The great appeal of Linux and its range of distributions is the ease with which you can solve our needs in the aspect of computing, through simple operating systems with high capacities.
Linux has proven on many occasions that you do not need a heavy and demanding operating system to provide the user with all the tools they may need on a computer, as well as many other utilities.
In the next paragraphs We will teach you the lightest and most efficient versions of Linux. Yes OK we are not talking about distributions with the popularity of Ubuntu, they have everything you need to be a perfectly functional virtual desktop.
List of the best lightweight and fastest Linux distributions that you can use on your computer
We present you now Ten of the best Linux distributions with a medium and low level of resource consumption. They all have the minimal tools of a computer and come with a variety of interesting individual features.
Go for it:
SparkyLinux
Is a GNU / Linux distribution Debian-based, characterized by being light and completely customizable. It is a fast, stable distro and offers a variety of versions with different features. It includes a compact desktop environment with multiple customization options. What’s more, offers the most commonly used applications pre-installed to start using the OS as soon as you install.
SparkyLinux is available in three versions designed for different types of users:
- GameOver, optimized for users looking for a dedicated gaming distro.
- Multimedia, designed for the creation and editing of images, videos, audios, and other multimedia content
- Rescue, ideal for rescuing damaged operating systems, among other programming projects.
Peppermint OS
It is based on the Lubuntu distribution, which in turn is based on Ubuntu, what gives Peppermint OS access to the latter’s application repository. It is intended to be a familiar operating system for those just starting out in GNU / Linux.
It is a very light distribution, with relatively low hardware requirements, which gives you access to a large number of terminals, since it only requires 1 GB of RAM and an Intel x86 processor to run smoothly. Includes all the applications required for the use of a regular PC, from the web browser Firefox and Dropbox as a file storage service, up to access to Google applications, What Gmail and Drive.
Mini Trisquel
It is not based on any other distribution, but is made on the Linux-Libre kernel and translated into more than 40 languages. It is one of the most simplified distributions, specially designed to run on low-power computers.
Use the graphical server Xorg, in combination with LXDE as a desktop environment, so it has a smooth and stable interface, it also has many customization options. It includes many pre-installed applications among which we can against the web browser Midori, and Sylpheed as an email client, in addition to GNOME Player and many other applications.
Proteans
Is a distribution built from scratch to be compatible with a wide variety of equipment, i.e. it is installable on any computer that can support Linux.
It is designed with industrial quality technology, for both business and personal use. Being a completely free distribution, can be used, modified, and distributed without restrictions once purchased. Protean OS has built-in program libraries, which are optimized to improve performance, in the same way that the operating system itself is designed to have the best possible performance.
Lithium
Initially called Helium, is a distro based on Debian 9, which integrates the window manager OpenBox, which gives us a great level of control over the appearance of the desktop to customize it to our liking.
It does not qualify as one of the lightest distributions, since it requires at least 10 GB of hard drive space, but only 256 MB RAM. It is available for architectures 32 and 64 Bit and ARM. In 2022 it had an update, changing its name to Lithium, improving the base system to Debian 10 and kept the manager OpenBox. It includes the necessary office automation, image editing and multimedia file playback programs, as well as the option of a good APT.
Linux Mint
It is one of the most popular distributions and used by Linux lovers. It is based on Debian and Ubuntu, and has a very complete and friendly user interface. No particularly powerful hardware required to be able to install Linux Mint, since it only requires a processor 700 MHz, 1 GB RAM memory and 15 GB of disk space to keep it running smoothly.
It has the desktop environment Cinnamon, offering the user a wide range of customization settings in an intuitive and very complete interface, and includes programs such as Mozilla Firefox as a web browser, Mozilla Thunderbird as a mail client and GIMP as a graphic editor.
Bodhi Linux
It is a lightweight and highly customizable distribution used in the well-known and promising desktop environment Moksha Desktop. It is built on Ubuntu and available in version of 32 Bit and 64 Bit.
It is a fairly small distribution, with a small team of developers, and is constantly updated. It seeks to expand its community and provide a smooth and friendly user experience. Includes by default programs such as the browser Midori, the text editor ePad, and Terminology as a terminal emulator. It also includes a online application repository that can be installed quickly and easily.
Tiny Core
It is a highly modular portable graphical environment, created to promote a minimalist base Linux kernel system. Its main operation will be based on extensions that can be found in a repository containing more than 3,200 items. It is widely known in the Linux community for its small size, which varies between 12 and the 18MB, and its marked minimalism, which contrasts with the number of functions available thanks to its extensions.
This distro has three official variants found on the official Tiny Core website:
- Tiny Core, with a weight of 16 MB, it is the most recommended option for novice users.
- Core, reaching 11 Mb, it is a simplified version of Tiny Core that does not include a graphical environment, but one can be created through the extensions to which it has access.
- Core Plus It is an installation ISO file that includes Tiny Core with additional features such as wireless network support.
Zorin OS Lite
It is a very light distribution, based on Ubuntu, with a fluid and friendly graphical interface and a desktop environment similar to the Windows operating system. Specifically, use the desktop environment LXDE and it is intended for computers with few resources.
It is designed in such a way that it has earned the nickname of “The entrance to the world of Linux”as it is ideal for newcomer users of operating systems such as Windows, looking for a familiar interface to get started with. Worth noting the fact that it is portable and can be downloaded as an ISO image and be installed on a CD / DVD or USB stick.
PureOS
It is a distribution completely designed under the GNU philosophy since It is intended to function and be distributed, unlike proprietary software. Use the desktop environment GNOME and is intended for security and privacy. In its constant focus on privacy, PureOS has a Mozilla Firefox-derived web browser called PureBrowser, which uses DuckDuckGo as the default search engine.
In addition, it includes the browser Tor, EFF Privacy Badger and HTTPS: Everywhere, guaranteeing the privacy of browsing. It is backed by the technology company Purism for use in their line of laptops Librem, as well as in the Smartphone of the same company, called Librem 5.