Super lightweight distro??

ssjwizard · 05-02-12, 01:43 PM

Ok guys I'm looking for an extremely lightweight distro for my extremely paranoid friend. He is running an old C2D machine and wants to do all of his web browsing through a VM. So what were basically looking for a distro that can run virtualized with a minimal CPU and RAM footprint with good web browser and flash support. Desktop environment is totally flexible aslong as its not a resource hog.

\dev\goat · 05-02-12, 01:49 PM

http://crunchbanglinux.org/

TalRW · 05-02-12, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssjwizard

Ok guys I'm looking for an extremely lightweight distro for my extremely paranoid friend. He is running an old C2D machine and wants to do all of his web browsing through a VM. So what were basically looking for a distro that can run virtualized with a minimal CPU and RAM footprint with good web browser and flash support. Desktop environment is totally flexible aslong as its not a resource hog.

He can try Trisquel GNU/Linux and use the mini edition which is lightweight because it is meant for netbooks and older computers. If he is paranoid it is all free (libre) software meaning every single program has the source code available so he can study it to his heart's content if he wants to make sure his programs work the way he wants them to.

It is one of the 9 distros endorsed by the GNU project.

wagex · 05-02-12, 07:13 PM

idk if you can run it through virtual machine... but damn small linux? or puppy linux? why is he so paranoid? lol

ssjwizard · 05-02-12, 07:38 PM

No particular reason hes just paranoid by nature. The kind of guy who wouldn't google dominos for fear that there gona do something with his information..... Hes a linux user already on Ubuntu but he wants to isolate his primary OS from the internet.

Im checking out #! right now it seems pretty light and responsive. Im still open to suggestions for this. Ill be testing for a week or more before I go to set him up with this as I dont want to do it more than once.

TollhouseFrank · 05-03-12, 12:40 AM

damn small or puppy linux. both fit on mini-cd's (50mb distros)

ssjwizard · 05-03-12, 12:48 AM

Ya but what is the web support on a distro that small?

markp1989 · 05-03-12, 06:02 AM

I would say ChromiumOS as that can be vitalized and is more or less a bootable web browser, depends on weather your friend has an issue with using google products.

http://chromeos.hexxeh.net/

although I'm not sure how having a dedicated VM just for web browsing will increase his privacy the servers he connects to will still log his home IP and his ISP will still be able to log any data he sends over his connection.

johan851 · 05-03-12, 10:29 AM

Quote:

although I'm not sure how having a dedicated VM just for web browsing will increase his privacy the servers he connects to will still log his home IP and his ISP will still be able to log any data he sends over his connection.

Yeah, this. It doesn't really change anything from the internet's perspective. It does make him safer from browser-based exploits though.

habbajabba · 05-03-12, 02:01 PM

Chromium? May as well join facebook & twitter, and use an android or crapple phone for all the privacy you'll get. I'd install salineos, compile midori 0.4.4 (it's in git but not the repo's) and run the private browsing version. Saline is not only fast but easy to use being debian.

TollhouseFrank · 05-03-12, 05:43 PM

last time i used dsl, it had firefox preinstalled.

now granted, i haven't used it in a couple-3 years so i don't know what browser it comes with now.

Neuromancer · 05-03-12, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markp1989

I would say ChromiumOS as that can be vitalized and is more or less a bootable web browser, depends on weather your friend has an issue with using google products.

http://chromeos.hexxeh.net/

although I'm not sure how having a dedicated VM just for web browsing will increase his privacy the servers he connects to will still log his home IP and his ISP will still be able to log any data he sends over his connection.

If he is paranoid offering him a google designed operating system is like offering a pyromaniac gasoline.

If he is TRULY paranoid then you want to lookinto Secure Linux. Linux distros that are designed from teh ground up to prevent snooping.

Probably be more lightweight by default too since security is in fact REMOVING things not adding things.

ssjwizard · 05-03-12, 06:14 PM

@neuro thanks for the recommendation Ill look at it.

So I know that it doesnt particularly matter that hes surfing from a VM but this is his reasoning. He can set it up once and get it all tuned up how he wants without having to disable cookes, and scripts, and all the other crazy things hes already doing. Then save the entire VM into an archive file on his machine. Then he can setup a script to automatically extract ontop of the VM folder at startup. In essence it allows him to eliminate his paranoia about cookies and cross site scripts because everytime he logs on its a fresh clean OS, without having to alter his usage behaviors on the main OS.

Neuromancer · 05-03-12, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssjwizard

@neuro thanks for the recommendation Ill look at it.

So I know that it doesnt particularly matter that hes surfing from a VM but this is his reasoning. He can set it up once and get it all tuned up how he wants without having to disable cookes, and scripts, and all the other crazy things hes already doing. Then save the entire VM into an archive file on his machine. Then he can setup a script to automatically extract ontop of the VM folder at startup. In essence it allows him to eliminate his paranoia about cookies and cross site scripts because everytime he logs on its a fresh clean OS, without having to alter his usage behaviors on the main OS.

that makes sense, especially since, I can set opera to delete all private data every time I close it. (I don't because I want to retain browsing history and such as I have nothing to hide. I block goolge and facebook cookies and most all 3rd party ones...)

However a not exactly recent but fairly new security notice is that flash stores "cookies" so to speak and those are not deletable by any security software. they are flash files not cookies or anything, kinda like windows old index.dat files.

rishidev · 05-05-12, 02:28 AM

crunchbang indeed !!

puppy linux is awesome ...based on ubuntu10.04 ...ultrastable...use it on atom 1.66 n450 hyperthreaded crap-cpu use it to watch 720 p videos thru vga

C2D is highly overkill(too powerful)

for both the above distro's....i use atom crap with 2gb ram....even raspberry pi is better than what i have..

rishidev · 05-05-12, 02:31 AM

by the way im using chrome with 20 tabs in puppy to write this......support is excellent for both.

05-02-12, 01:43 PM	Thread Starter #1
ssjwizard Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, NM	Super lightweight distro?? Ok guys I'm looking for an extremely lightweight distro for my extremely paranoid friend. He is running an old C2D machine and wants to do all of his web browsing through a VM. So what were basically looking for a distro that can run virtualized with a minimal CPU and RAM footprint with good web browser and flash support. Desktop environment is totally flexible aslong as its not a resource hog. __________________ Life is what you make of it, we exist for the sole purpose of existing. Dont waste the universe efforts! All statements, imagery, and ideas contained within any posts are merely retold tales of fictional acts by a figment of the universe imagination. So your looking for an AMD FX motherboard, things you need to know. Whats the max safe temps/volts for an FX? Green Gorilla, CM 690-II nVidia, FX 8320, GTX 670, liquid cooled Liquid Fusion, CM 690-II, A8+6670 Dual GFX, liquid cooled Extreme evaporative water loop 450mm^3 water cooled beast - Incomplete
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05-02-12, 01:49 PM	#2
\dev\goat Member $\dev\goat's Avatar$ Join Date: May 2003 Location: South Carolina	http://crunchbanglinux.org/ __________________ Watercooled (build log) i7-2600k 5ghz 1.5v -- 2x MSI GTX570 SLI 8gb Samsung LV -- Silverstone Raven RV02 128gb Crucial m4 -- 240gb mushkin chronos -- 60gb mushkin chronos -- 8tb server Corsair TX850 -- Dell u2711 2560x1440
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05-02-12, 07:13 PM	#4
wagex Premium Member #13 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: newkirk, oklahoma	idk if you can run it through virtual machine... but damn small linux? or puppy linux? why is he so paranoid? lol __________________ rig-NZXT source 210 elite --serv-- generic rack mount---------------htpc-apex htpc case 2500k 4.5ghz 1.3v------------------ 2x e5345 xeon quad--------------------e6600 @ 3.0ghz p67-ud4 ------------------------------ s5000pslsata --------------------------- gigabyte g41 8gb gskill 2x4 1600 --------2x2gb samsung ddr2 667 fbdimms-----------2x2b ddr3 1600 6950 dirt 3 edition ----------------- onboard -----------------------------------HD 5450 corsair hx850-------------------------ocz 700w----------------------------------275w came with case custom loop --------------------------771 stock heatsinks---------------------xigmatek durin win 7x64------------------------------server 2008 r2 enterprise--------------win 7 64 bit steam user name : Wagex (you happy bro?) HEAT "You can't get magical Harry Potter temps with big overclocks, PHYSICS has a lot to do with it." -conumdrum
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05-02-12, 07:38 PM	Thread Starter #5
ssjwizard Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, NM	No particular reason hes just paranoid by nature. The kind of guy who wouldn't google dominos for fear that there gona do something with his information..... Hes a linux user already on Ubuntu but he wants to isolate his primary OS from the internet. Im checking out #! right now it seems pretty light and responsive. Im still open to suggestions for this. Ill be testing for a week or more before I go to set him up with this as I dont want to do it more than once. __________________ Life is what you make of it, we exist for the sole purpose of existing. Dont waste the universe efforts! All statements, imagery, and ideas contained within any posts are merely retold tales of fictional acts by a figment of the universe imagination. So your looking for an AMD FX motherboard, things you need to know. Whats the max safe temps/volts for an FX? Green Gorilla, CM 690-II nVidia, FX 8320, GTX 670, liquid cooled Liquid Fusion, CM 690-II, A8+6670 Dual GFX, liquid cooled Extreme evaporative water loop 450mm^3 water cooled beast - Incomplete
	QUOTE Thanks

05-03-12, 12:40 AM	#6
TollhouseFrank Senior Headphone Guru Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: T3h Intr@tub3z!	damn small or puppy linux. both fit on mini-cd's (50mb distros) __________________ Become a fan on Facebook! \| Help improve overclockers.com! Get involved! \| Follow us on Twitter!
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05-03-12, 12:48 AM	Thread Starter #7
ssjwizard Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, NM	Ya but what is the web support on a distro that small? __________________ Life is what you make of it, we exist for the sole purpose of existing. Dont waste the universe efforts! All statements, imagery, and ideas contained within any posts are merely retold tales of fictional acts by a figment of the universe imagination. So your looking for an AMD FX motherboard, things you need to know. Whats the max safe temps/volts for an FX? Green Gorilla, CM 690-II nVidia, FX 8320, GTX 670, liquid cooled Liquid Fusion, CM 690-II, A8+6670 Dual GFX, liquid cooled Extreme evaporative water loop 450mm^3 water cooled beast - Incomplete
	QUOTE Thanks

05-03-12, 06:02 AM	#8
markp1989 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: London	I would say ChromiumOS as that can be vitalized and is more or less a bootable web browser, depends on weather your friend has an issue with using google products. http://chromeos.hexxeh.net/ although I'm not sure how having a dedicated VM just for web browsing will increase his privacy the servers he connects to will still log his home IP and his ISP will still be able to log any data he sends over his connection. __________________ Part Time Member of the Overclockix team DESKTOP: i7 875k \| 4gb ddr3 \| evga P55 LE \| OCZ RevoDrive \| ATI 5850 Black Edition \| True Black \| Linux Mint "Lisa" HTPC: E3300 \| 4GB DDR2\| Zotac GeForce 9300-ITX-I-E \| three 2tb drives (4tb raid5) \| Pico PSU \| Mini Ninja \| XBMCbuntu PORTABLE: Nexus 7 \| Asus EEE transformer \| HP Touchpad \| 13" MacBook Pro (Late 2011 2.8Ghz i7,16GB RAM,240GB SSD) \| Nexus 4
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05-03-12, 02:01 PM	#10
habbajabba Member Join Date: Oct 2005	Chromium? May as well join facebook & twitter, and use an android or crapple phone for all the privacy you'll get. I'd install salineos, compile midori 0.4.4 (it's in git but not the repo's) and run the private browsing version. Saline is not only fast but easy to use being debian. __________________ Intel Northwood @3.06 GHz Biostar microatx 2 GB DDR2 675 Evga 8400gs Samsung 2232GW 2ms 22" Altec Lansing 2.1 w/remote Pioneer sata DVR-212D Burner Win7Ult 32bit WD cav blue 320gb Samsung F4 2tb WD cav blue 500gb CP850avrlcd ups
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05-03-12, 05:43 PM	#11
TollhouseFrank Senior Headphone Guru Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: T3h Intr@tub3z!	last time i used dsl, it had firefox preinstalled. now granted, i haven't used it in a couple-3 years so i don't know what browser it comes with now. __________________ Become a fan on Facebook! \| Help improve overclockers.com! Get involved! \| Follow us on Twitter!
	QUOTE Thanks

05-03-12, 06:14 PM	Thread Starter #13
ssjwizard Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, NM	@neuro thanks for the recommendation Ill look at it. So I know that it doesnt particularly matter that hes surfing from a VM but this is his reasoning. He can set it up once and get it all tuned up how he wants without having to disable cookes, and scripts, and all the other crazy things hes already doing. Then save the entire VM into an archive file on his machine. Then he can setup a script to automatically extract ontop of the VM folder at startup. In essence it allows him to eliminate his paranoia about cookies and cross site scripts because everytime he logs on its a fresh clean OS, without having to alter his usage behaviors on the main OS. __________________ Life is what you make of it, we exist for the sole purpose of existing. Dont waste the universe efforts! All statements, imagery, and ideas contained within any posts are merely retold tales of fictional acts by a figment of the universe imagination. So your looking for an AMD FX motherboard, things you need to know. Whats the max safe temps/volts for an FX? Green Gorilla, CM 690-II nVidia, FX 8320, GTX 670, liquid cooled Liquid Fusion, CM 690-II, A8+6670 Dual GFX, liquid cooled Extreme evaporative water loop 450mm^3 water cooled beast - Incomplete
	QUOTE Thanks

05-05-12, 02:28 AM	#15
rishidev Registered Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: linuxistan	crunchbang indeed !! puppy linux is awesome ...based on ubuntu10.04 ...ultrastable...use it on atom 1.66 n450 hyperthreaded crap-cpu use it to watch 720 p videos thru vga C2D is highly overkill(too powerful) for both the above distro's....i use atom crap with 2gb ram....even raspberry pi is better than what i have..
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05-05-12, 02:31 AM	#16
rishidev Registered Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: linuxistan	by the way im using chrome with 20 tabs in puppy to write this......support is excellent for both.
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