Best Lightweight Linux Distros Similar to Windows

DietPi

• Recommended for its simplicity and small footprint.
• Offers pre-configured tools like fail2ban and unbound.
• Suitable for headless setup.
• User Quote: "I started with DietPi on my raspberry pi 3b+ and have started to be so used to it that I even use it for my vms now."

Raspberry Pi OS Lite

• Lightweight version without desktop support or additional software.
• Official distro for Raspberry Pi known for being optimized for the Pi.
• User Quote: "Raspberry Pi OS Lite version is the way to go. No desktop support, no additional software."

Ubuntu Server

• Considered lightweight compared to standard Ubuntu.
• Comes with pre-configured settings but may require more setup.
• Suitable for server setups.
• User Quote: "I have no idea how small the footprint of Ubuntu Server is, but DietPi uses a small amount of ram and storage."

NixOS

• Customizable and allows for efficient configurations.
• Enables generating the same setup consistently.
• User Quote: "NixOS is where it's at. I've written a configuration for a minimal media server and can build an SD image that I just plug into the raspi and it works out of the box."

Alpine Linux

• Very lightweight and efficient.
• May have a learning curve due to different syntax.
• Suitable for specific use cases like Docker hosting.
• User Quote: "I am using Alpine Linux as dockerhost on rpi4. never had an issue."

Linux Mint XFCE

• A lightweight Linux distribution suitable for low-end hardware.
• Comes with XFCE desktop environment known for speed and efficiency.
• User Quote: "Just a heads up, depending on how old your hardware is, Linux might actually be worse for gaming than Windows. Mint XFCE is probably a good choice."

Questions and Recommendations

• Query: "Best Lightweight Linux Distros Similar to Windows"
• Mixed Responses: Users suggested various distros based on personal preferences and experiences, with some highlighting the importance of the desktop environment for system resources and performance.

This summary covers popular lightweight Linux distributions like DietPi, Raspberry Pi OS Lite, Ubuntu Server, NixOS, Alpine Linux, and Linux Mint XFCE recommended by Reddit users for a Windows-like experience.