10 Best Lightweight Linux Distros to Revive Old Computer (2019)

Linux is generally a much Sir Thomas More resource-friendly OS compared to Windows OR even macOS. This is wherefore people are ever looking out for an Ubuntu whippersnapper screen background Beaver State a light Linux distro. There are many a Linux distros that require less CPU superpowe and RAM to subroutine, that we count the lightweight Linux distros.

Here are the 10 Best lightweight Linux distros that can atomic number 4 utilised to install in your antediluvian computer.

Best Lightweight Linux Distros

1. Ubuntu MATE
2. Lubuntu
3. Peppermint Osmium
4. Arc Linux
5. Bodhi Linux
6. antiX Linux
7. Linux Lite
8. Puppy Linux
9. LXLE
10. Tiny Core

1. Ubuntu Teammate – Best Lightweight Linux Distro

Ubuntu MATE lightweight Linux distro

When it comes to the best lightweight Linux distros, Ubuntu MATE is definitely a name that should total up. It's not only when one of the just about lightweight operating systems around but also the well-nig practical one. For existence lightweight it does not piss many sacrifices if at all. It looks and feels advanced, it full treatmen like a modern Operating system and information technology ne'er feels like a lightweight Linux distro.

You could consider IT a "heavyweight" connected this list but it strikes the stark balance 'tween being lightweight and useful. Plus, it is extremely customizable and gives you many layout options out of the box. These are Mutiny, Traditional, Cupertino, Redmond, Contemporaneous, Netbook, and Pantheon.It's basically an Ubuntu lightweight desktop.

Ubuntu Better half is also a polished experience which cannot be said about most other whippersnapper Linux distros.

2. Lubuntu

Lubuntu - Ubuntu lightweight desktop

Ubuntu is the most fashionable Linux distro but it isn't incisively lightweight. Only Ubuntu likewise has many official flavors A well as a greater amoun of other Linux distros based on Ubuntu. Lubuntu, as you may have guessed, is one amongst those Ubuntu based distros and is, in fact, an official Ubuntu flavor. The 'L' in all likelihood stands for lightweight because that's what Lubuntu is going for. It's yet another Ubuntu lightweight desktop. Any list of unimportant Linux distros would be rudimentary without it, much fewer a list of the best lightweight Linux distros.

LUbuntu contains a significantly inferior routine of packages aside default and specializes around rush, energy efficiency, and support for older hardware. The packages it does include are mostly all lightweight Linux applications. Lubuntu comes pre-loaded with a web browser (Mozilla Firefox), a word mainframe (Abiword), notes app (Xpad), image viewer (GPicView), paint app (MTPaint), PDF reader (Express), Euphony player (Audacious), Picture actor (Gnome-Actor), webcam app (guvcview), netmail node (Sylpheed), IM customer (Pidgin), torrent guest (Transmission system), spreadsheets app (Gnumeric), and even more apps.

Lubuntu has the same computer software and repositories as Ubuntu soh you won't bump it very different if you're an Ubuntu user.

Related: 7 Best Lightweight Linux Browsers for Ubuntu Users.

3. Peppermint OS

Peppermint OS Ubuntu lightweight desktop

Peppermint is a cloud-adjusted Linux distro so it is Sir Thomas More corresponding Chrome OS but it looks rather different. IT's also a more mature platform in comparison because you terminate run not only Google Chrome but any other browser you prefer. On top of that, it's not limited like Chrome OS thusly Linux apps incorporate a lot better with it compared to Chromium-plate OS.

Peppermint OS is based is basically an Ubuntu unimportant desktop. It was created Eastern Samoa a competition to Chrome Oculus sinister merely it still retains the functionality of a full Linux desktop. Although you can install Google Chrome and access its vast program library of extensions and apps, you don't have to. Even if you use another browser, Peppermint lets you create web apps that lean Eastern Samoa native apps done an app named ICE.

4. Arch Linux

Arch Linux light Linux distro

Patronising Linux is generally not enclosed in a list of the Sunday-go-to-meeting lightweight Linux distros but that's not to enunciat IT can't be. The whole philosophy behind Arch Linux is to have an OS that you basically build yourself. Information technology's a no-nonsense distro and comes with equally fewer packages as it can get away with. It's belik as unclouded as a light Linux distro can get while also being fully functional.

It doesn't even include a window manager Beaver State a screen background environment. So Arch is basically what you make of it and you can make information technology into a whippersnapper OS if you want. Evenhanded install a lightweight expose director, a whippersnapper desktop environs, etc. That kind of flexibility as wel lets you include utilities strategically, so it doesn't feel that minimal. You can truly make it your own.

However, as information technology probably sounds like, IT is a lot of work. If you're a tiro Beaver State antitrust aren't looking to fortify your own system from dough, Archway is non for you.

Key features: 512MB RAM | 64-bit architecture | highly flexible | only for old Linux users | Download Arch Linux

Related: 7 Best Portable Linux Distro in addition and Run from USB

5. Bodhi Linux

Arch Linux light Linux distro

Bodhi is another Ubuntu-based lightweight implementation of Linux. It qualifies as both an ubuntu lightweight desktop and a light Linux distro. Information technology's the first to feature the Moksha screen background surroundings. Moksha is a continuation of Enlightenment 17 background with additional features and fewer bugs. The desktop does non include any window compositor so you assume't have some animations. Users can put in Compiz, however, which provides umteen fancier animations that'll make eve macOS users jealous.

Bodhi looks and works to a T and you have access to a huge subroutine library of apps thanks to the Ubuntu repos. The Linux distro offers three releases: Basic, Bequest, and AppPack. Legacy has financial backing for older 32-bit machines merely Standard should be the last-to for most users.

Whatever basic apps are pre-installed such as Ephoto for Graphics, Midori for web browsing, ePad text editor. There are no multimedia apps installed by default so you'll have to manually set up some.

Primal features: 500MHz processor | 128MB Jam | 4GB storage blank | familiar user interface | Download Bodhi Linux

6. antiX Linux

antiX light Linux distro

antiX is a Debian supported distro like Ubuntu, but not founded along Ubuntu for a change. It takes pride in boasting of a systemd-justify Linux distribution. It is available for both 32-spot and 64-bit computers. That makes sentiency since information technology targets elder computers. antiX makes practice of the ice window manager to keep the system linear smoothly on soft-end computer hardware.

Being a light Linux distro, antiX doesn't let in very much of software packages or apps aside default so you'll have to manually download and install whatever you need. antiX Linux comes in four different flavors: Full, Base, Core, and Net. You can learn more about the differences along the official website.

Key features: 256MB RAM | Intel 64-second and 32-bit architecture CPU | 2.7 GB of drive space | Download antiX

Related: 10 Popular Windows Apps for Linux Users

7. Linux Lite

Linux Lite Ubuntu lightweight desktop

It would seem that the name says all Linux Lite is astir merely information technology doesn't. Yes, information technology is jackanapes and unmatchable of the fastest Linux distros but it is also very beginner-friendly, and aesthetic. It includes many popular and useful applications by default and it is based on Ubuntu LTS releases. That makes it another Ubuntu lightweight desktop. And information technology substance you can encounte even many useful computer software in the Ubuntu repositories.

Linux Lite uses the lightweight Xfce desktop with a computer menu that might remind roughly people of Windows XP. Flush with the lightweight nature of the distro, it comes with every the necessary tools and apps. This is something many new lightweight distributions clamber with. Some of these are Thunderbird (email), Dropbox (cloud storage), Firefox (web browsing) VLC Media Musician (Music and videos), LibreOffice (office), Gimp (image editing), etc. The OS doesn't compromise along performance either.

Key features: 700MHz processor | 512MB Force | VGA screen 1024×768 resolution | 5 United Kingdom emancipated disk distance | Download Linux Lite

8. Puppy Linux

Puppy light Linux distro

Puppy Linux is not big in size. It's a fluorescent Linux distro but one of the fastest Linux distros you tail find. Information technology's an ultra-portable Linux distribution that you can carry with a 2GB USD drive operating theatre Videodisk. It's light enough to live entirely on your organization's Chock up, without requiring any disc space.

The latest 64-bit version comes in at only 354MB which is inferior than the lightest custom ROMs on many Android smartphones. You buns run it entirely off a USB drive if you want to and save information along the USB drive too. Once shodden, information technology gobs up the entire arrangement happening the RAM which means you can remove the USB or CD.

Of course, with such a whippersnapper OS there are some compromises. Don't expect to run anything heavier the like a video editor program. It doesn't accompany a lot of pre-installed apps A you can guesswork from its size. It does include both basic apps such as Abiword for word processing, Gnumeric for spreadsheets and heterogeneous graphics editing and media playback programs.

Key Features: RAM: 256MB (64MB min) | Central processing unit: 333MHz Min) | 32-bit & 64-bit | Windowpane Manager: JWM-2.3.2 |Download Pup Linux

Incidental to: How to Check How Much RAM You Have happening Windows

9. LXLE

LXLE Ubuntu lightweight desktop

LXLE is based on Lubuntu, an already lightweight Linux distro, and it uses the LXDE desktop surroundings. LXLE is a frivolous Linux distro and an Ubuntu lightweight background. Lubuntu focuses on speed and low-cease computer hardware but LXLE is specifically tweaked for renewing older computer hardware. For even reasons, it is often called a lightweight powerhouse. LXLE sticks with Lubuntu LTS releases for better hardware and software system support. It makes sense considering LXLE aims at working with bequest hardware.

Despite being jackanapes, LXLE also aims to provide an intuitive UI and some eye-glaze. Boilers suit, if you'Re installing LXLE, IT is pinioned to affect you, even or powerful hardware. LXLE also comes with some excellent lightweight applications to make sure you can do all you want. These apps include the likes of LibreOffice (office), Limping (image editor), Audacity (music player), etc.

10. Tony Core

Tiny Core

Tiny Core is surprisingly absent from many lists concerned with unimportant Linux distros. It should always make it just because it is so tiny. If there ever was a ignitor Linux distro, IT's this. Euphony players on smartphones have a large size than this entire OS. The largest version known as CorePlus is only 106MB. The regular translation, called TinyCore, is mere 16MB! And if you think that's awful, there's another version called Core which has a sized of 11MB!

At that size, you'd expect a whole bid-line interface simply zero, you do get a full GUI desktop with a dock. Lone the Core version has no GUI and is completely a CLI. It can iron boot faster on an old, dying computer than Windows or other Linux distros do on powerful ironware. The unco small size, course, has its very major compromises.

For one, there's no nontextual matter driver included but it can be manually installed. The regular TinyCore includes a GUI but information technology's non recommended if you only take admittance to a wireless network. In fact, most users should probably accept the CorePlus interlingual rendition. It includes the base Core System and installing tools to the following options: Choice 'tween 7 Window Managers, Radio set confirm via umpteen firmware files and ndlswrapper, non-The States keyboard support, and a remastering tool around.

Key features: 46MB Random-access memory (64MB recommended) | Pentium 2 operating room higher Mainframe | 11MB to 106MB in size | Same bolted bring up time | Download Tiny Congress of Racial Equality

Here is the list for unimportant Linux distros til now. You sack install these Linux distros with a bootable USB or direct in the PC fixed disk. Most of these Linux distros are lightweight and capable to work with your old computer which has few MBs of RAM.

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