Knoppix 7.0.4 Review: Lightweight Linux on the go!

The tale of Linux as live CD or USB started all with Knoppix. First time Knoppix showed that you can have an OS which you need not install and can carry conveniently to anywhere you go! Other Linux distros soon followed the suit and possibly, Knoppix lost it's advantage somewhere down the line.

From Knoppix 7.0.4

I have heard a lot of Knoppix but never used it before last week. On the release note of Knoppix 7.0.4 came in Distrowatch, I was quick to download the 730 MB ISO. Definitely, the ISO size is significantly higher than similar distros like Puppy Linux or Slitaz but comparable to crunchbang, another lightweight minimalistic distro. Knoppix is a Debian based distro and has Linux kernel 3.4.9. So, it will be based on Debian testing, I guess.

The live boot up was really fast and I was greeted with a typical LXDE desktop. I used a 512 MB RAM Asus P4 old laptop to test Knoppix. Neither of the modern Ubuntu clans distros load on it. Lubuntu 12.04 loads but barely runs! I have Crunchbang installed there as my main OS.

To my surprise, Knoppix performed really fast on it and I could multi-task with Iceweasel (though I hate this Firefox derivative!), Synaptic package manager downloading updates, LibreOffice writer, and LibreOffice calc running! I saw the RAM consumption - 150 MB! CPU consumption of 1-6%! Even by low resource consuming Linux distros, I haven't such a thing!

From Knoppix 7.0.4

With only task manager running and nothing else, the default desktop loads with about 70 MB RAM. Of course, if you start playing flash videos, the story might not be as good! To test how Knoppix performs with flash video running, I installed flashplugin from Debian repository, using synaptic package manager. Post installation I tried out youtube videos and with a flash video playing, the RAM consumption was 180 MB! Now, that is pretty impressive!

From Knoppix 7.0.4

Like Puppy, Knoppix loads totally on RAM and even in low resource systems, performs really well. Plus, through Knoppix, users can download variety of applications from Debian repositories. Now, that is an advantage Knoppix has got over Puppy or Slitaz! Once loaded, it recognized my lan connection perfectly with input of IP configuration from my side. Wifi was also recognized properly, I faced no problems with sound or display.

Application-wise, it is quite rich with full LibreOffice suite, Iceweasel browser (you can download Firefox as well), Pidgin messenger, GIMP 2.8, Gnome MPlayer, among other things. File manager is PCManFM 1.0, the latest version. There is compiz given as well, and if your system supports, you can add some cool desktop effects. I played a bit with Re(-start) 3D desktop compiz to create the cube. But, I guess there's some compatibility issue of compiz with advanced Linux kernels and many times the screen simply went black while rotating the cube to finally come back after 5-10 seconds. Also, may be my low powered system is responsible for it not working properly!

From Knoppix 7.0.4

From Knoppix 7.0.4

Java is provided by default. Adobe flash plugin, as mentioned earlier, need to be downloaded. Further, you can download your favorite programs from Debian stable, testing and experimental repositories. Possibly that is one of the best Linux repo you can get!

From Knoppix 7.0.4

Now in live-boot one thing I noted is Knoppix never asked for any root password, not even for downloading programs. So, I decided to install it in my HD and check how good it performs when installed. Installation didn't take much time. I had to format and partition my HD and rest went really smooth. Finally, it installed GRUB and I was ready to go within 5 min.!

Post installation, it took 5 sec. flat to bootup and load the desktop. It was the same as live boot but I see 20% less RAM consumption once I installed it in HD. LXDE desktop with Htop or task manager running takes 65 MB, and Iceweasel with flash video in youtube running takes 160 MB! Of course, CPU usage is around 30-40%, mine is an old processor. But, even after installation, it didn't ask for an user ID creation or root password! However, there is an option in the menu Knoppix -> Set password for root, where I changed the root password. Still it never never asked me the changed password even for installing apps after a re-boot. Like Puppy, this may be a security concern.

From Knoppix 7.0.4

From Knoppix 7.0.4

In overall, I must say I am impressed with Knoppix. It is lighter than, say a Lubuntu and the installation process is easy. I tried with USB drives and I guess auto-mount is there and had no issues with it. It is definitely a distro worth recommending to anyone who is looking for a lightweight but complete Linux OS. It can run on a 128 MB RAM computer but 256 MB is recommended to enjoy flash videos and multi-task.

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Zorin OS 6.1 "Lite" Review: Lubuntu derivative which looks like Windows 2000

Zorin has been trying to fill the void for Windows 2000 and XP users who are unable to upgrade to Windows 7. It looks like Windows - however, underneath it is Ubuntu. While Ubuntu has evolved a lot in past 2 years but still it may not be as easy for a Windows users to migrate. And here comes Zorin to help!

From ZorinOS 6.1 Lite

Zorin 6.1 Lite is based on Lubuntu and I must say, it looks more attractive than Lubuntu and is easier to set up and use. It uses LXDE with Linux kernel  3.2.0 and the ISO is 672 MB. You can get the ISO from here.

I used my Asus EeePC 1101HA with 1.38 Ghz Intel Atom Processor and 1 GB RAM for this test. It already has PCLinuxOS installed and my test was primarily based on Live-boot. I won't go into the debate of how easy or difficult Linux is compared to Windows - it is for the users to decide. In addition to Windows 2000 looks, you can also make it look like a Mac with a docky. But, I would prefer a Cairo dock instead.

From ZorinOS 6.1 Lite

Application-wise, Zorin Lite is understandably thin with Chromium as the default browser, Abiword as the Word processor, Audacious is the default music player and Gnome MPlayer is for playing videos. Adobe flash support is inbuilt and youtube videos played nice in Zorin Lite. In System Tools, you get a Zorin OS Lite Extra Software option, from where you can download VLC, Gnumeric, Wine (to install Windows related software like Office 2010) among other things.

From ZorinOS 6.1 Lite

From ZorinOS 6.1 Lite

Also, through Software Repository, which is based on Ubuntu Software Center, you get the option to download access and download other critical softwares.

From ZorinOS 6.1 Lite

CPU and RAM Usage
CPU and RAM usage for Zorin is comparable to Lubuntu - 5-8% CPU and 130 MB RAM! It is definitely easy on resources and can be a preferred choice for old computers running Windows XP. I guess I won't recommend it for Windows 2000 computers with 128 MB RAM - there are better choices existing for them like Crunchbang, Puppy, etc.

Overall
In overall, you can try out Zorin OS Lite for your old computers. It is fast and responsive and can handle most of the daily chores. Of course, don't expect it to play high resolution or HD videos for you if your computer is relatively antiquated one. My desktop is relatively less antiquated and it performed reasonably well. The desktop looks more attractive than Lubuntu and can be a good alternative to it. Plus, using Zorin look changer you can get a Mac-ish feeling in Zorin with docky though it is quite rudimentary. However, if I compare it to ROSA 2012 LXDE with long term support for 5 years, I guess I would prefer ROSA because ROSA offers you more. Peppermint is also a competition to Zorin. It augurs well for the LXDE fans to have so many good options - Lubuntu, ROSA, Peppermint, and now Zorin!

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Peppermint 3 Review: A good replacement of Lubuntu

I have used Lubuntu and lets be honest, the LXDE sister of Ubuntu, is not that catchy to look at. So, if you want to have a good replacement of Lubuntu, without compromising on the performance (lower resource usage) or functionality, and at the same time looking really good, here is Peppermint Linux for you.

From Peppermint Linux 3

I downloaded the 32-bit ISO from Peppermint site. The 560 MB ISO is lighter than Lubuntu 12.04 ISO (683 MB). So, definitely a good start for Peppermint!

Boot up in virtualbox was quick and red white interface is really cool to look at.

From Peppermint Linux 3

Applications
The application set provided by default in the ISO is somewhat different from Lubuntu. Peppermint relies more on internet rather than having a physical app in the system. For example, Abiword and Gnumeric are done away with and replaced by Google docs. You can save all your documents online and can retrieve from anywhere. I really liked it. Google docs is really good and better than Abiword/Gnumeric. Still users, who prefer to have the documents in their system and/or doesn't have a high speed internet connection may not prefer this arrangement. However, you can always hit the Ubuntu repository and download LibreOffice or Abiword/Gnumeric.

Chromium is the default browser and Flash support is out of the box. Dropbox is there to share your files and you have bit torrent client as well. There is a media player and a music player, Guayadeque music player quite good - you can connect to online radio or play podcasts in addition to playing music files in your computer.

From Peppermint Linux 3

From Peppermint Linux 3

From Peppermint Linux 3

In addition to the default apps provided, you can always download more apps like VLC, Firefox, etc. from the Ubuntu Software repository. It is the same as in Lubuntu. Rest of the stuff are pretty similar to Lubuntu. Through preferences you can adjust monitor settings, screensaver, network connections, etc.

From Peppermint Linux 3

CPU and RAM Usage
It is similar to Lubuntu 12.04 in terms of RAM and CPU usage and is also on the lower side. Around 130-140 MB is the RAM usage with only task manager running, pretty perfect for all netbooks and low resource computers.

From Peppermint Linux 3

Overall
I would recommend Peppemint Linux 3 as a good substitute of Lubuntu or Xubuntu. It is comparable in performance to Lubuntu, has a smaller ISO and looks more jazzy but offering the same functionality. Also, Windows XP users may find at home with Peppermint or Lubuntu as the desktop environment is quite similar.

You can find more screenshots at my Picasa album.

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