This is a list of Linux distributions that can be run entirely from a computer's RAM, meaning that once the OS has been loaded to the RAM, the media it was loaded from can be completely removed, and the distribution will run the PC through the RAM only. This ability allows them to be very fast, since reading and writing data from/to RAM is much faster than on a hard disk drive or solid-state drive. Many of these operating systems will load from a removable media such as a Live CD or a Live USB stick. A "frugal" install can also often be completed, allowing loading from a hard disk drive instead.
This feature is implemented in live-initramfs and allows the user to run a live distro that does not run from ram by default by adding toram to the kernel boot parameters.[1]
Additionally some distributions can be configured to run from RAM, such as Ubuntu using the toram option included in the Casper scripts.[2]
| + Linux distributions that run from RAM | |||||
| Distribution | Based on | data-sort-type=numeric | RAM required | installation drive/required size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Linux[3] [4] | Independent | align=center data-sort-value="64" | base system uses less than 64 MB | CD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| antiX Linux[5] | Debian | align=center data-sort-value="256" | 256 MB | CD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| Arch Linux | Independent | align=center data-sort-value="400" | 400 MB | CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| AUSTRUMI[6] | Slackware | align=center data-sort-value="100" | less than 100 MB | CD – DVD – USB flash drive | |
| CoreOS[7] | Independent | align=center data-sort-value="2048" | 2048 MB | USB flash drive – HDD | |
| Debian Live[8] | Independent | 780 MB (required), 2048 MB (recommended)[9] [10] | DVD – USB flash drive – HDD – Secure Digital | ||
| Grml[11] | Debian | align=center data-sort-value="256" | 256 MB (required), 512 MB (or more, recommended) | CD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| Kanotix[12] | Debian & Knoppix | align=center data-sort-value="1024" | 1024 MB | CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| Knoppix[13] | Debian | align=center data-sort-value="1024" | 1024 MB | CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| Lightweight Portable Security (LPS), currently known as Trusted End Node Security (TENS)[14] | Thinstation | align=center data-sort-value="1024" | 1024 MB (basic), 1.5 GB (deluxe) | CD – USB flash drive | |
| Nanolinux[15] | Tiny Core Linux | align=center data-sort-value="64" | 64 MB[16] | CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| Parted Magic[17] | Independent | align=center data-sort-value="175" | 175 MB – 312 MB | CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| PCLinuxOS[18] | Mandriva | align=center data-sort-value="1024" | 1024 MB | CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| Porteus | Slackware | align=center data-sort-value="512" | 512 MB | CD – DVD – USB flash drive | |
| Puppy Linux | Independent | align=center data-sort-value="64" | 64 MB (required), 512 MB (recommended)[19] | CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| Slax[20] | Debian and Slackware 15.0.0 | align=center data-sort-value="512" | 512 MB | CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD | |
| SliTaz[21] | Independent | align=center data-sort-value="192" | 192 MB (48 MB for base) | CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD[22] – Floppy disk[23] | |
| Tails[24] | Debian | align=center data-sort-value="2048" | 2048 MB (recommended) | DVD – USB flash drive – HDD – Secure Digital | |
| Tin Hat Linux[25] | Hardened Gentoo | align=center data-sort-value="4096" | 4096 MB | ||
| Tiny SliTaz[26] | SliTaz | align=center data-sort-value="4" | 4 MB | CD – USB flash drive – HDD – Floppy disk | |
| Tiny Core Linux[27] | Independent | align=center data-sort-value="46" | 46 MB | CD – HDD – USB flash drive |