Flickr: Susan Podra
Despite the advantages offered by Linux-based operating systems, today it is very difficult to find devices that have blindly bet on it. A few years ago, Mozilla was working on a project to launch a Linux-based operating system for smartphones, but the project was abandoned by the platforms that initially supported it to see that had no place in today's mobile ecosystem, where iOS and Android are the kings.
Linux has always been characterized by adapting to practically any machine, in fact, we can currently find a large number of distributions on the market for any type of computer, no matter how old and out of print. In this article we are going to show you the 10 of the best Linux distributions for old computers.
In this list there are not all the are, nor are they all that are available, so if you want to contribute with your contributions, you are invited to do so in the comments of this article. All the distros that I detail below They are ordered according to the minimum requirements of each one, to make it easier to find which one can have a better place in our old computer, the one we have on top of the closet, or in the storage room because we are sorry to throw it away.
Puppy Linux
Puppy Linux is one of the distributions that requires less resources to function properly. Offers us different desktop environments, a large number of pre-installed applications in addition to having an official website to solve any type of doubt with its operation or installation. It also allows us to start our PC from a CD or pendrive, in addition to being able to install it directly on the hard drive of our computer. The latest available version of Puppy Linux is number 6.3.
Puppy Linux requirements
- 486 processor or higher.
- 64 MB RAM, 512 MB recommended
Knoppix
KNOPPIX is a compilation of GNU / Linux software, run entirely from CD, DVD or USB drive. Automatically detect and is compatible with a wide range of graphics adapters, sound cards, USB devices and other peripheral devices. You don't need to install anything on the hard drive. This version offers us many applications among which we find the GIMP, LibreOffice, Firefox, music player ...
Knomix requirements
- 486 processor
- 120 MB of RAM, 512 recommended if we work with several applications.
Porteus
With just 300 MB, Portus allows us to choose between different graphic environments such as MATE, Xfce, KDE ... The first versions of Porteus were called Slax Remix, that name may sound more familiar to you. It is ideal for mid-90s computers due to the low requirements it needs. The latest version available is number 3.2.2 which was released in December of last year.
Porteus requirements
- 32-bit processor
- 256 MB RAM graphics environment - 40 MB text mode
TinyCore
Tinycore is a distribution that uses a Linux kernel and community-created extensions. It offers us different graphic environments and not recommended for users who want to get into Linux, since the installation is somewhat more complex than usual. During the installation process, we can select which applications we want to install and which ones not. But this option means that natively it does not include any browser and word processor. Although its name could indicate otherwise, TinyCore is ideal for all those users who like to customize their version of Linux to the maximum.
TinyCore requirements
- 486 DX processor
- 32 MB RAM
Anti-X
AntiX is another of the Linux distributions that requires less requirements, both andn in terms of processor as in terms of RAM, so that we can install it on most computers from the late 90's. AntiX includes as pre-installed applications the LibreOffice office suite, the Iceweasol browser, the Claws mail client ... applications with which we can work on the desktop based in GNOME called IceWM.
Minimum AntiX Requirements
- Pentium II
- 64 MB RAM, 128 MB recommended.
Lubuntu
One of the characteristics that makes Lubuntu one of the best distributions for less powerful computers is found in that the updates go hand in hand with Ubuntu, since it's really an Ubuntu with LXDE desktop environment designed for low-resource computers. Thanks to the community behind Ubuntu, we will never have any problems in terms of support, updates, resources, applications ... It is available for 32-bit and 64-bit computers.
Lubuntu requirements
- Pentium II, Pentium III recommended
- 192 MB of RAM
Xubuntu
We couldn't mention Lubuntu and forget about its older brother, Xubuntu, an Ubuntu distribution with the Xfce desktop environment. Unlike your Lubuntu, Xubuntu requirements are somewhat higher, but it is still perfect for computers with few resources.
Xubuntu requirements
- Pentium III, Pentium IV recommended
- Processor speed: 800 MHz
- 384 MB RAM
- 4 GB of space on our hard drive.
Pear OS / Clementine OS
Not all Linux distributions look the same. Pear OS offers us an aesthetic similar to what we can find in the Apple macOS operating system. Unfortunately for a few years we cannot officially find these distributions to download, so we are going to have to look at alternative servers. The installation can be done from a CD, DVD or pendrive.
Pear OS requirements
- Pentium III
- 32-bit processor
- 512 MB RAM
- 8 GB hard disk
Elementary OS
One of the most popular distros that has gained in recent years is Elementary thanks to the low resources it requires, although we cannot install it on computers from the late 90s, but on those that are currently around 10 years old without any problem. . The user interface is similar to macOS, so if you were looking a substitute for Pear OS or Clementine OS this is your solution.
Elementary OS requirements
- 1 GHz x86 processor
- 512 MB RAM
- 5 GB of hard disk space
- CD, DVD or USB port reader for installation.
Linux Lite
Linux Lite is based on Ubuntu and has a large number of the most used applications such as the Firefox browser, Libre Office, the VLC player, the GIMP graphical editor, the Thunderbird mail client ... The graphical environment will remind us of the interface of Windows XP for or if you have been users of this version of Windows, it will not cost you to adapt quickly. Is available for 32-bit and 64-bit computers.
Linux Lite requirements
- 700 MHz processor
- 512 MB RAM
- Graphic 1.024 x 768
Thanks for the information, very well done