I'm on the hunt for a Linux distribution that comes with a desktop environment and is less than 1GB in size. My expectations are pretty low since I've seen a lot of outdated resources. The problem is, many of them mention different ISOs for the desktop and the main installation, which isn't what I need. All I'm really looking for is a basic browser setup, but if it could handle apps like Parsec or GeforceNow, that would be a nice bonus. Any recommendations?
4 Answers
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a suitable browser experience under 1GB nowadays, but checking out some older distributions could work if you’re okay with outdated software. Just keep in mind, even if the desktop fits, browsers can be quite heavy on resources.
You might want to consider Tiny Core Linux. It's super lightweight and you can easily install Chromium for browsing. The ISO itself is well under 1GB, and I found it works nicely for basic web use—just be aware that you'll want to check the RAM usage since browsers can be pretty demanding.
If you’re okay with slightly bigger sizes, Bodhi Linux 7.0 HWE is around 1.3GB, but it might have older software. Otherwise, distros like Lubuntu, Xubuntu, and Puppy Linux are all good lightweight options. Just make sure you're looking at the right architecture, whether it's 32-bit or 64-bit.
Alpine Linux is another pick worth checking out. It's primarily used for containers because of its small footprint, but it can be set up as a desktop too. Quite modern and packed with up-to-date packages!
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