Tiny Core Linux

Last updated
Tiny Core Linux
Tcl logo.png
Tiny Core Linux 7.1 screenshot.png
Tiny Core Linux 7.1
OS family Linux (Unix-like)
Working stateCurrent
Source model Open source
Initial releaseJanuary 5, 2009;15 years ago (2009-01-05)
Latest release 15.0 [1] / 22 February 2024;16 days ago (22 February 2024)
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.net

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]

Contents

Types

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. [7]

Recommended configuration: A Pentium II CPU and 128 MB of RAM are recommended for Tiny Core. [7]

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." [8] As of version 2.8.1, the core is designed to run primarily in RAM but with three distinct modes of operation:

Release history

VersionStabilityRelease date
1.0 [10] [2] Stable versionJanuary 5, 2009
2.0 [10] [11] June 7, 2009
3.0 [10] July 19, 2010
4.0 [10] [12] September 25, 2011
4.7.7 [10] May 10, 2013
5.0 [10] [13] September 14, 2013
5.0.1 [10] October 1, 2013
5.0.2 [10] October 18, 2013
5.1 [10] November 28, 2013
5.2 [10] January 14, 2014
5.3 [10] April 19, 2014
5.4 [10] September 10, 2014
6.0 [10] January 5, 2015
6.1 [10] March 7, 2015
6.2 [10] May 3, 2015
6.3 [10] May 30, 2015
6.4 [10] September 8, 2015
6.4.1 [10] November 4, 2015
7.0 [10] [14] February 23, 2016
7.1 [10] May 22, 2016
7.2 [10] July 4, 2016
8.0 [10] April 10, 2017
8.1 [10] September 3, 2017
8.2 [10] September 22, 2017
9.0 [10] February 26, 2018
10.0 [10] January 20, 2019
10.1 [10] June 11, 2019
11.0 [10] February 9, 2020
11.1 [10] April 1, 2020
12.0 [10] February 17, 2021
13.0 [10] January 31, 2022
14.0 [10] April 12, 2023
15.0 [10] Latest versionFebruary 22, 2024

See also

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References

  1. "Tiny Core v15.0". 22 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Interview with Robert Shingledecker, creator of Tiny Core Linux". DistroWatch Weekly. March 23, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  3. Shingledecker, Christopher (July 4, 2020). "Prof. Dr. Christopher N. Shingledecker, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Benedictine College". shingledecker.org. Benedictine College. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  4. Shingledecker, Christopher. "Frequently Asked Questions". Tiny Core Linux.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Robert Shingledecker (2012). "Downloads - Tiny Core Linux" . Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  6. Juanito. "dCore-5.0.alpha1 released" . Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Robert Shingledecker. "Frequently Asked Questions: What are the minimum requirements?" . Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  8. Robert Shingledecker (December 1, 2008). "Welcome to The Core Project - Tiny Core Linux" . Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  9. Robert Shingledecker. "Tiny Core: Core Concepts" . Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Final Releases – Release Announcements and Change log from Tiny Core Linux Forum
  11. Smart, Christopher (2009-08-06). "Tiny Core: The Little Distro That Could | Linux Magazine". Linux Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-02-02. Retrieved 2020-09-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 440, 23 January 2012
  13. DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 527, 30 September 2013
  14. Tiny Core Linux 7.0 [LWN.net]