An Introduction to TinyCore Linux
The minimum requirements for the current release of TinyCore are:
- Intel i486DX or above
- 10Mb free disc space (7Mb for MicroCore)
- 48Mb RAM (36Mb for MicroCore)
- CD/DVD drive or USB port (-for installation media)
- Can be run directly from a USB Stick or Live CD/DVD
TinyCore's philosophy is based around paring the O/S down to a minimum, which is highly portable and fast - even on severely outdated hardware..
In our opinion, TinyCore Linux has three main strengths (-over and above the usual Linux ones):
It is the smallest Linux distribution out there, so it can fit on almost any device. This makes it fast, as it can be loaded directly into memory in it's entirely - even on old hardware
You do not get anything you don't need: TinyCore ships with no applications - not even a file manager! This means that you can install your favourite applications for each task and not have your discs cluttered with things you don't want
The minimal nature of everything in TinyCore means that it's not a distro for the fainthearted! Unless you are happy to spend a good-deal of time finding, installing and configuring your desktop, then you would be better off with one of the alternatives.
The main drawbacks of using TinyCore are:
TinyCore ships with no applications - not even a file manager! This means that you need to find and install everything yourself
Applications for TinyCore are limited - and you'll need to search the web to try and find them
The TinyCore desktop is minimal - and users will need to be intimate with the command line to be able get the best out of it
We would only recommend TinyCore for Linux enthusiasts -or where your hardware is so low-powered that it will not even run Puppy.
We have created a 10 minute video of the TinyCoredesktop in action in our Video Section: click here to take a tour of TinyCore!
TinyCore is unusual in that it can be run perfectly well direct from the Boot Disc (or USB Stick). It can be installed by doing the following:
We have created several short articles to allow you to familiarize yourself with TinyCore. This should help you decide if this is the Linux distribution for you - before you take the plunge and download it! Here are a selection of the main pages you may want to review: