The faster linux distro

Top 9 Fastest Linux Distro in 2023

Linux is an open-source free operating system & its customizable nature has made it popular for developers, system administrators, and users. As it gains more popularity, so does the number of Linux distributions, or ‘distros’, making it challenging to determine which one is the fastest & most efficient one. In this article, I will discuss some fastest Linux distro available in the market with their features, system requirements for running & pros & cons.

What is a Distro in Linux?

A Linux distribution or distro is a complete OS built around the Linux kernel. It comes with various pre-installed software packages such as graphical desktop environments, command line utilities, programming tools, and other applications. There are many different Linux distributions available, each with its unique set of features and performance levels. Some of the fastest & popular distros are Ubuntu, Alpine Linux, Void Linux, Arch Linux, puppy Linux, etc.

Factors that Determine the Speed of an OS

• Lightweight Desktop Environment.
• Minimal installation.
• Kernel Optimization.
• Enhanced system resources.
• Lightweight package management systems.
• Avoiding systemd init.

9 Fastest Distros in Linux

In the following article, I will discuss nine lightweight & fastest Linux distros available in the market.

Anyway, you can read the Comparative Analysis of Distros to get a comparable overview of them.

1. Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux is a security-oriented, lightweight distro that is ideal for resource-constrained environments and cloud deployments. Its efficient package management system and focused security features have made it a popular choice for many users and organizations.

Download

Click here to visit Alpine Linux’s official download page.

System Requirements

Reasons to Choose

• Lightweight, optimized for the small memory footprint.
• Security-focused.
• Low usage of system resources.

Reasons to Avoid

2. Arch Linux

One of the defining features of Arch Linux is its package management system, ‘Pacman’, which is designed to be fast, and reliable as it uses a simple command-line interface and a binary package format. Moreover, it makes the OS easy to install and manage software on the system.

Download

Click here to visit Arch Linux’s official download page.

System Requirements

Reasons to Choose

• Highly customizable.
• Lightweight & uses little system resources.
• Rolling release updates.

Reasons to Avoid

3. Puppy Linux

Puppy Linux is a fast distro that is ideal for users with low-specification hardware or who prefers a simple and streamlined user experience. Its frugal installation method, user-friendly interface, and customization options make it a popular choice for many users and organizations.

Download

Click here to visit Puppy Linux’s official download page.

System Requirements

Reasons to Choose

• Extremely lightweight & fast.
• Ideal for older hardware.
• Easy to use & can run from RAM.

Reasons to Avoid

• Limited software selection.
• May require additional configuration for certain hardware.
• Not suitable for more complex tasks.

4. Void Linux

It is an independent, rolling-release Linux distro that is known for its focus speed, performance, and flexibility. It uses the runit init system instead of systemd init, which makes it lightweight & fast.

Download

Click here to visit the official download page of Void Linux.

System Requirements

Reasons to Choose

Reasons to Avoid

5. Bodhi Linux

If you need a lightweight Linux distro perfect for an old laptop, Bodhi Linux is an exact match. As it is specially designed to run on hardware with limited capabilities.

Download

Click here to visit Bodhi Linux’s official download page.

System Requirements

Reasons to Choose

Reasons to Avoid

6. Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a popular user-friendly Linux distro with different flavors. Its ‘Windows-like’ interface & variety of flavors each with a unique configuration has made it a famous Linux distro. As a result, most beginner & intermediate-level users prefer Ubuntu because of its vast software facilities.

Download

Click here to visit Ubuntu’s official download page.

System Requirements to Run Ubuntu

• 2GHz dual-core processor.
• 4 GB system memory (RAM).
• 25GB of free hard drive space.

Reasons to Choose

• User-friendly interface and is easy to install.
• A wide range of software is available.
• Large community & regular updates.

Reasons to Avoid

• Lack of compatibility with certain hardware.
• Some software packages may not be available in Ububtu’s repositories due to licensing restrictions.

7. Lubuntu

One of the key features of Ubuntu’s flavor, Lubuntu, is its lightweight design, which makes it ideal for older or low-specification hardware. It requires minimal system resources and can run smoothly on computers with as little as 512 MB of RAM. Moreover, it includes a range of pre-installed software applications & uses minimal power.

Download

Click here to visit Lubuntu’s official download page.

System Requirements

Reasons to Choose

• Lightweight, easy to use, & fast.
• Familiar interface for Windows users.
• Optimized for low-end hardware.

Reasons to Avoid

8. MX Linux

MX Linux is a mid-weight distro that uses the Xfce desktop environment. It is known for its stability, ease of use, and performance.

Download

Click here to visit MXLinux’s official download page.

System Requirements

Reasons to Choose

• Lightweight, fast & easy to use.
• Stable & customizable.
• Extensive software availability.

Reasons to Avoid

• May require additional configuration for certain hardware.
• May not always have the latest software versions.

9. Xubuntu

It is one of the flavors of Ubuntu that uses Xfce as its default desktop environment. Xfce makes sure that the experience is clutter-free & the distro is easy to use. Moreover, rolling updates ensures security & fixed bugs. It runs better on comparatively modern PC.

Download

Click here to visit Xubuntu’s official download page.

System Requirements

• 5 GHz Dual Core Processor.
• 2GB of memory at least. Anyway, it can run on as low as 512 MB of RAM.
• 8GB of free space.

Reasons to Choose

Reasons to Avoid

Comparative Analysis of Distros

To get a comprehensive and comparative overview of the nine fastest distributions that have been discussed in this article, kindly go through the following table.

Distribution	Kernel-Version	Desktop Environment	RAM Usage	Fastest Boot Time (approx.)
Alpine	5.14.0	None (CLI)	512 MB	10-15 sec
Arch Linux	5.14.6	Xfce	512 MB	10-15 sec
Puppy Linux	5.4.98	JWM or Openbox	512-1024 MB	30-40 sec
Void Linux	5.14.9	Xfce, cinnamon, etc.	100-200 MB	10-15 sec
Bodhi Linux	5.10.48	Moksha	512-1024 MB	20-30 sec
Ubuntu	5.13.0	GNOME	4 GB	20-30 sec
Lubuntu	5.11.0	LXQt	256-512 MB	15-20 sec
MXlinux	5.10.46	Xfce	1 GB	15-20 sec
Xubuntu	5.11.0	Xfce	512 MB	15-20 sec

However, note that these numbers may vary by different distro flavors and versions. Also, RAM usage and boot time may vary depending on the hardware and configuration of the system.

Conclusion

In this article, I tried talking about some fastest & lightweight distros. When you are thinking about owning a fast also a perfectly matched distro for your PC, you have to consider several things to see how your system can be compatible with the new OS, also being the fastest. As there are many of them available to choose from, you will get comparative ideas of them from this article.

People Also Ask

Which Linux is best for performance?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best Linux distribution for performance can depend on a variety of factors. However, there are several Linux distros that provide the best performance such as Linux Mint, Gentoo Linux, Arch Linux, Puppy Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, etc.

Which is faster Ubuntu or Mint?

Ubuntuand Mint are both based on Debian and share many similarities. However, there are some differences that may impact performances in certain use cases. For example, Ubuntu tends to be more resource-heavy than Mint, especially the GNOME desktop environmentMint, on the other hand, is known for its lightweight Cinnamon desktop environment, which can be more responsive & faster.

What is the lightest version of Linux?

There are several lightweight Linux distributions available, each designed to use minimal resources and provide a fast and efficient computing experience. For example, Tiny Core Linux, Damn Small Linux, Puppy Linux, LXLE, Lubuntu , etc.

What is the fastest booting distro?

There are several Linux distros that are known for their fast boot times. Such as Ubuntu 11.10 is known for the fastest booting time as it can boot within 10 seconds boot time. Moreover, Alpine Linux, Void Linux, antiX Linux, Puppy Linux , etc. are also known for their fastest boot time.

Источник

Быстрее, выше, сильнее: Clear Linux — самый быстрый дистрибутив для x86-64?

На днях ресурс Phoronix опубликовал результаты тестов скорости работы разных дистрибутивов Linux на системе с Core i9 10980XE.

Тестирование проводилось со сборками Clear Linux 33540 (самая новая на момент теста), Clear Linux 31480 (конец 2019 года), Endeavour OS Rolling, openSUSE Tumbleweed 20200727, Debian Buster Testing, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS и тестовая сборка Ubuntu 20.10.

Подробности тестирования — под катом.

Технические характеристики тестируемой системы:

• Процессор: Intel Core i9-10980XE @ 4.60GHz (18 Cores / 36 Threads)
• Плата: Gigabyte X299X DESIGNARE 10G (F1 BIOS)
• Чипсет: Intel Sky Lake-E DMI3 Registers
• SSD: Samsung SSD 970 PRO 512GB
• Графический чип: AMD Radeon RX 64 8GB (1590/800MHz)
• Аудио: Realtek ALC1220

• Ядро Linux 5.7,
• Компилятор GCC 10.2.1,
• Python 3.8.4,
• I/O-планировщик для NVMe-накопителей — BFQ,
• Графическая оболочка GNOME 3.36.

Пока что обещания постепенно повышать производительность дистрибутива выполняются. Так, время загрузки новой версии Clear Linux по сравнению с предыдущей снизилось сразу в 2,5 раза.

Что касается сравнения с другими системами, то Clear Linux в большей части тестов опередил конкурентов, хотя и не везде. Дистрибутив от Intel оказался первым в 73 из 136 тестов. Результаты авторы проекта визуализировали.

По словам разработчиков, высокая скорость работы дистрибутива Clear Linux объясняется жесткой оптимизацией для архитектуры x86-64.

Второе и третье место заняли Ubuntu 20.10 и Debian Buster. Ubuntu всего на 4% отстал от лидера.

Результаты всех тестов можно просмотреть в итоговом файле.

Источник