Operating systems for really, really old computers

[darrelljon]

Here's some suggestions in order of their size (as a compressed image rather than install or memory requirements according to free -m). Most run on x86 hardware and are graphical.

Not Linux but worth mentioning
(<2Mb?) Contiki
(<2Mb) QNX Floppy demo
(<2Mb) KolibriOS (based on MenuetOS) a GUI OS
(<2Mb) Balder (based on FreeDOS)
(~11Mb) FreeDOS + OpenGEM (4.4Mb) - DOS compatible GUI
(~23Mb) ReactOS - Windows compatible but still in alpha
(~30Mb) KolibriOS CD version (based on MenuetOS) a GUI OS
(<50Mb) DamnSmall BSD - based on FreeBSD, but with Fluxbox
(<100Mb) Milax - Solaris live CD

Unknown size
Deb-Ice netinstall

Special mention
INX Command line Ubuntu designed for usability.

Under 50Mb
Distros under 50Mb fit onto a MiniCD or sometimes floppy disks (usually 1.44Mb each). Best in category: Damn Small Linux.

(<1Mb) muLinux
(~3Mb) BasicLinux - Slackware 4 + X + e-mail + presentation
(~3Mb) Mungkie - (aka 2diskXwin)
(~4Mb) Blueflops - 2 floppy graphical web browser
(8.9Mb) Geexbox (Media Center only)
(10Mb) Tiny Core - Linux 2.6 kernel, Busybox, Tiny X, Fltk, and Jwm
(12Mb) Grey Cat Linux - Slackware based with IceWM
(<20Mb) TINY
(~25Mb) SliTaz with JWM
(29Mb) LinuxConsole Micro - GUI IceWM
(<50Mb) DamnSmallLinux - based on Knoppix, but with JWM and Fluxbox
(44Mb) Jinx - with Opera 9, Flash, Textmaker and Planmaker.
(<50Mb) Austrumi - A business card size bootable live CD Linux distribution based on Slackware.
(<50Mb) MeanPup -A live distro based on Puppy
(<50Mb) Mitrax -A live distro based on Slackware
(<50Mb) Luit - XFCE and ROXFile

Under 128Mb
Best in category: Puppy Linux.

(80Mb) LiMP - Linux Media Player turns your PC into a jukebox.
(<100Mb) NimbleX sub100 - Slackware based with KDE (or 69Mb with no GTK or multimedia)
(<100Mb) Puppy Linux - live with JWM (see also eBoxPup, IcePup, LitePup, MiniPup, PizzaPup, SafePup, SurfPup and XPuppyPro)
(82Mb) KioskCD - web browser only
(84Mb) DamnSmallLinux-Not - distro using Knoppix hardware recognition with Abiword and Gnumeric.
(<128Mb) DeLi - Desktop Light
(<128Mb) SLAX Popcorn Edition- A smaller version of SLAX with Xfce
(<128Mb) FeatherLinux - Knoppix based distro with Fluxbox

Under 256Mb
Best in category: Ubuntu GTK1.2 Remix.

(177Mb) TinyMe - based on pcLinuxOS, but with Openbox
(182Mb) Kurumin 6 Light - Knoppix based, with KDE
(183Mb) WebConverger Mini based on Debian Live
(187Mb) Ubuntu GTK1.2 Remix - Ubuntu Hardy Heron for sub 300Mhz PCs
(200Mb) NimbleX - Slackware based with Enlightenment, IceWM, JWM, Fluxbox
(~200Mb) PUD - based on Ubuntu
(~200Mb) Slax - Distro based on Slackware using KDE
(223Mb) TinyFlux - based on TinyMe, with Fluxbox
(230Mb) Kanotix CpxMini, Kanotix, but with Fluxbox
(241Mb) Wolvix Cub
(<250Mb) Featherweight- based on Feather Linux, but with KDE
(<256Mb) Flash Linux- Gentoo-based, initially designed to run off of a 256Mb USB key.

Under 700Mb
Distros under 700Mb fit onto most CD-Rs. These should still run in 128Mb RAM on a Pentium III level machine. Best in category: Crunchbang.

(278Mb) AliXe - Slax based with Xfce
(273Mb) Icebuntu - Ubuntu + IceWM (live cd username is ubuntu)
(293Mb) Draco Linux - SLiM login manager + Fluxbox + Xfce
(300Mb) Fluxbuntu - Ubuntu 7.10 based with Fluxbox
(319Mb) WebConverger Maxi based on Debian live
(410Mb) AntiX - MEPIS based with Fluxbox
(440Mb) TheLittleDebian - Spanish
(551Mb) Kanotix Lite with KDE
(614Mb) SaxenOS 1 - with EDE
(626Mb) MEPISLite - MEPIS based with KDE
(633Mb) Crunchbang - Ubuntu with Openbox (and Conky!)
(662Mb) eLive - Debian based with Enlightenment
(673Mb) SOAD - OpenSUSE 11 with Enlightenment 17
(693Mb) MoonOS - Debian with Enlightenment 17 or LXDE
(696Mb) OzOS - Xubuntu (or Debian) + e17
(699Mb) SAM - A LiveCD based on PCLinuxOS, but with Xfce.

Intermediate Users
Ubuntu minimal install
Debian minimal install

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[WarholsGhost]

Where do fluxbuntu and xubuntu come in on this scale?

[darrelljon]

As I understand it, Fluxbuntu is still in alpha development, and Xubuntu isn't as fast/lightweight as any of these, even including SAM which is the biggest.

[Shazaam]

How about adding floppy based distributions? Or would that make the list too large?
http://www.linuxlinks.com/Distributions/Floppy/

[darrelljon]

If any had a remotely friendly graphical desktop environment with a few graphical apps, I'd consider it. This is quite a tall order for floppy based distros and only KolibriOS really manages it.

[bodhi.zazen]

Where do fluxbuntu and xubuntu come in on this scale?

First, darrelljon, nice listing. I might add a few to this list :

1. Slackware, several distros in your list are based on it ...
2. What about an Ubuntu minimal install ?
   
   http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2007/04...art-to-finish/
   https://help.ubuntu.com/community/In...wMemorySystems
   http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/minimal#barebones

Fluxbuntu is now in Beta testing (the betas are NOT public atm) with a planned release hopefully in sync with ubuntu 7.10

It will weigh in very close to the "under 256 Mb" (alternate install disk)

The primary advantage of fluxbuntu is compatibility to the Ubuntu repos.

Often this is the greatest disadvantage with a number of these distros is the relatively small repos potential lack of security updates. Fluxbuntu will have a significant edge here ...

EDIT: Last I looked ELive is Debian, there are two Ubuntu distros with e17 : geubuntu and elubuntu

Elive is a complete operating system for your computer. It's the perfect choice for replacing your proprietary, high-cost system. It is built on top of Debian GNU/Linux and customized to meet your needs for a complete operating system while still offering the user eye-candy, with minimal hardware requirements.

[K.Mandla]

http://www.minix3.org/

Minix3 is probably worth mentioning, although it's not really Linux either, and it might take some very specific hardware to install. I've tried on a couple of computers but had no luck. Looks like the ISO is around 300Mb.

[darrelljon]

Fixed eLive from "Ubuntu based" to "Debian based", ta.
Minix looks quite daunting for average users from the screenshots. Is it even stable yet?
Slackware is 3Gb.
Ubuntu minimal install looks good, but is more a customisation of Ubuntu (that can't be specifically downloaded) than a ready made distro.
I'd like to add the 2 floppy Basic Linux (but can't find screenshots of it anywhere), KolbriOS CD version and a compilation of FreeDOS+OpenGEM Complete perhaps (but can't find it anywhere).

[K.Mandla]

Minix looks quite daunting for average users from the screenshots. Is it even stable yet?

For what I've heard, it's quite stable -- maybe even more stable than Linux (if you can imagine that). I haven't been able to install it so I don't know if it is everything it's touted to be. If I understand it correctly, things that pose a risk to the system run outside the "kernel," so if a driver crashes or something, it doesn't derail the system. And it has some way of detecting a crashed driver, and reloading it automatically. So even a worst-case scenario is picked right back up with no more than a hiccup.

Again, my understanding of it is very superficial, so I might have that all backwards. I'd love to get to know it, but I'd have to invest in particular hardware, and I don't care to do that right now.

Ubuntu minimal install looks good, but is more a customisation of Ubuntu (that can't be specifically downloaded) than a ready made distro.

There are a couple of Ubuntu derivatives that might qualify as "minimal" installs. PUD/GNU Linux is one, at under 200Mb. Ubuntulite is headed toward a downloadable ISO, but isn't there yet.

[KCPokes]

Gotta throw Arch in there. It ended up being the savior to my old 233 Pentium II. The beauty is that it can be as big or small as you want it to be.