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DistroWatch.com: MiniOS

MiniOS


Last Update: 2025-05-17 18:09 UTC


MiniOS is a Debian-based Linux distribution which strives to be lightweight, modular, versatile and customisable. It comes in three editions, "Standard", "Toolbox" and "Ultra". MiniOS "Standard" is a compact system designed for everyday computing tasks, while "Toolbox" is designed for maintenance, diagnostics and recovery of computer systems; it provides a rich set of graphical and console tools for working with disks and partitions, network diagnostics and administration, data security, data and password recovery, hardware fault diagnosis and testing, as well as other utilities. Finally, the "Ultra" variant of MiniOS provides an extensive set of software tools designed both for maintenance and diagnostics of computer systems and for solving a wide range of general office tasks.

Popularity (hits per day): 12 months: 276 (15), 6 months: 251 (31), 3 months: 159 (63), 4 weeks: 92 (149), 1 week: 105 (111)

Average visitor rating: 8.86/10 from 7 review(s).


MiniOS Summary
Distribution MiniOS
Home Page https://minios.dev/
Mailing Lists --
User Forums https://github.com/orgs/minios-linux/discussions
Alternative User Forums
Documentation https://github.com/minios-linux/minios-live/wiki
Screenshots DistroWatch Gallery
Screencasts
Download Mirrors https://minios.dev/DistroWatch Torrent Archive
Bug Tracker https://github.com/minios-linux/minios-live/issues
Related Websites GitHub
Reviews 2023: DistroWatch
Where To Donate, Buy or Try

Table Notes and Explanations

(Please refer to the table below.)
  • Select view:
  • To compare the software in this project to the software available in other distributions, please see our Compare Packages page.
  • Notes: In case where multiple versions of a package are shipped with a distribution, only the default version appears in the table. For indication about the GNOME version, please check the "nautilus" and "gnome-shell" packages. The Apache web server is listed as "httpd" and the Linux kernel is listed as "linux". The KDE desktop is represented by the "plasma-desktop" package and the Xfce desktop by the "xfdesktop" package.
  • Colour scheme: green text = latest stable version, red text = development or beta version. The function determining beta versions is not 100% reliable due to a wide variety of versioning schemes.
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Feature 4.1.2
Release Date 2025-03-17
End Of Life  
Price (US$) Free
Image Size (MB) 600-1500
Free Download ISO
Installation Graphical
Default Desktop Xfce
Package Management DEB
Release Model Fixed
Office Suite LibreOffice
Processor Architecture i386, x86_64
Init Software systemd
Journaled File Systems Btrfs, ext4, ReiserFS, XFS
Multilingual Yes
Asian Language Support  
Full Package List 4.1.2
Package 4.1.2
alsa-lib (1.2.14) 1.2.8
amdgpu (23.0.0) 23.0.0
apparmor (4.1.1) --
apt (3.1.2) 2.6.1
bash (5.2.37) 5.2.15
bind (9.20.10) --
chromium (137.0.7151.119) --
cinnamon (6.4.10) --
cups (2.4.12) --
e2fsprogs (1.47.2) 1.47.0
ffmpeg (7.1.1) --
firefox (139.0.4) 128.8.0
flatpak (1.16.1) --
freetype (2.13.3) 2.12.1
gcc (15.1.0) --
gimp (3.0.4) 2.10.34
git (2.50.0) --
glibc (2.41) 2.36
gnome-shell (48.2) --
grub (2.12) 2.06
gtk (4.18.6) 4.8.3
httpd (2.4.63) --
inkscape (1.4.2) 1.2.2
kmod (34.2) 30
krita (5.2.9) --
LibreOffice (25.2.4) 7.4.7
Package 4.1.2
libselinux (3.8.1) 3.4
linux (6.15.2) 6.1.128
mariadb (11.8.2) --
mate-desktop (1.28.2) --
mesa (25.1.3) 22.3.6
mysql (9.3.0) --
nautilus (48.2) --
NVIDIA (575.64) --
openjdk (24.0.1) --
openssh (10.0p1) 9.2p1
openssl (3.5.0) 3.0.15
perl (5.40.2) 5.36.0
php (8.4.8) --
plasma-desktop (6.4.0) --
postfix (3.10.2) --
postgresql (17.5) --
Python (3.13.5) 3.11.2
qt (6.9.1) 5.15.8
samba (4.22.2) 4.17.12
systemd (257.6) 252.36
thunderbird (139.0.2) --
vim (9.1) 9.0
vlc (3.0.21) 3.0.21
wayland (1.23.1) 1.21.0
xfdesktop (4.20.1) 4.18.1
xorg-server (21.1.18) 21.1.7

Reader Ratings
Reader supplied reviews for MiniOS

Average rating
8.9
from 7 review(s)



What are your thoughts on MiniOS?
Please include a few pros and a few cons, along with your overall impression of the operating system.
Our FAQ page has tips on writing a good mini-review.

Version:

Rating:    out of 10

Your review (minimum 250 words):




Past reviews - sort by:

Version: 4.1.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-06-11
Votes: 1


I discovered this distro in 2025 (searching a linux with 32-bit uefi support) and i am very pleased with the preinstalled tools (especially toolbox version). Is based on debian so you can install all the applications you need.
I use it on slow computers and is running just fine. From web browsing to play movies, recovering files, remote connection and virtual machine technology...alll working just fine.
You can make a test using live-cd and install it if you like it. I really recommend it.
Congratulations to the authors ! i will check for updates


Was this review helpful? Yes No
Version: 4.1.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-05-29
Votes: 6


I have been using MiniOS for over 3 years now and I think this distribution is the best implementation of Debian for a flash drive. I don't know exactly what technologies the authors used, but MiniOS is worthy of being a benchmark for performance: the system boots quickly and works just as fast even when using old, slow flash drives. Since I work as a system administrator, I often have to use this system in my work, for which I have built several modules with the software I need, using the built-in tools for creating modules. I congratulate the developers on such a wonderful distribution and really hope that they will not stop there and continue to develop the project.


Was this review helpful? Yes No
Version: 4.1.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-05-25
Votes: 6


For my part, I am glad that I found this distro. I have also been using Thomas Mateicek's script for a long time. I have found that you can only make a working build from a pure Debian installation, because the rest either fail, or the mouse will not work even with a close relative (ubuntu). I do not make an iso file from the finished build. I just empty everything from the boot folder except for initrfs.img and vmlinuz. I place the prepared finished build folder on an ext4 file system, insert it into the ventoly grub menu, or place it in a linux file system, insert it into the host-linux grub menu with puppy linux frugal install, and always load it into RAM, because there is enough of it. I have been looking for a mini Debian distro for a long time in which the network manager works well and the wifi is ready to work, and I finally found the standard version with you. ... Thank you! I loaded this into the RAM using my own method, before that I edited the config file to my liking. After booting, I only had to set the keyboard to Hungarian in the internal settings menu and I installed everything I needed into the system. Then I copied the vmlinuz file from your original build to the root of the file system (I was able to do it because there was no kernel update in the meantime) and with the help of the Live Linux Kit I made my own build with an sb module from it. It is about 1.1GiB in size. Thank you. I will read more from you on how to update the kernel. ... Best regards, CsIxy


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See all 7 reader reviews of MiniOS...



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