Ceci est une ancienne révision du document !
MiniOS is both a new and an old Linux distribution. It is kind of a “retread”.
It was originally started in 2009, as a lightweight distribution, intended to be run from a USB stick, and based on Mandriva. It lasted as long as Mandriva, and when that project ended in 2013, so did MiniOS after being available for only four years. Seven years later, in 2020, it was resurrected, but based on Debian instead.
There is not a lot of information about MiniOS as it does not have a DistroWatch page, and there have been few reviews. Its aim is to be a “lightweight and fast distribution” that can be installed conventionally on a hard drive or run from a USB stick. That aim begs comparisons with other lightweight distributions also designed to be run from sticks, like Puppy Linux and SliTaz.
The MiniOS project seems to be run by just one anonymous developer. This is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself as several distributions are run by only one person but it does mean that if they get busy, lose interest, or die, then the distribution may not survive. Just something to keep in mind. With bigger developer communities, there is usually someone with the commitment, experience and enthusiasm to take over and keep things running.
Background
As of 2023, MiniOS comes in six different editions: Flux - a very lightweight version using Fluxbox, only minimal software, and no browser, 32- and 64-bit versions available, around 355 MB to download. Minimum - based on an older version of Debian with the Xfce desktop and minimal software included, 32- and 64-bit, around 375 MB. Standard - a few more features and the current version of Debian, Xfce desktop, 32- and 64-bit, around 560 MB. Maximum - a more complete desktop including office and media player software, 64-bit only, around 695 MB. Ultra - including virtualization and 3D modeling software, 64-bit only, around 1370 MB. Puzzle - a system builder version that offers modular additions, 64-bit only, 530 MB or 1660 MB.
One of the main factors that marks MiniOS as different, is its use of system configuration modules. These text files, used on boot-up, allow easy customization, which is very useful when booting from a USB. These can be saved for “persistence”, meaning they will automatically load on restart, and may be edited by hand.
As a project, MiniOS is lacking some things normally found in Linux distributions, including BitTorrent downloads, minimum system specifications, and any sort of checksums to ensure that your download is uncorrupted.
Getting MiniOS
All downloads are from the official website via https. I decided to try out the Minimal and Standard editions and so downloaded both.
The Minimal version is MiniOS Buster Xfce Minimum AMD 64 20230815_1045, and it was 373 MB to download. This release dates from 15 August, 2023, but is based on Debian 10.0 Buster, which was released on 6 July, 2019, making it four years old and two versions behind current.
MiniOS Bookworm XFCE Standard AMD 64 20230815_1122 was 596 MB to download. This release also dates from 15 August, 2023, and is based on Debian 12.0 Bookworm, released on 10 June, 2023, which is the current version of Debian.
Installing
I tested both by dropping the ISO files onto a USB stick equipped with Ventoy 1.0.95 and booted them up from there. No version of MiniOS is listed by Ventoy as having been tested and supported, but the MiniOS website says they will work on Ventoy and they do. Being based on Debian, it is not totally surprising that it works. MiniOS can also be booted using Rufus, Unetbootin, and BalenaEtcher, among other applications.
MiniOS can be booted in a UEFI or a traditional BIOS environment.
Each version comes with its own installer for hard drives or USB sticks, and offers a choice of file systems at installation including btrfs, ext 2, 3 or 4, fat32 and ntfs. I am not sure I have ever seen a Linux system running on those last two file systems! If you aren’t sure, then ext4 is a safe bet.
Trying out MiniOS
I started with a look at MiniOS Minimal. It boots up to a nice Xfce desktop with the classic simple menu. Indeed the whole thing is quite minimal and does not come with much at all. One of the things it does really lack is any sort of graphical software management to run updates or add applications. APT works fine from the command-line, and, once you run updates and upgrades, then the whole normal Debian repositories are available for use. Because this is based on Debian Buster, though, this means the repositories are similarly old and have old application versions.
The user case for having a current release based on four-year-old Debian 10.0 is not clearly explained in the rather “minimalist” MiniOS documentation, but perhaps it is to keep file sizes smaller. Regardless, here in 2023, it works but is not really a great choice.
I next gave MiniOS Standard a try. The website claims this version is “the most balanced version of the system, which combines compactness and necessary functionality along with a user-friendly interface.” It certainly does come with a few more features. Being based on the current Debian version, it has access to the current Debian repositories which include the newer application versions. All of that adds up to a better release.
Standard uses the popular “Whisker” menu in place of the normal Xfce menu, making it look and act much like Xubuntu does.
Both versions have pretty much stock “vanilla” Debian Xfce desktops, and will look familiar to anyone who has used Xubuntu, or Debian with Xfce in the past. In fact, if you choose Minimal, it really still is the past!
Settings
Both versions have normal Xfce settings menus, making customizing a familiar task for anyone who has used this desktop before.
The Minimal version comes with just two identical green MiniOS wallpapers, one with the logo and the other without. It has two window themes, Greybird and Raleigh, the latter of which makes it look like Windows 98. It also has four icon sets: elementary Xfce, dark, darker, and darkest, with dark as the default. They are all fine, look good, and do give a bit of customization.
The Standard version comes with 39 wallpapers, all of them MiniOS themed, but at least you get a variety of colors! You can always use your own wallpaper, too. There are still just two window themes provided, in this case Greybird and Greybird-dark.
Applications
MiniOS Minimal includes the old Xfce 4.12 desktop from Debian Buster. The applications included are: Firefox 102.14.0 ESR - web browser Htop 2.2.0 - system monitor Mousepad 0.4.1 - text editor Ristretto 0.8.3 - image viewer Thunar 1.8.4 - file browser Thunar Bulk rename 1.8.4 - file renamer Xarchiver 0.5.4.14 - file archiver Xterm 344-1 - terminal emulator
and that is pretty much it, living up to its name! As can be seen, it is lacking a lot of applications typically found in most distributions such as an email client, office suite, audio and video player, or even a PDF reader! Also missing is something we software reviewers need, the Xfce screenshot tool, xfce-screenshooter.
Probably most notably, there is no graphical software management application to run updates or install any applications. Because MiniOS is based on Debian, APT works fine for these tasks from the command-line. After running updates and upgrades, the whole Debian repository is there to install any desired applications. I added Synaptic as a simple graphical package manager, and Evince for PDFs. Even though they are old versions, the Buster repositories have such programs as LibreOffice, GIMP, and Chromium. They also have xfce-screenshooter available and so I was able to get some screenshots for this review, too.
MiniOS Standard adds some elements to the bare basics found in Minimal including the more modern Xfce 4.18 desktop. It doesn’t add many additional applications though, only: xfce4-screenshooter 1.10.3 - screenshot tool Remmina 1.4.2.9 - remote desktop client
The inclusion of the screenshot tool in MiniOS Standard by default was appreciated, but there is still no graphical software management. As with Minimal, by running updates and upgrades from the command-line with APT, I was able to install Synaptic and any other needed applications. Of course, if you are like me and enjoy using APT from the command-line, then you will find MiniOS already has everything it needs to get started.
Because both these versions require command-line skills, neither are really suitable for Linux beginners. The skimpy documentation provided on the official website is not much help either. There is a Telegram channel and the GitHub forum for support, but they seem rarely used. Because MiniOS is based on Debian, the parent distribution’s much more extensive documentation may be of more help.
Comparisons
It is tempting to compare MiniOS in its Minimal and Standard versions to other small live USB-oriented distributions such as Puppy Linux and SliTaz, but those two distributions are generally lighter, more complete and ready to use, not to mention more Linux beginner-friendly.
In many ways, MiniOS is comparable to SpirialLinux, both being distributions that really package Debian in ways that make it more ready to use out-of-the-box, at least for experienced Linux users.
Conclusions
MiniOS Minimal and Standard both provide nice, simple Xfce desktops. They both work well and, even though they come with very little in the way of application software, can be customized with anything needed from the Debian repositories.
Unless you have a very specific reason to be using a version of Debian that is old and out of date, I would recommend just downloading Standard and skipping Minimal.
Due to its reliance on command-line use and minimal documentation, this is not really a distribution for Linux beginners, but may appeal to users with some experience who are looking for something light and fast.
External links
Official website: https://minios.dev/en/