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I found a minimal Linux distro that's fast and efficient for all experience levels

Published on: 2025-07-15 16:00:20

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Finding a lightweight Linux distribution is as easy as closing your eyes and pointing to a list. Chances are good that your finger will land on a distribution perfectly suited for older hardware, giving that aging machine new life. On newer hardware, those lightweight distributions run faster than any OS you have ever experienced. Xubuntu is one such distribution. Xubuntu is an official Ubuntu spin that opts for the Xfce desktop environment (which is what makes this distribution so fast). Xfce is not only very lightweight, but it is also highly flexible. You can bend and twist Xfce into just about any layout you want, but those new to Linux might want to leave the default settings as is -- because the default Xubuntu layout is as simple as it gets. Also: 5 surprisingly productive things you can do with the Linux terminal When you first log in, you are greeted by two desktop icons (Trash and Home), a top bar with a desktop menu and system t ... Read full article.