In the Linux realm, the demand for efficient and resource-optimal systems has led to the emergence of a niche (but useful) subset of operating systems — lightweight Linux distributions. These streamlined alternatives are designed to provide a simple, quick alternative to the memory-hogging distros of now while still providing a fully functioning system. Of the many, many lightweight distros, one stands out — antiX Linux. antiX Linux is currently the most popular “lightweight” distro available, and it’s easy to see why. Based on Debian Stable for x86-compatible systems, antiX uses “antiX magic” to provide a simple (but fully functional!) operating system for both newbies and seasoned Linux users alike.
antiX Linux currently comes in four versions — antiX full, base, core, and net. antiX full and base are what newcomers to Linux will want to go with, as those are the “flavours” with a window manager pre-installed. antiX full’s installation ISO comes out to 1.7 GB, while antiX base is an exact 1 GB. antiX full and base both come with four window managers (IceWM, fluxbox, jwm and herbstluftwm), but antiX full has more apps pre-installed (such as the LibreOffice suite).
The other “flavours”, antiX core and net, do not come with any window managers or desktop environments. These “flavours” are moreso marketed towards users who know exactly what they want (and what they don’t want), and this is reflected in the install size. antiX core is 520 MB, while antiX net comes out to just under 225 MB!
Like most “lightweight” distros, antiX Linux can be used via installing the ISO or running it “live” from a USB. The distro requires just 2.7 GB of hard drive space to install and can run on just 256 MB of RAM, which means that it will run on pretty much anything (and yes, it does support 32-bit systems).
After using the “base” version of antiX Linux for the past month, I can say that it is one of the nicest systems I’ve used in a while. The prebuilt window managers were very easy to use, but I ended up downloading Openbox on my system instead. On startup, antiX uses just 220 MB of RAM and has absurdly low idle CPU usage. I’ve also noticed that antiX does wonders for my laptop’s battery life — using antiX on 50% brightness, my Thinkpad T450 gets 25 hours of battery life!
Of all the “lightweight” distros I’ve used over the years, antiX Linux is definitely a standout. It masterfully combines performance and usability to create a seriously simple (but powerful) system, and I plan on using it as a daily drive on my older machines from now on.
