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Light-weight Linux distribution
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<p>A light-weight Linux distribution is a <a href="/facts/Linux_distribution/0vVl4N4f">Linux distribution</a> that uses lower memory and processor-speed requirements than a more "feature-rich" Linux distribution. The lower demands on hardware ideally result in a <a href="/facts/Responsiveness/80sDpDoI">more responsive machine</a>, and allow devices with fewer <a href="/facts/System_resource/bX958SEx">system resources</a> (e.g. older or <a href="/facts/Embedded_system/a4muX1wU">embedded hardware</a>) to be used productively. The lower memory and processor-speed requirements are achieved by avoiding <a href="/facts/Software_bloat/glhQsSYt">software bloat</a>, i.e. by leaving out features that are perceived to have little or no practical use or advantage, or for which there is no or low demand. </p><p>The perceived weight of a Linux distribution is strongly influenced by the <a href="/facts/Desktop_environment/VXBpMWnG">desktop environment</a> included with that distribution. Accordingly, many Linux distributions offer a choice of editions. For example, <a href="/facts/Canonical_(company)/76WPw1uW">Canonical</a> hosts several variants ("flavors") of the <a href="/facts/Ubuntu_(operating_system)/0WDd7hkb">Ubuntu distribution</a> that include desktop environments other than the default <a href="/facts/GNOME/EFMNBmpR">GNOME</a> or the deprecated <a href="/facts/Unity_(user_interface)/azotpDlu">Unity</a>. These variants include the <a href="/facts/Xubuntu/GS5Lt0Er">Xubuntu</a> and <a href="/facts/Lubuntu/724LRCKQ">Lubuntu</a> distributions for the comparatively light-weight <a href="/facts/Xfce/dsDLWxx1">Xfce</a> and <a href="/facts/LXDE/knmvgsPm">LXDE</a> / <a href="/facts/LXQt/AH4hnqpY">LXQt</a> desktop environments. </p><p>The demands that a desktop environment places on a system may be seen in a comparison of the <a href="/facts/System_requirements/kqBn3P4d">minimum system requirements</a> of Ubuntu 10.10 and Lubuntu 10.10 desktop editions, where the only significant difference between the two was their desktop environment. Ubuntu 10.10 included the <a href="/facts/Unity_(user_interface)/azotpDlu">Unity</a> desktop, which had minimum system requirements of a 2 GHz processor with 2 GB of RAM, while Lubuntu 10.10 included LXDE, which required at least a Pentium II with 128 MB of RAM. </p>