wattOS

Overview

wattOS is a free, open-source, lightweight Linux distribution based on Debian. Designed with simplicity, minimalism, and efficiency at its core, it's specifically designed for reviving older hardware or resource-constrained devices. Maintained by a team of US developers, it supports the x86_64 architecture, ships with the LXDE desktop environment by default, and provides the Calamares graphical installer and apt package manager. WattOS uses a fixed-release model, emphasizes low resource usage (approximately 4GB of disk space and 500-700MB of RAM after installation), and comes pre-installed with essential applications (such as VLC, Firefox, and Transmission), making it suitable for daily office work, multimedia, and lightweight development. The latest version is wattOS R13 (released in January 2024), based on Debian 12 "Bookworm," powered by Linux kernel 6.1, and supports Wayland and UEFI.

History and Development

• Origins:
  • 2012: The wattOS project was launched by American developer Ron Lee, with the goal of providing a lightweight Ubuntu-based distribution suitable for low-power and older computers.
  • Early versions were based on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and used the Openbox window manager.
• Development History:
  • 2014: wattOS R8 was released, based on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, switching to the LXDE desktop for improved user-friendliness.
  • 2016: wattOS R10 was based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, with performance optimizations and more pre-installed software.
  • 2020: Migrated to a Debian-based repository to provide a more stable repository. - January 2024: wattOS R13 will be released, based on Debian 12 "Bookworm" and featuring the LXDE desktop, kernel 6.1, experimental Wayland support, and an emphasis on energy efficiency and minimal design.
  • 2025: R14 is planned, based on Debian 13 "Trixie" with improved ARM support and UEFI.
• Community and Support:
  • Maintained by Ron Lee and a small team, hosted on planetwatt.com, SourceForge, and a forum (planetwatt.com/forum).
  • Supports English and some Chinese (via LXDE setup). Documentation covers installation and configuration.
  • Reddit users call wattOS "a good lightweight Debian alternative."
• Open Source License:
  • GPL v2 (core), MIT (some tools).

Key Features

wattOS is designed to be lightweight, user-friendly, and efficient, suitable for older hardware. Here are its key features:

1. Lightweight LXDE Desktop
   • LXDE is used by default, consuming approximately 300-500 MB of RAM, and supporting Wayland (experimental).
2. Debian Repository and apt Management
   • Based on Debian 12 "Bookworm," it provides a stable repository and supports apt and Synaptic.
3. Essential Pre-installed Software
   • VLC, Firefox, Transmission, LibreOffice, and more are pre-installed, with support for Flatpak and Snap.
4. Performance and Hardware Support
   • Minimum requirements: 512 MB RAM, 4 GB disk (1 GB RAM, 10 GB disk recommended). Kernel 6.1 supports Intel, AMD, and Nvidia. - Uses 300-500 MB of RAM and 1-10% of CPU at idle.
5. Security and Configuration
   • ufw firewall enabled by default, supports ZFS.
6. Development Support
   • Pre-installed Python 3 and Git, and supports Flatpak and Snap.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• Lightweight and Efficient:
  • Uses 300-500 MB of RAM, suitable for older hardware.
  • Post X claims, "wattOS R13 runs as smoothly as Windows on an old PC."
• User-Friendly:
  • The Calamares installer and pre-installed software reduce the learning curve.
• Debian Stability:
  • Based on Debian 12, with long-term support.
• Energy Efficiency:
  • Designed for low power consumption, suitable for laptops.
• Community Support:
  • Active forum with tutorials.

Limitations

• Community Size:
  • Smaller than Ubuntu or Arch Linux, with documentation primarily in English.
• Limited ARM support:
  • The official ARM version is a beta version and not as good as Raspberry Pi OS.
• Software compatibility:
  • Based on Debian 12, it may lack the latest software.

Summary

wattOS is a free, open-source Linux distribution based on Debian. Its latest version, R13 (January 2024), features Linux kernel 6.1 and the LXDE desktop, supporting the x86_64 architecture. Designed for simplicity, minimalism, and efficiency, wattOS offers the Calamares installer and apt package management. While wattOS is known for its energy efficiency and lightweight design, it has a small community and limited ARM support.