Tiny Core Linux is an 11 MB graphical Linux based on the 2.6 kernel, BusyBox, Tiny X, Fltk, and Flwm. It’s a minimal but extendable distro that runs from memory and loads from any bootable device. Version 4.1 has just been released with many improvements detailed in the
release announcement, including app upgrades and bug fixes. 4.1 continues Tiny Core’s rapid evolution, which has seen point release upgrades every month or two.
Seems like there’s only a 32 bit version. Makes me think this is better for a VM target than for real use.
Hopefully they come to offer a full 64bit environment in the future.
You mean you want to run software that needs multiple gigabytes of memory on a 11MB OS? Seriously?
Considering a single stick of 4GB costs less than 15USD and any non-atom processor manufactured since 2003-2004 has 64bit support I’d say 32bit only has bcome a niche platform.
Also I personally have need for a 64bit system this size, even if it would only be for a VM.
I don’t think a multi-core, 64-bit machine with multiple GBs of RAM is the target environment for TCL. The team has created a useable, stable Linux based OS that is small enough to boot from the embedded Flash drive of an Intel-based NAS or thin client, yet scales up to a full fledged home computer quite nicely.
There are several projects out there that may interest you more, like BareMetalOS and MenuetOS.
Meanwhile, I’m quite happy with running TCL on my Wyse thin client as a fanless media server that also makes for a capable emergency nettop in a pinch. Plenty of “real use” right there.
Edited 2011-11-24 05:52 UTC
Sadly Menuetos is only being developed now in 64 bit. If you want small that is the way to go.
Tinycore is being worked on and a lot of useful apps are available.
Both are worth a look.
IIRC there’s a 32-bit fork of MenuetOS called Kolibri.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KolibriOS
Why is that sad? All of my systems have been 64-bit since 2006. Does anyone run 32-bit Intel anymore? And if so, why?
Old hardware, perhaps?
You know, old & slow computers where a minimal OS might actually make a bit of sense?
See my post above. 32-bit minimal OSes certainly have their place, just not necessarily on one’s main desktop.
For example, I have a Wyse x86-based thin client that is quite efficient and useable with Tiny Core Linux installed to the 32MB internal Flash chip, and a USB drive for storage. It’s a great media server but it would also do well as a general purpose second machine or as a fallback when the main rig dies. It’s portable enough to take to someone else’s house and attach an existing keyboard, mouse and monitor for a nice web browsing machine without the risks involved in borrowing their machine for the duration.
Apart from CPU-intensive tasks, there really are very few things it can’t do compared to a modern 64-bit system. Yet if I had the “nothing but 64 bits” mentality it would have ended up in the trash heap a long time ago. Thanks to TCL it continues to serve a purpose.
Why ? Well, 32-bit software uses less memory.
Obviously something like Tiny Core is meant to be as memory efficient as possible.
It only takes more memory if the software is written in the standard way which uses 64-bit pointers.
It’s quite possible to write software which uses 32 bits or even 16 bit offset pointers. There is even a Linux kernel and a GCC build model that uses 32-bit pointers while running in 64-bit mode on x86_64 CPUs. It’s called x32.
We still run 486 computers with 32meg ram up to supercomputers.
We buy a system and run it usually forever. Still have DEC stuff.
But want to install PPAs in it.
Ideas?