Exploring the extra tiny KolibriOS
Little Friend
© Lead Image © Ronen, Fotolia.com
KolibriOS, written in assembler, is especially suited to very old hardware – it even fits on a floppy disk.
Several small distros inhabit the Linux landscape. The best of these pared-down systems provide many of the same amenities associated with their more bloated counterparts, including GUI interfaces, games, and full-featured office suites. Some users prefer a minimal system just because they like to travel light and avoid the complications associated with unnecessary features. But beyond the personal aesthetics, though, tiny distros play a special role for the open source community: keeping old hardware alive.
Many users have old computers sitting around that are still perfectly functional but don't have the resources necessary to run contemporary mainstream systems. An old Windows 98 box, for instance, isn't nearly big enough or fast enough to run Windows 10, and mainstream Linux alternatives like RHEL and Ubuntu can't really offer a solution because they are just as resource hungry as Windows.
A small Linux, however, can easily fit on an older system. Lightweight distros such as Lubuntu, Puppy, and Damn Small Linux are all supported by loyal communities that see big value in a small footprint. But what if you want to get really small – and I mean really really small?
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