Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Porteus VS TinyCore

Compare Porteus VS TinyCore and see what are their differences

Porteus logo Porteus

Learn how to install Porteus, about Porteus modules and getting porteus to work with wifi internet.

TinyCore logo TinyCore

Simple operating system based on Linux that uses "modules", and loads everything into RAM. Can be persistent too.
  • Porteus Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-22
Not present

Porteus features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Porteus is a small and lightweight Linux distribution that can run efficiently on older hardware with limited resources.
  • Portable
    Designed to be used as a portable system that can be run from a USB drive, making it convenient for on-the-go use.
  • Modular Design
    Users can easily add or remove modules, allowing for customized software environments without installation.
  • Fast Boot Time
    Porteus boasts fast boot times due to its small size and efficient design, making it ideal for quick access.
  • Minimal Resource Usage
    Thanks to its minimalistic approach, it uses very little RAM and CPU, ensuring smooth operation even on low-end machines.

Possible disadvantages of Porteus

  • Limited Software Repository
    Porteus may have a smaller range of pre-packaged software compared to larger distributions, which might require users to compile software from source.
  • Less Community Support
    Being a niche distribution, Porteus has less community support compared to more popular Linux distributions, potentially making troubleshooting harder.
  • Not Ideal for Beginners
    Its modular system and need for manual configuration can be challenging for Linux beginners used to more user-friendly distributions.
  • Persistence Configuration Required
    Running it from a USB drive without persistence means any changes or installed applications are lost after reboot unless persistence is manually configured.
  • Limited Multimedia and Gaming Support
    Due to its focus on lightweight efficiency, Porteus may not handle multimedia and gaming tasks as well as more resource-rich distributions.

TinyCore features and specs

  • Lightweight
    TinyCore is extremely lightweight, with the smallest version requiring only 11 MB of disk space, allowing it to run on older hardware with limited resources.
  • Fast Boot Time
    Due to its lightweight nature, TinyCore boots very quickly, often in just a few seconds, providing a snappy and efficient startup process.
  • Modularity
    TinyCore follows a modular approach, allowing users to add only the components they need, which keeps the system lean and efficient.
  • Minimalism
    The minimalistic design of TinyCore helps in focusing on essential applications and services, reducing bloatware commonly found in other distributions.
  • Customizability
    Users have the flexibility to customize their environment extensively, tailoring the operating system to their specific requirements.

Possible disadvantages of TinyCore

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Beginners might find TinyCore challenging to use initially due to its minimalistic approach and need for manual configuration.
  • Limited Applications
    The default base system doesn't include many applications, so users will need to manually download and install additional software.
  • Lack of Standard Features
    Features standard in other distributions, like a full desktop environment, are not present by default and require additional setup.
  • Dependency Management
    Due to its modular approach, managing software dependencies can be cumbersome and prone to errors without careful management.
  • Limited Support Community
    Compared to larger distributions, TinyCore has a smaller user community, which might make finding support and documentation more difficult.

Porteus videos

Porteus 4.0 Portable Linux OS

More videos:

  • Review - Porteus OS - Slackware con Cinnamon REVIEW
  • Review - Porteus Kiosk: Simple Web Browsing OS for Old Computers!

TinyCore videos

No TinyCore videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Porteus and TinyCore)
Linux
69 69%
31% 31
OS & Utilities
49 49%
51% 51
Linux Distribution
100 100%
0% 0
System & Hardware
46 46%
54% 54

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Porteus and TinyCore

Porteus Reviews

Best Linux distros of 2021 for beginners, mainstream and advanced users
While you can carry and use virtually all Linux distros from a USB drive, Porteus is one of the few that’s been designed specifically for this use case.

TinyCore Reviews

We have no reviews of TinyCore yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Porteus should be more popular than TinyCore. It has been mentiond 5 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Porteus mentions (5)

  • I want to have a USB specifically for linux andI dontknow what size
    There are lighter options, Porteus can is ~300MB for a desktop system. Source: over 2 years ago
  • I’m bored of windows. And I know almost nothing about coding or the command line. I want to run a distro off a USB, what should I choose?
    Porteus is also designed for this purpose. Loads into RAM and is very fast. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • I just bought an old USB key and found two partitions one is empty and the other contains a picture of a couple does anyone recognizes the couple or have any info that can help me find its owner.
    Or use a disposable os in a usb key like this one http://porteus.org/. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • A distro to run out of an USB stick
    Porteus is what I've been playing with, as it is impressively tiny, but there are many options. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Old 32-bit machines - How can we best keep them relevant?
    Porteus seems to be still supporting 32 bits. Source: over 3 years ago

TinyCore mentions (1)

  • please help me how do i install sudo apt
    "core only" from https://distro.ibiblio.org/tinycorelinux/downloads.html. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Porteus and TinyCore, you can also consider the following products

DietPi - Dietpi is a debian based operative system made to install new apps easyer.

Plop Linux - Plop Linux is a small distribution built from scratch that can boot from CD, DVD, USB flash drive...

FatDog64 - FatDog64 is the lightweight 64-bit multi-user Linux distribution.

CRUX Linux - CRUX is a lightweight Linux distribution for the x86-64 architecture targeted at experienced Linux...

Lubuntu - Lubuntu is a fast and lightweight operating system with a clean and easy-to-use user interface. The core of the system is based on Linux and Ubuntu. Lubuntu uses the minimal desktop LXDE, and a selection of light applications.

DebianDog - DebianDog is very small Debian Live CD shaped to look and act like Puppy Linux.