Is Linux Lite the Simple, Fast, and Lightweight Linux Distro You Need?

Linux is a highly customizable and open-source operating system kernel. This is why you’ll find tons of Linux distros out there to choose from, making it pretty hard to make a choice.

However, if you are looking for a simple, fast, and lightweight distro, Linux Lite might be the one for you as it offers a great balance between performance and functionality. So, let’s look at what Linux Lite is along with a rundown of its notable features.

What Is Linux Lite?

Linux Lite is a free and open-source Ubuntu-based Linux distribution. It is a lightweight operating system and is highly compatible with older devices. Being beginner-friendly, Linux Lite offers a smooth transition from Windows to Linux. It provides a similar interface to that of Windows, which helps new users adapt to the Linux environment easily.

The PC hardware requirements for Linux Lite are much lower than those for Windows. For example, Linux Lite 6 series requires you to have just 768MB of RAM, 8GB or more storage, a 1GHz processor, and VGA capable of 1024×768 screen resolution.

Download: Linux Lite (Free)

Notable Features of Linux Lite

Linux Lite has many great features to offer. However, here are some of the best ones you might want to consider.

1. Easy to Use, Even for Windows Users

One of the main goals of Linux Lite is its ease of use. It has a simple interface based on the XFCE desktop environment. The minimal interface provides a clean look and makes things easier for you, as most Linux components are refined to avoid confusion, such as multiple package managers.

As mentioned earlier, the desktop interface is similar to that of Windows. You’ll find a taskbar with the start button at the bottom left and can also add shortcuts to the desktop, pretty much how you’d do it on Windows.

2. All the Necessary Apps Are Preinstalled

Installing all the required apps after setting up a new OS is a time taking and taxing process. Sometimes, you avoid shifting to other OSes to avoid this exact issue. Linux Lite addresses this problem by offering all the necessary apps preinstalled on the system, making it a fully functional OS out of the box.

Linux Lite has Google Chrome, VLC Media Player, LibreOffice Suite, GIMP, Timeshift for backup, PDF viewer, and other necessary utility apps built-in. It saves you hours of downloads and installations. Moreover, the distro also has all the required drivers for the proper functioning of your system.

3. Built-In Power Tools Like Lite Tweaks and Lite Software

Linux Lite is an open-source and powerful distro that provides advanced system-level features. It has built-in power tools like Lite Tweaks that allow you to perform administrator-level tasks safely.

Such tasks may include fixing boot issues, clearing log files, changing the hostname, locating larger files to clear storage, and much more. Lite Tweaks also allow you to select multiple tasks to execute simultaneously.

Another built-in tool, Lite Software, allows you to easily install or remove apps from the system, eliminating the need to remember and run terminal commands.

4. Powered by Ubuntu

Ubuntu is probably the most popular and feature-packed Linux distro with a visually appealing user interface. Linux Lite is based on Ubuntu’s long-term support version and this Ubuntu base is what makes it more stable and gives you a solid OS that you can rely on for daily use.

5. Security Is Taken Care Of

Linux, as a whole, is considered more secure than other OSes because of its restricted access to system-level details. So, naturally, Linux Lite is also a secure distro with all the security protocols applied. Moreover, you can easily manage and customize the firewall to make your system even safer.

A tip is to keep an eye out for security updates and patches to keep your system safe from potential security threats. Most of the critical security updates are automatically applied to the system.

6. Offers Solid Support

Linux Lite has a pretty broad community. If you ever find yourself wondering how to do something, you can go to the Linux Lite community for help. Besides, as it is Ubuntu-based, you can also seek help from the Ubuntu community.

You can search for previously asked issues by other users or directly communicate with the developers by creating your own queries.

How to Install Linux Lite

Here are two ways to install Linux Lite, depending on whether you have a PC or Chromebook.

1. Using Etcher on Windows, Linux, and macOS

Whether you are a Windows, Linux, or macOS user, you can install Linux Lite easily on your device as the process is quite simple using Etcher, an app for creating a bootable USB drive.

Etcher is free, and you can download it from the link below. After installing it, ensure you have a USB drive and the Linux Lite image file at hand.

Download: Etcher (Free)

Now connect your USB drive and open Etcher, and select the drive. After that, load the Linux Lite image file and press the Flash button.

After completing the process, reboot your PC. Choose to boot from the USB in the boot menu at the beginning and proceed with the installation process.

For detailed information, you can refer to our guides on how to write an ISO image to USB flash with Etcher and how to install Linux on any PC or laptop.

2. Using Chromebook Recovery Utility on ChromeOS

If you are using a Chromebook, you can install Linux Lite using the Chromebook Recovery Utility. The tool is similar to Etcher, as it also helps create bootable USB installation media.

Download the Chromebook Recovery Utility from the Chrome Web Store and follow our guide on how to create bootable USB drives on Chromebooks. After creating the bootable USB, follow the same steps mentioned above.

Download: Chromebook Recovery Utility (Free)

How Linux Lite Performs on an Old PC

Performance is one of the major goals of Linux Lite. It has minimal hardware requirements as compared to Windows and other major Linux distros, allowing you to breathe life into your older devices.

To test it, we used a 2005 Dell laptop. The system specifications included 2GB of RAM, a 1GHz processor, 250GB HDD storage, and Intel VGA 1280×768.

The overall system performance was smooth and worked perfectly well. There was no prominent lag except when the system was updating.

Give Linux Lite a Try Today!

Linux Lite is a pretty decent distro that you can try. You don’t need technical knowledge or know-how of terminal commands to use the system.

It is lightweight and works well with low-end devices, and makes shifting easier from other operating systems to Linux, especially from Windows.