WattOS: Ubuntu-based lightweight distro

Watts it's a new distribution Ubuntu based Linux but adapted for machines with little power. It has low system requirements, which means that it can run on older computers.

This operating system comes in several versions:

• wattOS: The entry-level system with features like the Gnome desktop
• mWattOS: Uses the Xfce interface
• µWattOS: It has a command line interface and a lightweight GUI
• Substation: A server edition

The Realese Candidate 1 (RC1) just came out in January of this year.

Here are some screenshots of the system for you to take a look at. In addition, they will be able to see the applications that are installed by default.

As its name implies, this distribution seems to have an important commitment to ecology. The idea is that this distribution will provide a desktop very similar to Ubuntu (although it uses LXDE and Openbox instead of GTK + and Metacity) but for old, recycled or restored machines. On the other hand, they boast of including new tools to control energy use. I honestly did not find great innovations with respect to Ubuntu in regard to this last point that I mentioned.

This brings me to another question: it would be nice to be able to benchmark (test or control) the power consumption of the different Linux distros. On the other hand, going back to WattOS, if they want to position themselves as a "green" distro they should include tools that allow greater control over energy consumption / saving (for example, "out of the ordinary" tools to turn off the cdrom when it is not let's use, etc.) and that surpass the "classics" included in Gnome or KDE.

WattOS is currently at No. 64 from Distrowatch, the page that ranks the most popular Linux & BSD distros. Not bad, but still a long way from other ultra-light distros like Puppy, Vector Linux, etc. Despite this, it seemed like a very interesting alternative: hyper light and super fast.

To try it, download the Live CD ISO.