Surely many of you have an old computer/laptop/netbook gathering dust somewhere, which there is nowhere else to upgrade, impossible to sell, and a pity to throw away. Indeed, there is no need to rush with this, because it may well be useful to someone. Perhaps even for you.
While I was thinking about what to do with my old stuff (I had a Samsung NC10 and an Asus U5F lying around), I came across this text on the Internet. I hope the idea is clear to those who understand English. And for the rest, the quite obvious idea is to replace the operating system on the old PC with a less demanding, but still quite relevant one. Then such a computer can be given to children for simple toys, to grandmother for Skype, to mother for web surfing, or even used by yourself.
If you take a summary and develop the idea, you should pay attention to:
1) Lubuntu is a full-fledged OS for a computer, with the ability to install various programs such as the Firefox or Chrome browser, the LibreOffice office suite (analogous to Microsoft Office), and the usual saving of files on a local drive. Promises to be fast on old hardware. It’s also good for its relative popularity and support (read: it will last a long time), but it’s not entirely clear whether all this usefulness is really needed by the average user of a weak netbook? Of the minuses - because Since this is a unique Linux, there is practically no compatibility with Windows programs. But for me, depending on the tasks, an ordinary Windows user can live with this. Fortunately, the browsers and messengers are the same, and you don’t have to worry about viruses. By the way, this is true for all other systems in the list below. It is quite possible to form an impression of the system by this video, even if it’s not about the latest version (it’s better to watch with video speedup 1.5 times).
2) Zorin OS Lite is an excellent and most importantly modern version of Linux, which at the same time looks like Windows and is equipped with support for running some Windows programs right out of the box. The Lite version promises to work fine even on very old hardware. There are a lot of useful programs available at once, incl. the same LibreOffice, support for the Russian language and modern software available for popular Linux systems such as the famous Ubuntu. Here you can quickly see what ZorinOS is like. Looks nice in my opinion.
3) Phoenix OS is an interesting thing - essentially it is a modern Android, like in any smartphone, but which can be installed on a regular computer and enjoy all the benefits of this truly most popular system. Phoenix is actively discussed on forums. They say that even on an old netbook everything works quickly. It’s hard to believe, but you can easily check it;) On the downside, since most of the programs available on GooglePlay are created taking into account the fact that they will be used on a smartphone or tablet, they may look somewhat strange on a laptop. In other matters, from official demo video it is clearly visible that the developers have taken care to make everything as convenient as possible, the browser and instant messengers will work perfectly, but editing documents may have problems typical for Android. On the other hand, there will be up-to-date modern software and an environment familiar to owners of smartphones and tablets, and this distinguishes this option from conventional Linux systems.
4) CloudReady: Home Edition from Neverware - a current free version of the cloud Chromium OS, very close to Chrome OS from Google. In practice, it is just a browser and all Web applications run inside it. Nothing extra. Created specifically for netbooks. Here This Video allows you to get an impression of the system. The downside is that without the Internet it is almost useless, but when connected to the network, the entire palette of cloud services is at your service. No installations, settings, updates, antiviruses or other nonsense for you - everything is online. No regular apps work (unless you can in a cunning way run Android programs). Installation is very simple, no red-eyed dancing with a tambourine - launched, connected to the network and everything is ready to go.
Think, maybe before you stupidly get rid of the junk with old Windows XP, you should try to revive it a little, at least in software, since it, unfortunately, is no longer amenable to hardware upgrade? It’s quite difficult for me to help make the final choice in favor of only one of the options, because... I don’t know all your tasks and requirements, but for some reason it seems to me that the list is in order of increasing preference for the average inexperienced user. If you don’t need anything other than a browser, and you have enough web applications, then option 4 is the obvious choice; at the same time, the issue of backing up data practically disappears, because everything is synchronized to Google Drive. If a person has a positive experience with an Android smartphone or tablet, then, if he has the same Google account, the third option also looks pretty good. If you really need something Windows-specific or are absolutely not ready to encounter something new, unknown and unlike Windows, then this is the second option. Well, if a person is open to everything new and requires maximum opportunities, reliability, flexibility and support, then this is the first option. There was a translated article on the hub that can help you choose the most suitable one.
And it’s better to send the zombie box and cold fast food to the landfill.
PS. Please send comments on spelling, punctuation, etc. in PM. Everything will be fixed promptly.
Typically, we want the installation disk of a Linux distribution to contain as many programs and settings as possible, while at the same time keeping its size within reasonable limits. But in some cases, you may need distributions that, although they do not contain many programs, take up a minimum of disk space and can be run on very old machines.
In this article we will look at the smallest Linux distributions out there and you will be surprised how small they can be. But enough preamble, let's get to our list.
This is one of the smallest Linux sizes. Tiny Core Linux is only 10 megabytes in size. It is based on Damn Small, which in turn uses the Debian package base. But such a small size naturally imposes limitations on its capabilities. The distribution uses a monolithic kernel, BusyBox, a lightweight version of the X server - Xvesa and a stripped-down version of the C library - uClibc. The system only supports English. This is the smallest Linux distribution you can find.
There are two editions of the system - Micro Core Linux, which weighs only 8 Megabytes, and Multi Core Linux - an extended version, 45 Megabytes in size with a graphical installer and a set of additional programs. To launch and operate the distribution, 28 megabytes of RAM is enough.
2. AntiX
AntiX is a lightweight distribution from developers from Greece, based on Debian. The developers set themselves the goal of creating a lightweight, but at the same time fully functional system. The distribution can run on almost all computers with at least 256 megabytes of RAM.
Installation on disk requires about 2.7 GB, and the size of the installation image does not exceed 200 Megabytes. The desktop environment is a modified version of XFCE called MX. Also, Fluxbox, IceWM, JWM can be used as desktop environments.
3. Puppy Linux
Puppy Linux is a very unusual distribution. It is small, but at the same time very functional. Another distinctive feature is that it can be based on several versions of distributions. The developers have created a set of tools that allow you to make Puppy Linux based on Slackware, Ubuntu or even LFS. But in any case, Puppy Linux has a small installation image size - from 70 to 200 megabytes, and also runs from RAM, which means that programs will launch instantly.
XFCE is used as the desktop environment. The minimum RAM requirements are 32 MB, but for normal operation it is advisable to have 64 MB. Another distinctive feature of this distribution can be considered utilities for configuring almost everything in the system.
4. SliTaz GNU/Linux
The Slitaz distribution positions itself as an independent Scottish distribution designed to work on equipment with a memory capacity of more than 256 megabytes. It uses a monolithic kernel, BusyBox, and software from the GNU suite. Also included with the system is a lighttpd web server, SQLite database, IRC and SSH client, gFTP, Geany IDE, Firefox. Instead of the familiar Grub, Syslinux is used here, and JWM is used as the window manager.
But despite all this, the installation image takes no more than 30 megabytes, and the finished system on disk - no more than 80. To run the graphical environment you need at least 48 megabytes of RAM, and for the console mode 16 is enough.
5. Toutou Linux
Toutou Linux is a free Linux distribution based on the popular lightweight Puppy Linux distribution we reviewed above. Openbox is used as the desktop environment and LXPanel is used for the panel. In addition to the standard Puppy utilities, there are additional tools, such as an automated installer, a first-time wizard. By default, the distribution comes in French, but others can be added.
6.Linux Lite
It may not be as small a Linux distribution as the previous one, and is based on the LTS version of Ubuntu. The latest version based on the new version of Ubuntu is currently in active development. Development of the distribution began in 2012 and its goal is to be simple and easy for new users who need a lightweight but complete working environment.
It uses the XFCE desktop environment, and the system is aimed more at Windows users, the developers try to provide all the necessary applications at the same time without significantly increasing the image and system requirements. The image size is 950 Megabytes, and the minimum required amount of RAM is 512 MB.
conclusions
In this article, we looked at the smallest Linux distributions that you can install on your old computer or laptop. If you know of other great little distros, please comment!
The computer market is dominated by one operating system: Windows from Microsoft. Apple's macOS occupies a much more modest percentage. And then there's Linux. But few people know that there are alternative operating systems in the world. Perhaps not as popular as the main three, but they have left and are leaving their mark in the world of IT technologies.
Disk operating programs (DOS) were popular in the late 80s and 90s, when they replaced system boot loaders. The cessation of support for MS-DOS by Microsoft was the main reason for the emergence of FreeDOS, which was initially called PD-DOS. Free FreeDOS can be classified as a single-tasking operating system, the core of which is the DOS-C program. The DOS kernel operates in a single address space, which ensures fairly high system speed. In the beginning, FreeDOS was designed to be fully compatible with DOS-OS, allowing it to run freely with DOS-OS applications.
The system supports the FAT32 file system, but if you dig a little into the BIOS settings, you will be able to use up to four LBA drives up to 128 GB in size. The main disadvantage of FreeDOS is the inability to connect USB devices. If they are supported at the BIOS level, then the FreeDOS system will not have problems with USB keyboards and mice, and will work with flash drives as with regular disks.
FreeDOS can be run on any virtual machine, where you should select the Other – DOS option as the OS type. But you can install it as a second operating system on your PC. Today, the system is still under active development and version 1.2 was released at the end of December 2016.
FreeBSD is a modern operating system for x86 computers running on the UNIX(R) version, created at the University of California at Berkeley. The abbreviation BSD itself stands for Berkeley Software Distribution. The system has high performance, information security and compatibility with other operating systems, as well as an exceptional set of network functions. FreeBSD is distributed free of charge.
The system provides advanced network operating system capabilities for devices and embedded platforms, from high-end Intel-based devices to Arm, PowerPC and, soon, MIPS hardware platforms. Ideal for building an Internet or Intranet server.
A non-profit organization, The FreeBSD Foundation, has been created to support the FreeBSD project, for which all donations and monetary assistance are tax-deductible.
The eComStation system is an updated version of IBM OS/2 Warp 4.5, which was developed and marketed by the American company Serenity Systems International and the Dutch company Mensys B.V. eComStation is not a free operating system and is quite expensive (more than $100), but if you want to try it in a virtual machine, then a demo version of the OS is enough.
The central part of the system's graphical interface is the Workplace Shell, which is friendly and practically accessible to any user. Almost everything works right out of the box, from video cards and network cards to audio, including integrated audio, and USB adapters. eComStation has an advanced user interface, object-oriented desktop. Users can customize the appearance.
ReactOS is a free operating system that is an OS implementation compatible with Microsoft Windows XP. Developers strive to achieve full binary compatibility with applications and drivers designed for the NT and XP operating systems, using a similar architecture to achieve this goal and providing a complete and equivalent software interface.
Of course, ReactOS is still very far from Windows 7/10. But this is a completely working model of a Windows-like operating system that provides developers with a huge amount of information from the ReactOS source codes and participates in the development of ReactOS.
The system is still under development, which gives enthusiasts and developers the opportunity to join in its improvement. The creators of ReactOS say the main argument in favor of their OS is resistance to the Microsoft monopoly.
Oracle Solaris
In 2010, Oracle bought Sun Microsystems, and with it the world's most innovative enterprise operating system, SunOS. True, then the OS was renamed and now it is known to everyone as Oracle Solaris. There was a rather funny story with this system. Although SunOS is a closed-source operating system, most of it has been open source and published in the OpenSolaris project. Development on the system continued until 2005, but then the developers, for some reason, decided to stop working (there is talk of disagreements within Sun Microsystems itself) and only after purchasing all Oracle assets did development continue.
According to John Fowler, Oracle's executive vice president of Systems, "Oracle Solaris 11 is the best UNIX operating system for running Oracle applications, deploying mission-critical cloud infrastructure, and protecting users' investments." The updated Oracle Solaris 11 has found wide application in mission-critical systems for various industries, including finance, telecommunications, healthcare, trade, public sector, media and entertainment. The system includes OpenStack components to implement OpenStack functionality in enterprise environments and has unique modernization and optimization capabilities for Oracle Database databases.
Syllable Desktop
The AtheOS operating system, which existed between 1994 and 2001 and was perceived as a clone of AmigaOS, was developed by Norwegian programmer Kurt Skauen. But then Skownen abandoned further development and released the source code to the public.
This is how Syllable Desktop was born - a free operating system designed for use on home and office computers, as well as IA-32 architecture servers. Although the system is not based on UNIX, it provides almost complete compatibility with POSIX standards.
The Syllable Desktop operating system even has a browser called ABrowse. True, this is not the browser that the modern user is accustomed to. There is not even a button to open a file - you have to enter the file name in the address bar all the time, there is very weak support for tabs and you cannot save pages, select encoding and much more.
The latest build of this operating system was released in 2012, but if anyone is interested in trying it out, even the oldest PC can run it, not to mention a virtual machine.
Haiku
The Haiku operating system owes its birth to programmer Michael Phipps. The reason was the cessation of work on BeOS, which Michael loved very much. The only logical step was to recreate BeOS completely from scratch, but make it open source. So soon the new Haiku OS was introduced to the world.
Everyone who has ever downloaded and used Haiku has noticed the interface first. Or rather, its almost complete absence. At one time there was even information about the prospects of migrating to the Linux kernel. But this initiative did not find support. Work on Haiku continues to this day, but, in my opinion, the system is very far behind Windows and MacOS, and therefore is of interest only to a certain circle of developers and enthusiasts.
SkyOS
SkyOS - this is 32 — bit operating system developed by a group of enthusiasts led by Robert Sheleny. The operating system was intended by the developers to be fast and lightweight. The first versions were free and distributed under the GNU license, but then for some reason Sheleni decided to rewrite everything from scratch. In 2003, the operating system had an advanced graphical interface and rich multimedia capabilities. Soon the project became commercial and distribution of the source code was stopped, while the author announced a transition to the Linux kernel for more flexible support for a large number of external devices.
Later, the project completely hung up on the release of the beta version of SkyOS 5.0 in 2009. The most interesting thing happened in 2013, when unexpectedly the latest version of the system became publicly available. The serial number and username for legal activation of the product were also posted. But no one seems to be interested in this project anymore.
There are a lot of jokes and sarcasm about this “divine” operating system. Its creator, Terry A. Davis, is described as nothing less than a schizophrenic. The system was created in 2003, supposedly “by God’s blessing.” TempleOS is not an operating system, but a “Temple of God” with a resolution of 640x480 pixels in 16 colors, comparable to Solomon.
Although technically TempleOS is a multi-tasking operating system with support for several cores, which does not support the network or any devices at all. Drivers are completely missing. In order to interact with other programs and processes, direct rewriting of the contents of the memory sections of these programs is necessary. The funny thing is the built-in games, of which there are many, but they differ in varying degrees of simplicity.
The OS uses the open FAT32 file system with additional native support for metafiles as an extension. All applications run in ring 0, with the highest priority, without memory protection. Work on the system has been going on for 13 years.
ChromeOS
Google could not stay away from the development of operating systems for desktop PCs, laptops and netbooks. The company's developers decided to take a slightly different route. Using the Linux kernel as a basis, they created an operating system whose distinctive feature is the dominance of web applications over work with traditional OS functions. In ChromeOS, the main role is given to the browser, which impresses with its stability and high speed of working with the Internet.
The system runs primarily on ARM or x86 processors, so it powers up very quickly at startup. The main feature of the system is the fact that all information and all calculations are performed on the company’s servers and stored in the cloud. This avoids loading users' physical drives.
Now ChromeOS is most popular in the field of education: it is free, works on weak laptops, and does not require special resources and knowledge to set it up.
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It is comfortable to work with Windows on regularly updated equipment, but on older computers it often begins to “slip.” Fortunately, there are alternative operating systems for this case that are lightweight and safe.
A recent study by the well-known company Avast provides a good indication of what kind of equipment people actually use. About a third of users still work on computers released in 2009 or earlier. The average age of most personal computers is more than five years.
A quarter of computers have 2 GB of RAM or less, and the presence of an SSD is rather an exception. We think this is good. Don't worry and continue using your devices. The Windows operating system also has lighter alternatives that are suitable for older computers.
Lubuntu: A lightweight version of Ubuntu
The list of leaders is headed by Lubuntu - a compact version of Ubuntu with the LXDE desktop.Linux is a lighter system than Windows, in part because it has many different GUI options. If you look at Ubuntu and its “daughter” Lubuntu with the LXDE desktop, the second seems like a worthy lightweight alternative. The big advantage is that it allows you to use the equipment sparingly without sacrificing your comfort. For a Windows user, working with the system should not be difficult, so it's worth a try.
Linux Mint XFCE: Another Ubuntu Alternative
Slim Mint is a lightweight version of Linux Mint with the XFCE desktop that saves resources. Even the most popular version of Linux, Linux Mint, is available with a cost-effective interface. We recommend Linux Mint XFCE for slightly older hardware. Be sure to try the built-in tools, such as the Xplayer media player or the Xreader PDF viewer. They use resources very carefully.
Elementary OS: in the luxurious atmosphere of MacOS
Elementary OS stands out for its chic appearance. Elementary OS benefits from its look by incorporating macOS design elements. At the same time, Linux is hidden under the shell. Thanks to the built-in AppStore, you can equip the system with additional software; basic programs are already installed.
Puppy Linux: it couldn't be easier
Puppy Linux is a very cost-effective alternative for those who want to save resources as much as possible. If the above mentioned operating systems are not suitable for you because you don't have enough resources, then Puppy Linux may be a good option for you. However, this distribution is significantly reduced in functionality, which makes working with it somewhat more complicated.
CloudReady: Chrome OS for self-installation
With CloudReady, you can install Chrome OS on any hardware. An option that differs from all the Windows alternatives presented above: CloudReady. It allows users to install Chrome OS on any hardware. Please note: Chrome OS is online, meaning you need an Internet connection to use it. The operating system is quite economical, so CloudReady is recommended for use on devices intended for Internet surfing.
Should I use outdated equipment?
Does it still work or is it time to throw it away? There will undoubtedly come a time when you will have to part with your old equipment. But there's nothing wrong with keeping old devices for as long as possible. But the software must be fresh - it is better to replace outdated Windows XP or Vista. If older hardware refuses to work with the current version of Windows, there are always plenty of lightweight alternatives.
An operating system (from the English operating system), or OS, is a set of basic programs that provides control of all computer hardware, as well as data output and input, working with files and executing application utilities and programs.
This is a free operating system that has limited requirements for system resources (memory, speed, etc.) for special computer configurations (for example, smartphones, mobile phones, PDAs, or simply outdated computers).
LiveCD is an operating system that boots from removable media (DVD, CD, USB drive, etc.), which does not require installation on a hard drive to function.
Free operating systems:
Ubuntu is a Debian-based operating system that uses the Linux kernel. Developed and sponsored by Canonical. Today this project is developing and gaining popularity.
Kubuntu(Kubýntu) is a Linux distribution derived from Ubuntu. If standard Ubuntu uses the GNOME graphical environment, then Kubuntu uses KDE. Kubuntu's motto is "Computer Friendly".
- a distribution based on the OpenSolaris operating system, which is designed to run on processors with PowerPC architecture.
Plan 9 is an operating system developed by Bell Labs (now Lucent Technologies) since the late 1980s. The system's objectives were to overcome fundamental flaws in the UNIX design. And if in modern operating systems the user gains access to a workstation or personal computer, then in Plan 9 the user must gain access to a distributed computing environment and can configure the workspace himself.
Frenzy is a LiveCD, created on the basis of the FreeBSD OS, and is a portable system administrator tool, after booting from which the system administrator has a working system, complete with a software package that allows you to configure, check and analyze the network, test computer hardware and perform other tasks .
Solaris 10 is an operating system developed by Sun Microsystems. This corporation invested $500 million in the innovative operating system, and today it can be downloaded for free.
is a modern free and open source operating system that is an implementation of ReactOSNT and XP OS, compatible with Microsoft Windows XP using a similar architecture, as well as providing an equivalent and complete software interface.
MenuetOS v0.78(pre3) is an operating system written in assembly language that has a set of basic drivers built into the GUI core. The system can use an existing FAT32 partition for operation. PC-BSD 7.0 is the home version of Free BSD, the famous utility operating system popular with system administrators. But the operating system
PC-BSD 7.0 Designed for home use - watching movies, listening to music, playing games, surfing the Internet and working with documents. Moreover, PC-BSD 7.0 guarantees absolute security, maximum performance and convenience.
FreeBSD is a complex operating system designed for x86-compatible architectures. Development and support is carried out by a large group of people. The operating system has proven itself well in building intranet and Internet services. It can help you manage memory efficiently and also provides reliable network services. This operating system is often found on the list of web servers with the maximum uptime.
Debian is a free operating system based on the Linux kernel, hence the full name - Debian GNU/Linux. Debian includes over 18,733 compiled software packages to make your work with this software easier. This operating system will be applicable and useful both in the office and at home. Debian is distributed free of charge over the Internet.
KolibriOS— An OS designed for personal computers. The operating system has all source codes included and is distributed absolutely free of charge. Playback of CDs and DVDs is supported; the system is also equipped with a set of all necessary programs.