sign in sign up
<<
Home , Conky (software), Fluxbox, FLWM, FVWM, Gnumeric, GParted

GROUP TEST LIGHTWEIGHT DISTROS

LIGHTWEIGHT DISTROS GROUP TEST Mayank Sharma is on the lookout for distros tailor made to infuse life into his ageing computers.

On Test Lightweight distros here has always been a some text editing, and watch some Lite demand for lightweight videos. These users don’t need URL www.linuxliteos.com Talternatives both for the latest multi-core machines VERSION 2.0 individual apps and for complete loaded with several gigabytes of DESKTOP distributions. But the recent advent RAM or even a dedicated graphics Does the second version of the distro of feature-rich resource-hungry card. However, chances are their does enough to justify its title? software has reinvigorated efforts hardware isn’t supported by the to put those old, otherwise obsolete latest kernel, which keeps dropping WattOS machines to good use. support for older hardware that is URL www.planetwatt.com For a long time the primary no longer in vogue, such as dial-up VERSION R8 migrators to Linux were people modems. Back in 2012, support DESKTOP LXDE, Mate, who had fallen prey to the easily for the i386 chip was dropped from Has switching the base distro from exploitable nature of proprietary the kernel and some distros, like to made any difference? operating systems. Of late though CentOS, have gone one step ahead we’re getting a whole new set of and dropped support for the 32-bit SparkyLinux users who come along with their architecture entirely. healthy and functional computers URL www..org that just can’t power the newer VERSION 3.5 New life DESKTOP LXDE, Mate, Xfce and others release of Windows. In addition to pruning the resource Multiple flavours with different desktops Plenty of hardware is good requirements of mainstream – is there one for you? enough to run the mainstream software, a large number of open Linux distros without any issues. source developers are working to However, the modern Linux desktop make obsolete hardware usable LXLE is a fairly resource hungry beast again. There are lightweight apps URL www.lxle.net as well, and your hardware might that consume a fraction of the VERSION 14.04 not have enough juice to power resources of their full-featured DESKTOPLXDE or Gnome 3. In addition to alternatives and distros that What can this -based distro do users who have hardware that’s perform blazingly well on low-spec that its parent cannot? been outdated fairly recently, there’s machines. In this group test we another kind who are holding on look at some of the best distros TinyCore to their workhorses from the last that are designed from the grounds URL www.tinycorelinux.net decade. They usually just use their up to use the meagre hardware VERSION 5.4 computer to browse the web, do resources on dated computers. DESKTOP FLWM Will it live up to its name? DATING HARDWARE

Defining hardware as “older” is tricky. onboard graphics. A couple of years New software is always levering on the ago, mainstream distros would perform Slacko Puppy pace of hardware developments and adequately on these machines, but not URL www.puppylinux.org rendering even relatively newer anymore. Nowaday, you need special hardware obsolete. Examples of these purpose distros to make good use of VERSION 5.7 relatively recent attic-ready hardware such hardware. We tested these distros DESKTOPJWM would be single-core or dual-core AMD on a 1.6GHz Intel Atom with It’s the leading distro for old computers, Athlons and Intel Pentiums with about 1GB of RAM and on a dual-core 2.1GHz but can it win this challenge as well? 1GB of RAM that they share with laptop with 2GB of RAM.

56 www.linuxvoice.com LIGHTWEIGHT DISTROS GROUP TEST

Lightweight alternatives here are two things that are developed. Other featherweight contenders than Unity, Gnome 3 and KDE 4. LXDE and common to every lightweight distro include the , Xpdf PDF Xfce are two of the popular options that are T-- a lightweight viewer, Fotoxx image editor, CMPlayer media used by many distros. There’s also Mate, and/or lightweight apps. There are player, and App Grid software centre, among which is a continuation of Gnome 2. Then lightweight alternatives for every type of others. Some distros, most notably Puppy there’s , which includes some software. Office apps, such as the AbiWord Linux, also replace the stock apps with bling as well. Some distros, instead of using word processors and the custom ones optimised for the minimal a full-fledged desktop environment, just use , are a popular replacement for environment they are running under. managers such as Openbox. Other mainstream full fledged suites like Similarly, there are also desktop lighter but esoteric are LibreOffice and Calligra and are still being environments that are lighter on resources IceWM, , FVWM, and JWM. WattOS R8 Desktop computing for cheap.

or a long time WattOS delivered the goodness of Ubuntu to low-powered Fmachines. However, the distro has now switched to Debian and is based on the current stable Wheezy branch. It’s available in three flavours: there’s one with the Mate desktop and another with LXDE, which both weigh in at around 800MB. There’s also an even lighter Microwatt edition. Being based on Debian, installation duties are handled by Debian’s graphical installer, which is pretty simple and straightforward. The WattOS developers have modified the installer with tips borrowed from the LMDE and Point Linux projects, but it still isn’t as intuitive as Ubuntu’s installer, with a manual partitioning step that might confuse new users. Once installed the distro occupies about 3GB of hard disk space. Both the LXDE and the Mate flavours ship with the Iceweasel browser, which is Debian’s trademark-stripped fork of the browser. Both flavours also include the The distro also includes power management utilities like PowerTOP to optimise power consumption. image organiser, FileZilla FTP, Transmission BitTorrent client, Both distros were quick off the blocks and sports the conky system monitor and a audio player and Xfburn media burner. The we got to the desktops pretty quickly with simple panel at the bottom of the screen LXDE flavour also includes the VLC media Mate leading LXDE by a good 10 seconds. that houses open windows. player, which is oddly missing from the Mate Once loaded though LXDE took up about The developers have done a wonderful job version. 100MB less RAM than the fast-booting in picking up the right apps that don’t gorge Mate. App launch times were fairly similar on resources and don’t compromise Missing in action and both flavours performed as advertised. usability as well. While the distro might be One app that was conspicuous by its Even after several hours their memory designed for older computers, we wouldn’t absence was an office suite. All you have are footprints remained impressively low. shy away from recommending it as a lighter basic text editors -- Mate has Pluma and If you want something lighter still, there’s Debian alternative for regular use. LXDE has , and these are both quite the Microwatt edition. Instead of a full- stripped down. On the upside though you fledged desktop manager, this flavour uses a VERDICT A wonderful distro that have the full Debian repository at your customised Openbox window manager in could put a spring in the disposal that you can install additional apps place of the PekWM window manager in step of any computer. from via the . earlier versions. The bare-minimum desktop

www.linuxvoice.com 57 GROUP TEST LIGHTWEIGHT DISTROS 2.0 Can lite be right?

he Linux Lite distro is based on (it’s also preconfigured here to connect 14.04 LTS, which to the LinuxDistroCommunity.com’s Tbrings along two very important Mumble server, so you can engage with components -- Xfce 4.11 and the other community users immediately. excellent and easy-to-handle Ubiquity Another unique aspect of the distro is installer. One of the first things you’ll its collection of well-designed scripts to Linux Lite is wonderfully stocked for everyday use, but this notice after installation is the distro’s add and remove programs. The Install comes at the cost of relatively sluggish performance. beautiful login manager followed by the Additional Software script gives a list aesthetically pleasing all-white . of 25 apps, including Google Chrome Ubuntu 14.04’s official repository as The desktop is clean and uses the Xfce and browsers, Google Talk well as several PPAs. This is also the desktop’s Whisker menu. The Browser Plugin to video chat via Google first release which uses the Linux developers have tweaked the desktop, Hangouts, , Netflix, , , Lite’s own repositories for managing and the right-click menu includes PlayonLinux, and more. There’s also a its custom apps. One of these custom options to create shortcuts, launch the corresponding Remove Software script apps, the Lite User Manager, helps make task manager, and take screenshots. that’ll remove any software installed managing accounts a little easier for At first glance, Linux Lite looks and using the previous script. new users to comprehend. New users feels like a regular heavy-duty distro. There’s also the Synaptic package will also appreciate the bundled support The list of pre-installed apps doesn’t manager and the distro is tuned into and help manual. include any of the traditional lightweight apps and is instead brimming with the VERDICT usual suspects such as Gimp, Firefox, “One unique aspect of Linux A good distro for someone who’s new to VLC and LibreOffice. There’s also the Lite is its collection of scripts Linux, but not necessarily Mumble open-source VoIP software lite. that’s often compared with TeamSpeak to add and remove programs.” LXLE 14.04 Luxuriously light.

here’s a lot of similarity between as its rather than Linux Lite and LXLE. Both are Lubuntu’s LXTerm. Tbased on the latest Ubuntu The distro is overflowing with apps. 14.04 LTS release and neither include Besides the usual apps such as Gimp, any of the usual lightweight apps, Shotwell, Claws email, FileZilla, Pidgin, instead relying on their desktops. In that Transmission, LibreOffice, there are The distro includes a whopping 100 wallpapers, and you aspect, LXLE, which is based on several unusual ones like KeePassX, can cycle through them with a button in the bottom panel. Lubuntu and uses the LXDE desktop Marble, Anki memory training, Simple scores over Linux Lite by trimming Image Reducer, BitTorrent Sync, Gitso includes both the Lubuntu Software almost 10 seconds of the latter’s boot VNC, Linphone, Homebank, Osmo, FB Center, which is LXDE’s answer to the time. However, installing LXLE takes a Reader ebook reader, BleachBit, Florence , as well as lot longer than other distros. But that Virtual Keyboard, and the GSpeaker Synaptic. Both are configured to fetch isn’t a surprise considering it installs frontend for espeak. packages from the official Ubuntu almost 2,000 packages. In stark contrast to many of its repos and several other PPAs. LXLE The desktop is a pretty standard peers, the distro also includes several also includes a graphical PPA manager LXDE affair. It includes a panel at the multimedia apps such as Audacity, using which you can add and manage bottom and a Unity-like launcher on Arista transcoder, the Openshot video additional PPAs. the left that reveals itself when you editor and Minitube for watching mouse-over that part of the desktop. YouTube videos on the desktop. VERDICT Some important information about the Another pleasant surprise is the Despite its long list of apps, the distro performs system is also displayed on the desktop inclusion of several games, from simple well on hardware with via the Conky system monitor. However, card games to the client. For limited resources. the distro uses the malleable ROXTerm package management, the distro

58 www.linuxvoice.com LIGHTWEIGHT DISTROS GROUP TEST

SparkyLinux 3.5 Other options Give your computer a jump start. The low-fat graphical options that aren’t necessarily aimed at older hardware here are several other distros that use the lightweight desktops that are often Tincluded on the distros we’ve tested here, not because of their size benefits, but for their similarity to the classic desktop metaphor, such as the Mate-powered Debian-based Point Linux. Another lightweight distro is Elementary OS, which uses its own custom desktop environment along with a host of other custom tools, and is popular for its Mac OS X-like look and feel. However, the distro is designed primarily as a replacement for SparkyLinux includes the SparkyCenter settings manager to house its custom apps. Windows and Mac, and wouldn’t perform well on dated hardware. nlike other Debian-based distros Being based on Debian, the distro also Some distros – most notably Ubuntu in this group test, SparkyLinux is includes Debian’s forked trademark-free – have official spins based on LXDE and Ubased on the distro’s testing version of Firefox and Thunderbird, namely Xfce, namely Lubuntu and Xubuntu, that are branch (called Jessie) and also borrows IceWeasel and IceDove. The browser is designed for hardware that doesn’t have the Debian’s installer. SparkyLinux is available equipped with plugins to handle all kinds power to run the main edition. There’s also in several flavours, each based on a of content including Flash, QuickTime, Mini (a cut-down version of Trisquel, separate lightweight desktop DivX, RealPlayer and more. the distro made entirely with – environment. While the size of the ISO even the non-free elements of the image and the number of installed Shiny desktops have been removed) for the free software packages vary from one flavour to The Enlightenment flavour uses the latest purists, and VectorLinux Light, which uses another, installing them all took longer E19 desktop. However, the live JWM and Fluxbox. Another distro that uses than the other distros in this group test. environment performed terribly on the Fluxbox is the Debian-based AntiX, which also Another common factor between all netbook and took aeons to install. Even relies heavily on custom tools. the SparkyLinux flavours is its collection afterwards moving the mouse wasn’t The distro also uses a bunch of of custom apps. There’s the SparkyAPTus smooth and animations were jerky; so, the custom tools but needs to be configured and app, which is a simple front-end to the Mate, LXDE, and Xfce flavours are the set up before it can be used as a functional command line -get and tools. distro’s leading contenders. You can use desktop. Finally, there’s Porteus, which You can use this tool to edit the package them in various languages and they all is primarily designed for installation on repositories, install and remove apps and have a similar looking desktop with the removable mediums like USB disks and CDs, upgrade the whole system with a single Conky system monitor and the Wbar quick- but can also be installed on to a hard disk. The click. SparkyAPTus Extra is a new app with launch dock at the bottom. distro is small because of its modular nature which you can install popular apps such The distros are also loaded with and incredibly fast since it runs from the RAM, as Dropbox, Skype, Steam, Browser, and apps including LibreOffice, PlayonLinux, but it does involve a learning curve. more with a single-click. Gimp, Camorama webcam, Hotot Twitter The distro also includes custom apps client, gFTP, Pidgin, Gnome MPlayer, to back up and restore app settings. RecordMyDesktop screencaster, VLC media All you have to do is select the app and more. For system admins there’s whose settings you wish to you wish to GParted, Boot Repair, a graphical front end back up, and the app saves them in a to manage systemd and a graphical front compressed archive. You can then use end to install windows wireless drivers via the complementary Restore app to point Ndiswrapper and the Gufw firewall. to this archive to restore the settings. There’s also an app to securely and VERDICT permanently delete files, a Wine wrapper Performs admirably well on resource-deprived to install Windows .exe files, a manager computers despite its Check out PepperMint Linux if your bandwidth is for the Conky system monitor and tools to gamut of apps. good enough that you can live off web apps. manage users and passwords.

www.linuxvoice.com 59 GROUP TEST LIGHTWEIGHT DISTROS TinyCore 5.4 vs 5.7 The most esoteric distros of the lot.

hese two distros are arguably intuitive in the business. You’ll also have our first choice for powering to browse through its documentation Tcomputers that are light on to familiarise yourself with the distro’s resources. However, both distros are peculiarities, irrespective of your designed for advanced users, TinyCore experience with Linux. more so than Puppy. Also, while both distros will revive literally any computer, Puppy Linux their approach to addressing the Puppy Linux’s approach is in stark problem is different. contrast to TinyCore. The project TinyCore’s sole developer, Robert currently has three official versions. Shingledecker was earlier involved There’s Wary Puppy, which is designed with the once-popular but now- especially for older hardware, followed dormant project. by Lucid Puppy, which is built from TinyCore includes a remaster tool with which you can The distro is available in three flavours. Ubuntu’s binary packages; and Slacko create your own remix of the distro. There’s a miniscule 9MB core edition Puppy, built from . Slacko is designed for servers, followed by the recommended distro and the can perform with a desktop computer. the recommended TinyCore edition current 5.7 is built on of Slackware 14. However, most of these are Slacko’s that weighs in at 15MB, and a 72MB Instead of a full-fledged desktop own custom apps instead of the CorePlus edition that has additional manager, Slacko uses JWM, which popular ones that users are familiar drivers for wireless cards, a remastering is one of the lightest window with. Slacko has all kinds of multimedia tool and internationalisation support. managers. Installation is handled apps include graphics viewers and True to its name, TinyCore bundles by Puppy’s custom installer, which creators and apps to playback, edit and just a terminal, a , and an is well documented but has enough even create multimedia. Furthermore app launcher on of the light- peculiarities to intimidate first-time there are apps to block website ads weight FLWM window manager. It users. For starters it lacks any and for internet telephony, a podcast has a control panel to manage bootup automated partitioning tool and grabber, a secure downloader, a DVD services and configure the launcher. instead fires up GParted for the user to burning app and lots more. The distro If you need anything else, you’ll have manually format the disk. to pull it in using the distro’s package To its credit though, GParted is very manager, including the installer if you verbose and each step has enough “There’s no beating Puppy want to install the distro full-time on to documentation for the user to carry Linux Slacko for out-of-the your hard disk. out the task at hand. Also, once the Due to its minuscule size, TinyCore installation has completed, users will box functionality.” boots blisteringly quickly. But the have to manually invoke a tool to install distro’s stellar performance comes at the Grub bootloader. ships with several multimedia players, the price of usability. For starters, you’ll There’s no beating Puppy for out- including Gnome MPlayer, to play all be spending quite a lot of time with its of-the-box functionality and there’s an sorts of media formats. The included package manager, which isn’t the most app for virtually every task that you Firefox browser is equipped with all kinds of plugins and the distro also has a custom app to download and install the Flash plugin. Puppy also scores for its ample documentation. Slacko bundles help documentation on several topics such as working with Microsoft Office files, how to add codecs, software and more and contains links to the documentation pages for most of the apps in its menus.

VERDICT TinyCore: Ideal for all Slacko Puppy: One of kinds of hardware but the lightest around, but setting it up is an loses out for relying on involved process. its custom apps. Puppy is very explicit in its instructions and verbose in its output.

60 www.linuxvoice.com LIGHTWEIGHT DISTROS GROUP TEST

1st Sparky Linux 3.5 Mate Version 2.0

www.sparkylinux.org OUR VERDICT The perfect balance of speed and functionality in this Mate powered distros that’s chock-full of apps. Lightweight distros 2nd LXLE 14.04 Version R8

f this were a group test of which is almost twice that of www.lxle.net distros specifically for older the winner. However, if you have A close second to Sparky Linux and the best lightweight distro Ihardware, then Slacko Puppy the RAM to spare, then LXLE is based on the LXDE desktop. would have been top dog followed our favourite LXDE-based distro by TinyCore, which is lighter but has around and it’s even faster than a more involved setup process. SparkLinux’s LXDE flavour. 3rd Linux Lite 2.0 However, the real test of a Version 3.5 lightweight distro is on a machine Sparktastic www.linuxliteos.com that’s not necessarily old, just not SparkyLinux is available in a The distro works well to free up resources on newer machines adequately stacked. This is why we number of editions with almost but doesn’t feel comfortable on older ones. rated the distros based on their every lightweight desktop performance on the dual-core environment and window manager. netbook, and the table below But the performance varies greatly 4th WattOS R8 reflects as measured on between its various editions. The Version 14.04 this computer. Enlightenment edition is fastest but WattOS Mate edition was quick lacks any real apps, and also felt www.planetwatt.com The Mate edition of this distro boots faster than all others but off the blocks, but lacked any lethargic, much like the Xfce flavour. lacks any meaningful apps. useful apps. The LXDE edition of The mouse movement on both the distro does include VLC but editions was jerky, and navigating loses snappiness. We’ve rated through the menus wasn’t smooth 5th Slacko Puppy 5.7 it lower than the slow-starting with the sub-menus revealing Version 5.4 LinuxLite because at least the latter themselves only after a brief pause. welcomes the user to a much The Mate and LXDE editions www.puppylinux.org richer desktop experience. In fact, were very usable and highly Our favourite distro for revising older computers, but it loses out in this challenge for its reliance on its custom apps. LinuxLite would be a good distro to recommended. On these editions, introduce new users to Linux. you could further trim the boot This group test would have easily times by tweaking some defaults, 6th TinyCore 5.4 been won by LinuxLite. It’s one like disabling the Wbar panel at the Version 5.7 of the fastest distros and loads bottom. Even without any tweaks, to a very usable desktop straight the Mate edition of the distro offers www.tinycorelinux.net out of the box. But it loses out to the right compromise between boot The lightest of them all, it loses out for its involved setup process. SparkyLinux despite being faster times, memory footprint and pre- because of its memory usage, installed apps.

Boot time Used memory Total Packages Desktop Environment Package Management Office Suite Multimedia app

Linux Lite 2.0 41.2s 501 MB 1389 Xfce 4.11 Synaptic LibreOffice VLC

WattOS R8 Mate 14.6s 332 MB 1125 Mate 1.8 Synaptic None None

WattOS R8 LXDE 23.4s 231 MB 1118 LXDE 0.5.5 Synaptic None VLC

LXLE 14.04 34.5s 775 MB 1931 LXDE 0.5.6 Synaptic LibreOffice Several

Tiny Core 5.4 7.5s 46 MB --- FLWM Custom None None

Slacko Puppy 5.7 17.2s 112 MB 333 JWM Custom AbiWord, Gnumeric Gnome Mplayer

Sparky Linux 3.5 e19 31.6s 285 MB 1267 Enligtenment e19 Synaptic None None

Sparky Linux 3.5 Mate 37.2s 357 MB 1894 Mate 1.8 Synaptic LibreOffice Several

Sparky Linux 3.5 LXDE 41.3s 342 MB 1994 LXDE 0.5.5 Synaptic LibreOffice Several

Sparky Linux 3.5 Xfce 38.2s 418 MB 2019 Xfce 4.10 Synaptic LibreOffice Several

www.linuxvoice.com 61