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List of Linux distributions that run from RAM

{{Short description|none}}

{{Incomplete list|date=November 2010}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}

File:Tiny_Core_Linux_7.1_screenshot.png

This is a list of Linux distributions that can be run entirely from a computer's RAM, meaning that once the OS has been loaded to the RAM, the media it was loaded from can be completely removed, and the distribution will run the PC through the RAM only. This ability allows them to be very fast, since reading and writing data from/to RAM is much faster than on a hard disk drive or solid-state drive. Many of these operating systems will load from a removable media such as a Live CD or a Live USB stick. A "frugal" install can also often be completed, allowing loading from a hard disk drive instead.

This feature is implemented in live-initramfs and allows the user to run a live distro that does not run from ram by default by adding toram to the kernel boot parameters.{{cite web|url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-live/2008/10/msg00112.html|title=Re: Debian live entirely in RAM?}}

Additionally some distributions can be configured to run from RAM, such as Ubuntu using the toram option included in the Casper scripts.{{cite web|url = https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BootToRAM|title = Booting Ubuntu To RAM|access-date = 18 July 2011|last = Ubuntu Wiki|date = 13 November 2014}}

Table

class="wikitable sortable"
+ Linux distributions that run from RAM
style="background:#efefef;"

! Distribution

! Based on

! data-sort-type=numeric | RAM required

! installation drive/required size

align=left| Alpine Linux{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2010/08/23/alpine-linux-2-review/|title=Alpine Linux 2 review - LinuxBSDos.com|work=linuxbsdos.com|access-date=7 January 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/Alpine_Linux:Overview|title=Alpine Linux:Overview – Alpine Linux|work=alpinelinux.org|access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| Independent

|align=center data-sort-value="64"| base system uses less than 64 MB

|align=center| CD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left| antiX Linux{{cite web|title=The Most Extensive Live-usb on the Planet!|url=https://antixlinux.com/the-most-extensive-live-usb-on-the-planet/|website=antixlinux.com|publisher=antixlinux|access-date=30 April 2018}}

|align=center|Debian

|align=center data-sort-value="256"| 256 MB

|align=center| CD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left|Arch Linux{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

|align=center| Independent

|align=center data-sort-value="400"| 400 MB

|align=center| CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left| AUSTRUMI{{cite web|url=http://cyti.latgola.lv/ruuni/#ABOUT|title=AUSTRUMI|work=latgola.lv|access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| Slackware

|align=center data-sort-value="100"| less than 100 MB

|align=center| CD – DVD – USB flash drive

align=left| CoreOS{{cite web|url=https://coreos.com/blog/boot-on-bare-metal-with-pxe.html|title=Boot on Bare Metal with PXE|work=coreos.com|access-date=17 January 2018}}

|align=center| Independent

|align=center data-sort-value="2048"| 2048 MB

|align=center| USB flash drive – HDD

Debian Live{{Cite web |date=2024-08-04 |title=Live install images |url=https://www.debian.org/CD/live/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607183518/http://www.debian.org/CD/live/ |archive-date=June 7, 2017 |access-date=2013-12-07 |publisher=Debian}}

|Independent

|780 MB (required), 2048 MB (recommended){{Cite web |title=2.5. Memory and Disk Space Requirements |url=https://www.debian.org/releases/bookworm/amd64/ch02s05.en.html |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=www.debian.org}}{{Cite web |title=3.4. Meeting Minimum Hardware Requirements |url=https://www.debian.org/releases/bookworm/amd64/ch03s04.en.html |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=www.debian.org}}

|DVD – USB flash drive – HDD – Secure Digital

align=left| Grml{{cite web|url=http://grml.org/|title=grml.org – Debian Live system / CD for sysadmins and texttool-users|first=the Grml team|last=[www.grml.org/team/]|work=grml.org|access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| Debian

|align=center data-sort-value="256"| 256 MB (required), 512 MB (or more, recommended)

|align=center| CD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left| Kanotix{{cite web|url=http://kanotix.com/FAQ-myfaq-yes-id_cat-63.html#q245|title=kanotix.com :: GNU Linux Live system based on Debian, optimized for HD-install and high performance|last=kanotix.com|work=kanotix.com|access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| Debian & Knoppix

|align=center data-sort-value="1024"| 1024 MB

|align=center| CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left| Knoppix{{cite web|url=http://pendrivelinux.com/knoppix-cheatcodes/|title=Knoppix Cheatcodes – USB Pen Drive Linux|date=30 January 2007|work=pendrivelinux.com|access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| Debian

|align=center data-sort-value="1024"| 1024 MB

|align=center| CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left| Lightweight Portable Security (LPS), currently known as Trusted End Node Security (TENS){{cite web|title=Trusted End Node Security|url=https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=tens|website=Distrowatch.com|access-date=12 February 2018}}

|align=center| Thinstation

|align=center data-sort-value="1024"| 1024 MB (basic), 1.5 GB (deluxe)

|align=center| CD – USB flash drive

align=left| Nanolinux{{cite web|url=http://linux.softpedia.com/get/System/Operating-Systems/Linux-Distributions/Nanolinux-102963.shtml|title=Nanolinux Download|work=softpedia.com|date=5 April 2015 |access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| Tiny Core Linux

|align=center data-sort-value="64"| 64 MB{{cite web|url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/nanolinux/|title=Nanolinux|work=sourceforge.net|date=8 October 2016 |access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left| Parted Magic[https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120705104410/http://partedmagic.com/doku.php Parted Magic – About]

|align=center| Independent

|align=center data-sort-value="175"| 175 MB – 312 MB

|align=center| CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left| PCLinuxOS{{cite web|url=http://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/200908/page12.html|title=PCLinuxOS Magazine – HTML|work=pclosmag.com|access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| Mandriva

|align=center data-sort-value="1024"| 1024 MB

|align=center| CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left| Porteus

|align=center| Slackware

|align=center data-sort-value="512"| 512 MB

|align=center| CD – DVD – USB flash drive

align=left| Puppy Linux

|align=center| Independent

|align=center data-sort-value="64"| 64 MB (required), 512 MB (recommended){{cite web |url = http://puppylinux.org/wikka/MinimumSystemRequirements |title = PuppyLinux: MinimumSystemRequirements |access-date = 13 February 2014 |website = Puppy Linux Wiki|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190218163409/http://puppylinux.org/wikka/MinimumSystemRequirements|archive-date= 18 February 2019|url-status=dead}}

|align=center| CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left| Slax{{Cite web|url=https://www.slax.org/starting.php|title=Documentation – Slax Linux|access-date=28 April 2021}}

|align=center| Debian and Slackware 15.0.0

|align=center data-sort-value="512"| 512 MB

|align=center|CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD

align=left| SliTaz{{cite web|url=http://www.slitaz.org/en/|title=SliTaz|work=slitaz.org|access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| Independent

|align=center data-sort-value="192"| 192 MB (48 MB for base)

|align=center| CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD{{cite web|url=http://doc.slitaz.org/en:guides:uncommoninst|title=SliTaz installation|work=slitaz.org|access-date=7 January 2017}} – Floppy disk{{cite web|url=http://floppy.slitaz.org/|title=SliTaz Boot Floppies|author=s|work=slitaz.org|access-date=7 January 2017}}

align=left| Tails{{cite web|url=https://tails.boum.org/|title=Tails – Privacy for anyone anywhere|work=boum.org|access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| Debian

|align=center data-sort-value="2048"| 2048 MB (recommended)

|align=center| DVD – USB flash drive – HDD – Secure Digital

align=left| Tin Hat Linux{{cite web|url=http://opensource.dyc.edu/tinhat|title=Tin Hat - opensource.dyc.edu|work=dyc.edu|access-date=7 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017102320/http://opensource.dyc.edu/tinhat|archive-date=17 October 2016}}

|align=center| Hardened Gentoo

|align=center data-sort-value="4096"| 4096 MB

align=left| Tiny SliTaz{{cite web|url=http://pizza.slitaz.org/tiny/|title=Tiny SliTaz – Builder|author=s|work=slitaz.org|access-date=7 January 2017}}

|align=center| SliTaz

|align=center data-sort-value="4"| 4 MB

|align=center| CD – USB flash drive – HDD – Floppy disk

align=left| Tiny Core Linux{{cite web|url=http://tinycorelinux.net/faq.html#req|title=Frequently Asked Questions|last=Shingledecker|first=Robert|website=Tiny Core Linux Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)|access-date=28 September 2016|quote=An absolute minimum of RAM is 46mb. TC won't boot with anything less. ... Microcore runs with 28mb of ram.}}

|align=center| Independent

|align=center data-sort-value="46"| 46 MB

|align=center| CD – HDD – USB flash drive

See also

  • tmpfs; by mounting a tmpfs and running files that are placed on this, files and programs can be run from RAM, even on Linux distros that do not run completely in RAM
  • Clustered file system; network file systems are another way to avoid needing to use a (slow) hard disk
  • initrd ("initial ramdisk"), a scheme for loading a temporary root file system into memory in the boot process of the Linux kernel
  • Light-weight Linux distribution
  • List of live CDs
  • List of tools to create bootable USB
  • SYSLINUX, a suite of lightweight PC MBR bootloaders for starting up computers with the Linux kernel
  • Windows PE, a non-Linux operating system that can also be run from RAM, but does not have all of the needed software

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web|url=http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=puppy|title=DistroWatch.com: Puppy Linux|last=DistroWatch|work=distrowatch.com|access-date=7 January 2017}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.porteus.org/tutorials/26-general-info-tutorials/117-cheatcodes-what-they-are-and-how-to-use-them.html|title=Cheatcodes – what they are and how to use them – Porteus – Portable Linux|work=porteus.org|access-date=7 January 2017}}

}}

External links

  • {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207085710/http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT8963693541.html|date=7 February 2013|title=Using a liveCD as your Linux Desktop}}

{{Linux}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Linux distributions that run from RAM}}

Category:Light-weight Linux distributions

Light-weight