Best linux portable usb distributions: puppy, gparted, elementary os ...

After seeing the best distributions that currently exist and their light versions , it is time to show you the best Linux portable USB distributions where we have a wide range of possibilities and cover any taste. As many of you know, they are operating systems that save us from a pure one and that are great for computers that do not have a hard drive or their resources are very limited. Here we go!

Best Linux distributions for Pendrive or USB

USB sticks have been completely supplanted by cloud storage services like Dropbox. But they can be used to increase your digital security. Better yet, by installing Linux on them, they can be used to keep your digital world in sync wherever you go, or to protect your computer when things go wrong.

We recommend the tutorial on how to store files in dropbox and Google Drive

When you travel on low cost airlines, you are limited to the luggage you can carry. Sometimes you have to leave your house without your machine. If your computer breaks, you may have to use someone else's, while you wait for Amazon to send you the replacement.

One of the best ways to solve this is by using a desktop Linux distribution on a USB drive and booting with what is necessary. But what should be installed for this? In most cases you will only need:

• USB stick or USB flash drive of 1GB or higher. Image or ISO of the chosen operating system. Read our tutorial on how to create a Bootable USB or read the installation documentation for each operating system (change accordingly).

Puppy Linux: our favorite that fits on an old pendrive

Puppy Linux has long been viewed as little more than a curiosity. Designed to be used in computers without hardware power. What's more I have seen it work comfortably in the first Pentium without too many problems.

Updates and new versions are still released regularly. It can run on low-end, low-power hardware computers. I love it!

There are three different versions of Puppy. One, called Puppy Slacko, which is based on SlackWare, which is one of the most established Linux distributions. Many people still use it as their daily operating system. The second is built around Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, called TahrPup, and a third version of Puppy is the main project, originally founded by Barry Kauler. The newer versions, named Quirky, have been built for the express purpose of running on a USB drive.

The distribution is recommended for those who want a minimalist system and / or who have a very old computer. The interface is a mix of JWM with Openbox.

It is also worth saying that I am very fond of her because thanks to her I have been able to save many files from Windows operating systems to my family and friends. It is a must on my list!

Elementary OS: the prettiest now portable

People have their own preferences when it comes to the Linux distribution they want to use. This distribution is often overlooked, especially by older siblings like Ubuntu and Linux Mint. That has never been understood, because in addition to being fast, and built on the solid base of Ubuntu LTS, it is also very customizable and similar to MAC OSX.

Since it shares a lot in common with Ubuntu, you can be sure that you don't have to deal with the issue of hardware compatibility. In addition, it turns out to be very pleasant, even in low-end hardware, such as notebooks and netbooks with modest processors such as: Intel Atom, Celeron or Pentium.

Gparted Live: Partition and resize to your liking

Hard drives are divided into pieces called 'partitions', do we know that? ? Your computer's hard drive may have only one partition for all your files and folders. Or it can have a partition for programs, and another for your documents and files. Or maybe you might need to modify these partitions to resize any of them, or completely eradicate them.

There is a common Linux tool that is used to manage these partitions called Gparted. Many distributions come with this tool pre-installed. But there is also a distribution that is centered around this tool and it's called Gparted Live.

By burning it to a CD (or better yet, a USB flash drive) you will be able to change the shape of your hard drive as you like. But be careful, as an error could potentially cause your hard drive not to boot or lose your valuable data.

AVG Rescue CD and BitDefender Rescue CD: the one that gets you out of trouble

When malware attacks, it may be the end. Your team works slowly, or maybe not. Everything you do on your computer can be monitored. Worse yet, many of the viruses and Trojans are designed to actively combat removal. Antimalware will be prevented from updating their definitions, or even from running. But you have alternatives. Through booting into a special Linux distribution, you can scan your system for problems and solve them.

It is worth noting that despite their names, they can also be recorded on a USB flash drive.

Slax: KDE environment and maximum simplicity

It fits quietly on any pen drive, uses the KDE desktop environment, and is based on the traditional Linux Slackware distribution. Slax is a compilation of Slackware (Slack for intimates) with the aim of containing the minimum possible dependencies, this makes the distribution well adjusted and still allows an even wider range of software.

Bodhi Linux: one of the best

Bodhi Linux is perhaps the most beautiful minimalist distribution. It is based on Ubuntu and uses the Enlightenment interface at the same time, but it has recently changed to a new one called Moksha Desktop.

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It cannot be said that the download is small, however, it is much less than that of any popular distribution today; Arch Linux, Gentoo, Ubuntu Mininal, Debian Net Install and the like do not enter this article for this reason.

SliTaz: light but pretty

35 MB and that's it! Do you want to know something more impressive? SliTaz needs 48 MB of RAM to function! But this is only true if you install it direct. If you run it through LiveCD, you will need 190 MB, but the size is still more than fine.

Obviously, with this small size, it is a simple and yet complete system. SliTaz offers a complete and highly functional desktop environment, based on LXDE and Openbox.

Tiny Core Linux: the smallest and most incredible of all

Here is a curious fact about Tiny Core: it is originally a part of another distribution that does not appear in this list: Damn Small Linux .

Today, Tiny Core is an independent project. Damn Small Linux (the initial base of the project) is a distro that is only 50 MB in size , and Tiny Core has 3 different versions. The "Core" version is only 8MB in size.

Of course, with a size of these it does not even have the graphical interface, it is only the command interpreter (terminal), but if the terminal is not your thing, do not worry; without going too far in size, we have TinyCore (the default version). This version is 12 MB in size, it has a graphic environment and Internet support via cable.

For those who are with a pen drive you can download the version of CorePlus, which has support for cable network and support for Wi-Fi .

Is it useful to have a distribution on a USB drive?

You might have the concern that when you run a desktop operating system on a USB flash drive and that you cannot save information but I remind you that for that purpose we can mount partitions or upload our data in the cloud: Dropbox, OneDrive or our beloved Drive.

It is becoming easier to use heavier distributions like Elementary OS or Ubuntu (which you can also) thanks to the cheap USB 3.0 flash drives, which is an increasingly common feature on laptops. This standard offers improvements in reading and writing, which is essential if you are running an operating system. Now it's our turn to ask you: What do you think of our guide to the best Linux portable USB distros? It has helped us to refresh this somewhat forgotten world online and have many more ideas for the future.

As always we recommend reading our tutorials and if you have any questions, you can contact us.