Tiny Core Linux
Lightweight Linux distribution From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tiny Core Linux (TCL) is a minimal Linux kernel based operating system focusing on providing a base system using BusyBox and FLTK. It was developed by Robert Shingledecker, who was previously the lead developer of Damn Small Linux.[2][3] The distribution is notable for its small size (11 to 16 MB) and minimalism; additional functions are provided by extensions. Tiny Core Linux is free and open-source software licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2.[4]
 | |
Tiny Core Linux 7.1 | |
| OS family | Linux (Unix-like) |
|---|---|
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open source |
| Initial release | January 5, 2009 |
| Latest release | 16.0[1] / 31 March 2025 |
| Available in | English |
| Package manager | appbrowser (GUI) / tce (CLI) |
| Platforms | x86 x86-64 armv7 Raspberry Pi |
| Kernel type | Monolithic |
| Userland | BusyBox |
| Default user interface | FLWM |
| License | GNU GPLv2 |
| Official website | tinycorelinux |
Types
- Tiny Core (23 MB) is the recommended option for new users who have a wired network connection. It includes the base Core system and a dynamic FLTK/FLWM graphical user interface.[5]
- Core (17 MB) (also known as "Micro Core Linux") is a smaller variant of Tiny Core without a graphical desktop, though additional extensions can be added to create a system with a graphical desktop environment.[5]
- Core64 is a port to the x86_64 architecture with a 32-bit user land, i.e. it uses a 64-bit kernel and 64-bit modules, but it can use the same extensions as Core.[6]
- CorePure64 is a port of "Core" to the x86_64 architecture. 64-bit kernel and 64-bit extensions.[6]
- dCore (12 MB) is a core made from Debian or Ubuntu compatible files that uses import and the SCE package format,[7] a self-contained package format for the Tiny Core distribution since 5.x series.
- Core Plus (106 MB) is "an installation image and not the distribution".[5] It is composed of Tiny Core with additional functionality, most notably wireless support and non-US keyboard support.[5]
- piCore is the Raspberry Pi port of "Core".
System requirements
Minimal configuration: Tiny Core needs at least 46 MB of RAM in order to run, and (micro) Core requires at least 28 MB of RAM. The minimum CPU is an i486DX.[8]
Recommended configuration: A Pentium II CPU and 128 MB of RAM are recommended for Tiny Core.[8]
Design philosophy
The developers describe TCL as "a nomadic ultra small graphical desktop operating system capable of booting from cdrom, pendrive, or frugally from a hard drive."[9] As of version 2.8.1, the core is designed to run primarily in RAM but with three distinct modes of operation:
- "Cloud" or Internet mode — A "testdrive" mode using a built-in appbrowser GUI to explore extensions from an online application extension repository loaded into RAM only for the current session.
- TCE/Install — A mode for Tiny Core Extensions downloaded and run from a storage partition but kept as symbolic links in RAM.
- TCE/CopyFS — A mode which installs applications onto a Linux partition like a more typical Linux installation.[10]
Release history
| Version | Stability | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0[11][2] | Older version | January 5, 2009 |
| 2.0[12] | June 7, 2009 | |
| 3.0 | July 19, 2010 | |
| 4.0[13] | September 25, 2011 | |
| 4.7.7 | May 10, 2013 | |
| 5.0[11][14] | September 14, 2013 | |
| 5.0.1 | October 1, 2013 | |
| 5.0.2 | October 18, 2013 | |
| 5.1 | November 28, 2013 | |
| 5.2 | January 14, 2014 | |
| 5.3 | April 19, 2014 | |
| 5.4 | September 10, 2014 | |
| 6.0 | January 5, 2015 | |
| 6.1 | March 7, 2015 | |
| 6.2 | May 3, 2015 | |
| 6.3 | May 30, 2015 | |
| 6.4 | September 8, 2015 | |
| 6.4.1 | November 4, 2015 | |
| 7.0[15] | February 23, 2016 | |
| 7.1 | May 22, 2016 | |
| 7.2 | July 4, 2016 | |
| 8.0 | April 10, 2017 | |
| 8.1 | September 3, 2017 | |
| 8.2 | September 22, 2017 | |
| 9.0 | February 26, 2018 | |
| 10.0 | January 20, 2019 | |
| 10.1 | June 11, 2019 | |
| 11.0 | February 9, 2020 | |
| 11.1 | April 1, 2020 | |
| 12.0 | February 17, 2021 | |
| 13.0 | January 31, 2022 | |
| 14.0 | April 12, 2023 | |
| 15.0 | Supported version | February 22, 2024 |
| 16.0[16] | Latest version | March 31, 2025 |
See also
References
External links
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