BunsenLabs Linux

Overview

BunsenLabs Linux is a free, open-source Linux distribution based on Debian. Designed with lightweight, elegant, and highly customizable core principles, it's specifically designed for users with older hardware and those seeking a minimalist desktop. It's community-maintained and hosted at bunsenlabs.org. It supports x86_64 and i386 architectures (with partial ARM support in testing), is suitable for desktops and laptops, and provides the Openbox window manager as the default desktop. BunsenLabs uses a rolling release model, emphasizes low resource usage (minimum 512MB RAM, 4GB disk space), uses the apt package manager, and comes pre-installed with Firefox, LibreOffice, VLC, and other software. It also supports Flatpak and Snap.

History and Development

• Origins:
  • 2015: The BunsenLabs project was launched by Philip Newborough (@corenominal) as the spiritual successor to CrunchBang Linux, which ceased development in June 2015.
  • Inspired by CrunchBang's Openbox + Debian combination, but optimized for a more stable Debian base.
• Development History:
  • 2015: The first version, Hydrogen, was released, based on Debian 8 "Jessie" and introducing Openbox 3.5.12 and the Conky configuration.
  • 2016: The Helium version was based on Debian 8.7, with optimized installation scripts and themes.
  • 2018: The Lithium version was based on Debian 9 "Stretch" and added more custom scripts.
  • 2020: The Beryllium version was based on Debian 10 "Buster" and optimized for resource usage. - January 2024: Boron release, based on Debian 12 "Bookworm," kernel 6.1, Openbox 3.6.1, and Wayland beta support.
• Community and Support:
  • Maintained by Philip Newborough and the community, hosted at bunsenlabs.org, GitHub, and forums (forums.bunsenlabs.org).
  • Supports English and some Chinese (via Openbox setup). Documentation covers installation and customization.
  • Reddit user calls "BunsenLabs Boron a lifesaver for older hardware."
• Open Source Licenses:
  • GPL v3 (core scripts), MIT (some tools).

Key Features

BunsenLabs is built around Openbox customization, Debian stability, and a lightweight design, perfect for desktop users. Here are its key features:

1. Openbox Window Manager
   • Default is Openbox 3.6.1, a lightweight WM that supports keyboard shortcuts, menus, and theme customization.
2. Conky and Scripting Tools
   • Pre-installed Conky (system monitoring) and custom scripts (such as conkyrc and obmenu-generator).
3. Debian-Based Stability
   • Based on Debian 12 "Bookworm," with 5 years of support.
   • Uses the apt package manager and supports Flatpak and Snap.
4. Pre-installed Software
   • Pre-installed Firefox, LibreOffice, VLC, and GIMP, with support for multiple languages.
5. Hardware Compatibility
   • Supports older hardware (minimum 1 GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB disk space). Kernel 6.1 is compatible with Intel, AMD, and Nvidia.
6. Security and Privacy
   • ufw firewall enabled by default, ZFS supported.
   • No data collection.
7. Development Support
   • Pre-installed Python 3 and Git, with support for Flatpak and Snap.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• Lightweight and elegant:
  • Openbox takes up 300-500MB of RAM, better than FunOS's JWM.
  • Post X said, "BunsenLabs Boron's Openbox theme is so elegant."
• Debian stability:
  • 5 years of support, suitable for long-term operation.
• Customizable:
  • Conky and scripting tools are superior to the complex VM of wQubes OS.
• Community-friendly:
  • Active forum with Openbox tutorials.
• Low requirements:
  • Suitable for older hardware, better than the high-spec configuration of Qubes OS.

Limitations

• Limited Customization:
  • Openbox is simple but lacks extensions, better than DSL's Fluxbox but not as good as Xfce's Linux Lite.
• Limited ARM Support:
  • The ARM version is in beta, not as good as Raspberry Pi OS.
• Community Size:
  • Smaller than Ubuntu or Arch Linux, with limited Chinese documentation.

Summary

BunsenLabs Linux is a free, open-source, Debian-based Linux distribution. The latest version, Boron (January 2024), is based on Debian 12 "Bookworm" and features Openbox 3.6.1 and kernel 6.1, supporting both x86_64 and i386. It is lightweight (300-500 MB of RAM), elegant, and highly customizable, offering apt package management. BunsenLabs' Openbox customization and Debian stability are prominent, but the community is small and ARM support is limited.