MiniOS and Vendefoul Wolf: Linux alternatives to resurrect PCs
It has been said many times that the Linuxverse is already saturated with GNU/Linux Distributions mothers and derivatives of large development teams and communities, and also of respines, which are personalized operating systems optimized by third parties (created by individuals, groups and small communities). And that, therefore, more applications and programs are needed, than new versions of GNU/Linux operating systems. Which is very true, and totally valid.
However, each new project, no matter how big or small, usually contributes an ingenious, original and valuable grain of sand in favor of the use and massification of GNU/Linux. For example, I have my own personal, personalized and experimental Respin MX, which I usually share with others for purely educational and learning purposes, on various topics such as Shell Scripting, and which is focused on modern computers with vast hardware resources. . While other projects like the ones we will see today, called «MiniOS and Vendefoul Wolf», which are based on Debian and Devuan, tend to focus more resurrect computers with few hardware resources and very old. Which makes them great alternatives to know, try and spread.
Debian 12 Bookworm Has Been Released: Release Details
But, before starting to read this post about the interesting Linux projects called «MiniOS and Vendefoul Wolf», we recommend the previous related post with Debian 12, for further reading at the end of the current one:
MiniOS and Vendefoul Wolf: GNU/Linux Distros to resurrect PCs
About MiniOS
Whether you are a regular user of Debian Distros or Debian-based GNU/Linux like MX/antix or others, or a novice or beginner user in GNU/Linux, and you have a computer with few hardware resources (Disk, Memory and CPU) or very old as a main computer or a separate one for testing, and you want to try something different miniOS It is undoubtedly a project that, despite not being recently created, has recently gained popularity and popularity within the Linuxera Community.
Since, this GNU / Linux distribution according to your development team in your Official website It is described as follows:
MiniOS is a light and fast Linux distribution designed to be installed on a USB stick. The MiniOS project was released in 2009 as a Linux distribution for USB drives based on Mandriva Linux. However, it was discontinued in 2013 due to the liquidation of Mandriva. The modern version of MiniOS has been released since 2020 and is based on Debian, one of the most popular and stable distributions.
However, today, It has several versions with different capacities and functionalities which make it ideal to test your ability to resurrect PCs with few hardware resources and very old. In addition, unlike other similar projects, it has a solid development team with experience and history, which means that it is not a passing project of someone for mere fun or personal initiative.
MiniOS is a modular and portable Linux distribution based on Debian, built using minios-live scripts, whose main objective is to provide the user with a complete and comfortable working environment for work, entertainment and creativity anywhere and on any compatible hardware. with x86, saving your personal data on removable media. MiniOS documentation in Spanish
Screenshots of the Distro
There is a lot that can be said about this Distro, but since it has a official website and lots of documentation in Spanish language, more a Telegram Group To support the Community, the ideal is to read, try and participate, little by little to know in depth the advantages and benefits that it can bring to many. Regardless of whether or not they have modern and robust equipment or an old one with few technical features.
However, below we leave you a few screenshots to validate how beautiful and functional it looks in each version offered:
Flux: 355 MB with 32/64 Bit ISOs
Minimum: 375 MB with 32/64 Bit ISOs
Standard: 565 MB with 32/64 Bit ISOs
Maximum: 695 MB with 64 Bit ISOs
Incredibly : 1370 MB with 64 Bit ISOs
Puzzles: With 2 64-Bit ISOs: A Base of 530 MB and a Full of 1660 MB.
Objectives of each generated version
And in case you want to see a good review in Spanish about MiniOS, we leave you the following link.
About Vendefoul Wolf
The following Linux project is not a Distro, it is rather a Respin Devuan. And your goals are very similar to mine. Respin MX, that is to say, it has training, educational and learning objectives on the use of GNU/Linux for beginner and new Linux users. But, by using Devuan instead of Debian.
Also, this Respin Devuan called Vendefoul Wolf (Vengeful Wolf, in Spanish) has the following differentiating characteristics of Devuan:
- It is based on Devuan 5 and comes with Kernels 6.1 and 6.4 already installed.
- It is focused on the Hispanic world, since, from the start, selecting "other languages" it is established in Spanish.
- Not only is it easy and quick to install, but it is very nice and light, thanks to low RAM consumption and its customized XFCE desktop environment.
- Amazingly, it includes MX Tools to increase its usability potential, both installed and in the form of a rescue Live USB.
- It includes a good collection of software already installed, for an average user, so that they can use and work optimally without having to have internet on a computer.
And lastly, and what catches my attention the most is his own software tool called PassWin, which is included for educational purposes, whose objective is "reset to zero" (delete) the password of the installed Windows operating system on any computer. Which makes it a great additional utility to try and test the security of Windows running a Live-USB with Linux, and in other cases, to be able to enter for actions to recover access and user data.
For now, and due to its recentness, this project does not have much documentation. But it offers a Download url or with a Telegram Group for support. And in case you want to see a good review in Spanish about Vendefoul Wolf we leave you the next link.
Screenshots of the Distro
Use of MX Tools
Using the PassWin tool
Summary
In summary, these 2 little-known alternatives to free and open operating systems called «MiniOS and Vendefoul Wolf», which are based on Debian and Devuan and tend to focus more resurrect computers with few hardware resources and very old They are, without a doubt, 2 Linux projects that are worth learning about, testing and disseminating for the benefit of the entire Free Software and Open Source Community. Therefore, without a doubt, and as usual, we invite you to download them, try them and tell us your impressions about it, via comments.
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