MATE is one of the best desktop environments alongside GNOME, KDE, and Cinnamon. If I had to choose a “heavyweight” among this list of lightest Linux distros that can work on older machines, I’d choose Ubuntu MATE. The latest release of Ubuntu MATE based on Ubuntu 20.04 turned out to be an essential release of the distro packing two years of continued improvement to MATE Desktop and Ubuntu MATE itself.
Minimum hardware requirements for Linux Lite:
If you’re looking for a Linux distro that’s equally lightweight, beginner-friendly, and good-looking, your search should end here. This operating system has been growing at a rapid pace in the recent past. Linux Lite was also recently featured on our list of the best Linux distros for new users. Minimum hardware requirements for Puppy Linux: It boots itself entirely into RAM on bootup, so it’s pretty fast and responsive. The developers of this lightweight Linux distro call it “grandpa-friendly certified,” which means it’s straightforward to use. Like many other Linux distros, you can also go for the live booting option using CD/DVD or USB.
Lightweight linux distro for server install#
It comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and one can install them on UEFI and BIOS-enabled PCs. Puppy doesn’t come with any popular preinstalled applications to reduce its size, but it’s understandable.
So, dump all your worries about less storage space on your old PC in a corner and try the lightweight Puppy Linux. Puppy Linux’s size is around 300MB, making it one of the smallest Linux distros. In more straightforward language, if you’re comfortable with apt-get, go with the Ubuntu version. The choice of your binaries determines the availability of additional packages.