What’s the Best Lightweight Linux Distro for a 1GB RAM Laptop?

If you just need a simple setup for specific tasks, consider using Linux from scratch for full customization. But be prepared for the workload! Also, can you share what you plan to use the laptop for? That might help narrow down the suggestions.

Arch Linux is another option, but it might require more setup than you’re looking for. Gentoo is also very customizable, but likely more complex than you'll need for basic tasks.

You might want to check out Puppy Linux. It's designed for older hardware and should run pretty smoothly on your specs. If that’s still too heavy, you could try Lubuntu or Bodhi Linux Legacy, both of which are relatively light.

For a machine like yours, you'll want to stick with lightweight options. Distros like Debian or LMDE are good since they still support 32-bit versions. If you're looking for something even lighter, consider Tiny Core Linux—it has versions that are incredibly small, and the GUI can be super minimalistic. Just make sure you're comfortable with a bit of command line usage if you go that route.