A lightweight Linux distribution often seems to require making sacrifices - using a UI which many users would find unfamiliar and using software which is heavily cut down in functionality.

This time around I decided to try out another distribution I'd never used before in the shape of MEPIS. I started off with simplyMEPIS 6.5 which seemed a bit dated but luckily it was pointed out to me that 7.0 is due out very soon.

With Ubuntu 14.04 closing in to the release date, which is set for April 17th, I took Lubuntu for a spin from the daily live ISO image. Lubuntu is the most lightweight distribution in the Ubuntu family (the other one being Xubuntu which uses Xfce), using LXDE (Lightweight X Desktop Environment), as well as a set of applications intended to be low on resources.

Today we hit up our lightest of lightweight distros. It fits in 20MB less than Damn Small Linux, when installed uses 65MB of RAM, and boots in less than ten seconds (depending on hardware). Yes. Today we try out Slitaz Cooking.

wattOS... the last frontier, the lightweight Ubuntu-based operating system is now here! Faster than anything else out there, wattOS is not just another Ubuntu clone, it is powered by the Openbox window manager, a standards compliant, fast, lightweight and extensible window manager.

LXDE is a new project aimed to provide a new desktop environment which is lightweight and fast. It’s not designed to be powerful and bloated, but to be usable and slim enough, and keep the resource usage low. Different from other desktop environments, we don’t tightly integrate every component.

Bodhi Linux is a lightweight Linux distribution based on the LTS releases of Ubuntu. It makes use of the Enlightenment window manager and includes several unique features you won’t find on any other distro. I switched over to the recent release of Bodhi Linux 1.4.0 for two weeks and grew to love this little lightweight.

Arch Linux is a lightweight, flexible and simple Linux Distribution which is targeted at competent GNU/Linux users. Its Development focuses on a balance of minimalism, elegance, code correctness and modernity. It provides a minimal environment upon installation, (no GUI), already compiled and optimized for i686/x86-64 architectures.

Peppermint OS is another unique distribution based on Ubuntu. This lightweight distro takes advantage of the LXDE lightweight environment paired with many web-based apps integrated into the desktop. This combination has produced a lot of excitement...