
support) release. Like Lubuntu, LXLE uses the barebones LXDE desktop
environment, but as LTS releases are supported for five years, it
emphasizes stability and long-term hardware support. The most recent
version at the time of writing is a remaster of the current version of
Ubuntu LTS.
Aimed primarily at reviving older machines, the distro
is designed to serve as a ready to use desktop out of the box,
specifically tailored to appeal to existing Windows users.
The
developers spend a considerable amount of time making all the necessary
mods and tweaks to improve performance, but they don't skimp on
niceties. Aesthetics are a key area of focus as evidenced by the number
of wallpapers which are included, along with clones of Windows functions
like Aero Snap and Expose.
The distro boasts full featured apps
across categories such as internet, sound and video, graphics, office,
games, and more. It also includes plenty of useful accessories such as a
terminal-based Weather app and Bookworm for reading and managing
e-books.
The most recent release of LXLE (Focal) is available as a
Live image for 64-bit machines. You can also download the previous LXLE
(18.04.3) for 32-Bit machines but remember support for the
corresponding version of Ubuntu LTS (Bionic Beaver) on which it's based
will end this year.
The hardware requirements are 1GB of system RAM at a minimum, with 2GB recommended.
7. Porteus
Best lightweight Linux distro that's Slackware-based and compact
Reasons to buy
+Can run direct from system RAM
+Neat choice of desktop environments
Reasons to avoid
-Can no longer build own custom ISO
Porteus
is a Slackware-based distro that is designed to be completely portable
and run on removable media such as a USB stick or CD, but can just as
easily be installed to a hard disk. The distro is incredibly fast as
it's small enough to run entirely from system RAM.
The unique
selling point of Porteus is that it exists in a compressed state and
creates the file system on-the-fly. Besides the preinstalled apps, all
additional software for the distro comes in the form of modules, making
the OS very small and compact.
Porteus is available for 32-bit and
64-bit machines. If you're running the 64-bit version of the OS, you
can also get 32-bit applications to run by installing the relevant
libraries from Porteus' software repositories. The distro provides users
with the choice of KDE, MATE, Openbox, LXQt, Cinnamon, Xfce and LXDE desktop environments when downloading the ISO image.
Unfortunately
the option to build your own custom ISO has been removed since we
previously looked at Porteus, but the pre-built images offer a decent
selection of software and drivers, as well as an excellent selection of tutorials to help you get started.
8. Puppy Linux
Best lightweight Linux distro with an impressive range of apps
Reasons to buy
+Huge range of apps
+Different versions for differing needs
+Ubuntu-based edition works with Ubuntu repos
Puppy
Linux is one of the oldest lightweight distros out there. The project
has been turning out slim, sleek and fast distros for over 15 years now,
and offers different versions depending on the underlying environment.
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.
The distro is full of apps, belying its small size – some
are quite unconventional, such as Homebank which helps you manage your
finances, or GdMap which allows you to graphically map out your disks.
There are also graphical tools to manage Samba shares and set up a
firewall, for example.
The FossaPup edition of Puppy Linux is
compatible with Ubuntu's repositories, just as the S15Pup edition is
compatible with Slackware's. 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 browser 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.
9. SliTaz
Best lightweight Linux distro for installing from within Windows
Reasons to buy
+Miniscule size
+Multiple editions
+Also supports 32-bit hardware
SliTaz,
which stands for Simple, Light, Incredible, Temporary Autonomous Zone
is one of the smallest distros that ships with a graphical desktop.
The
distro uses the Openbox window manager and despite its size allows you
to enable some desktop effects as well. Its menus are flush with all the
regular open source apps including web browsers, audio players, media editors, several development tools and more.
The
rolling release distro has a stable and a developmental version. SliTaz
also has a bunch of custom tools such as SliTazPanel with which you can
administer all aspects of the system. You can also anchor SliTaz to
your hard disk and Windows users can host it inside a directory without
partitioning their disks.
SliTaz is available for both 32-bit and
64-bit platforms. Besides the official flavors, there are many other
downloadable images for SliTaz because its developers and community
provide many variations to address different use cases and system
limitations. For instance, there's a low RAM version for systems with as
little as 24MB RAM, a version with Firefox instead of Midori, a version
with no extra applications, and so on.
10. Tiny Core Linux
Best lightweight Linux distro that's one of the smallest
Reasons to buy
+Incredibly compact distro
+Three choices of size
Reasons to avoid
-It’s unsurprisingly barebones
The
Tiny Core Project offers up the tiniest of Linux distros, shipping
three variants on which you can build your own environments. The
lightest edition is Core, weighing in at just 17MB, which comes without a
graphical desktop – but you can always add one after installation.
If
that's too intimidating, try TinyCore, which is only 24MB in size and
offers a choice of FLTK or FLWM graphical desktop environments. It's
recommended for users with a wired connection.
You can 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 network connection during initial
setup. The recommended amount of RAM is just 128MB. There are 32-bit and
64-bit versions as well as PiCore, which is a build for the Raspberry Pi. There are builds for other ARM devices like the GK802 Mini PC too.
This
minimalist distro doesn't feature many apps. After installation there's
little beyond the Terminal, a basic text editor and a network
connection manager. The Control Panel provides quick access to the
different configurable parts of the distro such as display, mouse,
network, etc. Use the graphical package manager 'Apps' to install
additional software such as multimedia codecs.
11. Q4OS
Best lightweight Linux distro for KDE users
Reasons to buy
+Custom profiler app
+Windows installer
+Supports 32-bit machines as well
Another
Debian-based distro, Q4OS offers you the choice of the graphically rich
Plasma Desktop or the trimmed-down Trinity desktop environment
(pictured), which is designed to be lightweight and easy to navigate.
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 you can
even turn on desktop effects. You also get the option to replace its
application launcher with KDE’s Kickoff menu, using the welcome app.
The
default Q4OS installation is pretty bare-bones, but you can use the
desktop profiler app to flesh out your installation with a single click
based on how you plan to use it. Note however that while you can use the
64-bit edition of the distro as an installable Live CD, the 32-bit
edition is only offered as an install-only medium. The distro also has a
Windows installer that you can use to install Q4OS alongside an
existing Windows installation without too much fuss.
How to choose the best lightweight Linux distros for you?
Different lightweight Linux distros serve different purposes, so not every one of them will be ideal for your needs.
If
you’re migrating from Windows, you’ll want to pick a distro that eases
the migration. If you plan to use diverse applications, it’s best to
select a distro that has a vast software repository. Similarly, if you
don’t want to spend time manually installing apps, it’ll be smart to
pick a distro that comes pre-loaded with apps.
These are just a few aspects to look at, so analyze your needs carefully before you make a purchase decision.
How We Test
We test lightweight Linux
distros across various factors. For starters, we evaluate the distro’s
size, hardware requirements, installation process, quality of the
documentation, and ease of handling (including for those who are
migrating from Windows).
We look at how many apps the distro comes
with, how large its software repository is, the scope for
configuration, and whether it offers solid support and has an active
forum for discussions. 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.
Source: https://www.techradar.com/news/best-lightweight-linux-distro
