This is a text-only version of the following page on https://raymii.org: --- Title : Small Operating Systems / Linux Distributions Author : Remy van Elst Date : 09-07-2012 URL : https://raymii.org/s/articles/Small_Linux_Distros.html Format : Markdown/HTML --- This is an overview of small operating systems and Linux distributions, most of them work well on older hardware (pre-dual core era). It provides screenshots, package information, size and specs and project information on the distro. I've used all of them myself, except Sky OS. Not all of them are Linux, I also cover some more exotic operating systems, I like those. But, they have to have a GUI interface and software to accomplish task with. ([Sorry MikeOS][1]). The list constist of: Feather Linux, MenuetOS, Sky OS, Damn Small Linux, Tiny Core, SliTaz GNU/Linux, ReactOS, Haiku, Syllable, AntiX, Puppy and EcomStation2.

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### Feather Linux ![Feather Linux][3] * Based on: _Debian, Knoppix_ * Status: _not active_ * Author: _Robert Pickel_ * Last release: _0.7.5, Juli 4, 2005_ * Architecture: _i386_ * Size ISO: _less than 128MB_ * Desktop: _fluxbox_ * Interesting software: _kernel 2.4, abiword, dillo, gaim, xmms, vim, scite, rox-filer, firefox, freeNX, ethereal, mc_ * Website: * Distrowatch: * How did I use(d) it: _It ran on one of my pentium 3 boxes, 128MB ram, 5GB disk, 10MBit LAN, and it has done for almost 2 years._ ### MenuetOS ![MenuetOS][4] * What is it: _MenuetOS is an Operating System in development for the PC written entirely in 32/64 bit assembly language. Menuet isn't based on other operating system nor has it roots within UNIX or the POSIX standards. The design goal, since the first release in year 2000, has been to remove the extra layers between different parts of an OS, which normally complicate programming and create bugs._ * Status: _active_ * Author: _Ville Turjanmaa, Jarek Pelczar, Mike Hibbett, Madis Kalme, Tom Tollet_ * Last release: _M64 0.98.76, August 15, 2012_ * Architecture: _i386 and x64_ * Size ISO: _804 KB_ * Dekstop: Custom written. * Interesting Features: _Free-form, transparent and skinnable application windows, drag'n drop, SMP multiprocessor support with currently up to 8 cpus, IDE: Editor/Assembler for applications, USB 2.0 Hi-speed storage, webcam, printer class and TV/Radio support, USB 1.1 Keyboard and mouse support, TCP/IP stack with Loopback & Ethernet drivers, Email/ftp/http/chess clients and ftp/mp3/http servers, Hard real-time data fetch_ * Website: [http://www.menuetos.net/index.htm][5] * See also: [KolibriOS, a MenuetOS Fork][6] * How did I use it: _In High School, where the most pc's only had a floppy drive._ ### Sky OS ![SkyOS][7] * What is it: _SkyOS is an operating system written from scratch for x86 PC's. As required for a modern operating system, it supports features like multiprocessor support (SMP), virtual memory, memory protection, multitasking, and threading._ * Status: _not active_ * Author: _Robert Szeleney_ * Last release: _Build 6947, August 3, 2008_ * Architecture: _i386_ * Size ISO: _309 MB_ * Dekstop: _Custom written, SkyGI_ * Interesting Features: _SkyFS, Firefox, Thunderbird, Blender, Pixel, NVU, SDL, Full DMA, ATAPI, and ATA/SATA support_ * Website: * See Also: [Wikipedia][8] * How did I use it: _Did not, a friend of mine ran it. She even bought a license for it._ ### Damn Small Linux ![DSL][9] * Based on: _Debian, Knoppix_ * Status: _since 2008 not active, since this month active again_ * Author: Robert Shingledecker, John Andrews * Latest Release: _4.11 Release Candidate 1, August 4, 2012_ * Architecture: _i386_ * Size ISO: _50 MB_ * Desktop: _Fluxbox, JWM_ * Interesting Software: _XMMS, Siag, Ted, Firefox, Dillo, RDP+VNC, naim, Sylpheed, vim, emelfm_ * Website: * See Also: [Article on resurrecting DSL][10] * How did I use it: _Same as with Feather Linux, this has run on most of my computers._ ### Tiny Core Linux ![Tiny Core][11] * Based On: _Busybox and FLTK_ * Status: _Active_ * Author: _Robert SHingledecker_ * Latest release: _4.5.6, July 6, 2012_ * Architecture: _i386, x64_ * Size ISO: _12 MB_ * Dekstop: _FLTK/FLWM + Tint2 panel_ * Interesting Software: _appbrowser package manager with almost every piece of software you want on a Linux distro, versatile installation options, very complete OS, very small size_ * Website: * See also: [Teleking, PC that uses Tiny Core based software][12] * How did I use it: *Runs on all my machines in a spare partition as rescue option. * ### SliTaz GNU/Linux ![Slitaz GNU/Linux][13] * Based on: _No mother distro_ * Status: _Active_ * Author: _Christophe Lincoln_ * Latest release: _4.0, April 10, 2012_ * Architecture: _i386_ * Size ISO: _30 MB_ * Dekstop: _LXDE, JWM_ * Interesting Software: _Tazpanel config tools, Midori, Retawq, Transmission, Chess, PCmanFM, Leafpad_ * Website: * How did I use it: _Replaced DSL on most of my boxes._ ### ReactOS ![ReactOS][14] * What is it: _ReactOS is a free, modern operating system based on the design of Windows XP/2003. Written completely from scratch, it aims to follow the Windows-NT architecture designed by Microsoft from the hardware level right through to the application level. This is not a Linux based system, and shares none of the unix architecture. The main goal of the ReactOS project is to provide an operating system which is binary compatible with Windows._ * Status: _Active_ * Author: _ReactOS Foundation_ * Latest Release: _0.3.14, February 7, 2012_ * Architecture: _i386, x64, ARM, xBox_ * Size ISO: _42 MB_ * Dekstop: _ReactOS Explorer_ * Interesting software: _Firefox, Thunderbird, Windows compatibility, Softmaker office, Winamp, Notepad++, ScummVM, Lazarus IDE, VLC, MS Works, TortouiseSVN. Jazz Jack Rabbit_ * Website: * How did I use it: _Used it on and off on VM's, and one machine on which it would boot._ ### Haiku ![Haiku][15] * What is it: _Haiku is a new open-source operating system that specifically targets personal computing. Inspired by the BeOS, Haiku is fast, simple to use, easy to learn and yet very powerful._ * Status: _Active_ * Author: _Haiku Project_ * Last release: _R1 Alpha 3, June 20, 2011_ * Architecture: _i386_ * Size ISO: _231 MB_ * Desktop: _Haiku/BeOS Dekstop_ * Interesting Features: _Specific focus on personal computing, Custom kernel designed for responsiveness, Fully threaded design for great efficiency with multi-processor/core CPUs, Rich OO API for faster development, Database-like file system (BFS) with support for indexed metadata, Unified, cohesive interface_ * Website: * How did I use it: _Same as ReactOS, but this also ran on my netbook for a while._ ### Syllable OS ![Syllable][16] * What is it: _Syllable is becoming an easy-to-use free software operating system for the home and small office user. It is powerful, lightweight and extraordinarily fast and responsive._ * Status: _Active_ * Author: _Kristian Van Der Vliet, Kaj de Vos, Rick Caudill, Arno Klenke, Henrik Isaksson_ * Last release: _0.6.7, April 12, 2012_ * Architecture: _i386_ * Size ISO: _93 MB_ * Dekstop: _Syllable Desktop_ * Interesting Features: _Native 64-bit journaled file system, C++ oriented API, Mostly POSIX compliant, Vim, Perl, Python, Apache, GCC, Glibc, Binutils, Make, Preemptive multitasking with multithreading, Symmetric multiprocessing (multiple processor) support, FAT (read/write), NTFS (read) and ext2 (read), REBOL_ * Website: * How did I use it: _ran on my netbook_ ### AntiX ![AntiX][17] * Based on: _MEPIS, Debian_ * Status: _Active_ * Author: _anticapitalista Thessaloniki ?_ * Last release: _antiX-12 'Edelweipiraten', August 7, 2012_ * Architecture: _i386_ * Size ISO: _690 MB_ * Dekstop: _FluxBox, IceWM, JWM, dwm, wmii_ * Interesting Software: _LibreOffice, IceWeasel, Claws Mail, Rox-filer, XMMS, YAD_ * Website: * How did I use it: _Still runs on one of my PC's_ ### Puppy Linux ![Puppy Linux][18] * Based on: _Slackware, Ubuntu, different bases_ * Status: _Active_ * Author: _Barry Kauler, Larry Short, Mick Amadio and Puppy community_ * Latest Release: _5.3.3, May 5, 2012_ * Architecture: _i386, x64_ * Size ISO: _115 MB_ * Desktop: _JWM, IceWM, Enlightenment, Fluxbox_ * Interesting Software: _Multiple package managers, supports deb, slackpkg, rpm, runs from RAM, Midori_ * How did I use it: _on and off on multiple machines._ ### eComStation ![eComstation][19] * What is it: _eComStation is a highly efficient operating system that truly flies on todays powerful computers, and works great on legacy hardware._ * Status: _not active_ * Author: _Serenity Systems, IBM, Microsoft_ * Latest release: _2.1, May 20, 2011_ * Architecture: _i386_ * Size ISO: _? MB_ * Dekstop: _XWorkplace_ * Interesting features: _eCS2 allows IBM OS/2 users to keep running existing programs on today's hardware, Firefox, Thunderbird, OpenOffice, SAMBA, VLC._ * How did I use it: _also ran on my netbook, but without WIFI..._ ### Notes * Latest release is at the moment of writing this article, which is 15-08-2012. * Author information is from either the project pages or Wikipedia. * Software info is from distrowatch, or project pages. [1]: http://mikeos.berlios.de [2]: https://www.digitalocean.com/?refcode=7435ae6b8212 [3]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro1.png [4]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro2.png [5]: http://www.menuetos.net/ [6]: http://kolibrios.org/en/ [7]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro3.png [8]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyOS [9]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro4.png [10]: http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Damn-Small-Linux-resurfaces-1660462.html [11]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro5.png [12]: http://www.telikin.com/index.php [13]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro6.png [14]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro7.png [15]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro8.png [16]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro9.png [17]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro10.png [18]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro11.png [19]: /s/inc/img/smalldistros/smalldistro12.png --- License: All the text on this website is free as in freedom unless stated otherwise. 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