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Slax is a modern, portable, small, and fast Linux operating system with a modular approach and exceptional design. It runs directly from your USB flash drive without installation, and you can carry it in your pocket. Despite its small size, this OS provides a nice graphical user interface and a wise selection of pre-installed programs, such as a Web browser, Terminal, and more.
Slax is available in Slackware– and Debian-based editions, giving you access to the software repositories of either distribution. Tens of thousands of prebuilt software packages are available through the Slackpkg package manager on Slackware or the apt package manager on Debian.
Slax boots from USB mass storage devices such as flash drives as well as from regular hard drives and CDs/DVDs. Plug your device in and boot from it. The entire Slax operating system resides in a single /slax/ directory on your device, making it easy to organize alongside your other files.
It provides a FluxBox window manager already preconfigured for the most common tasks. Included applications are the Chromium web browser, the Xterm terminal emulator, the Leafpad text editor, and the Qalculate calculator. You can put Slax on a wide range of different filesystems, including EXT (ext2, ext3, ext4), btrfs, and even FAT and NTFS.
When Slax is booted from a read-only medium, such as a CD or DVD, all system changes are stored only in memory and are discarded after you reboot. On the other hand, if you run it from a writable device, such as a USB flash drive, it can store all changes. Your configurations and system changes are restored the next time you boot Slax, even on a different computer. This feature is known as Persistent Changes, and you can read more about it in a separate chapter.
Text-mode utilities included are:
- Archival utilities: comparable to gzip, bz2, cpio, tar, ARJ, ZIP, LHA, LZO, XZ
- Disk utilities: such as fdisk, gptdisk, parted, hdparm, sdparam, lvm2, mdadm
- Hardware monitoring tools: like dmidecode, lm_sensors, smartctl, powertop
- File system utilities: for ext2/3/4, btrfs, FATs, NTFS, reiserfs, xfs, jfs
- CD ripping/ burning software: comparable to cdparanoya, cdrdao, mkisofs
- Utilities for CPU overclocking, like cpufreq-info and cpufreq-set
- Data restoration tools: comparable to ddrescue, xfsdump, rsync, bpe
- Networking tools: comparable to tcpdump, iptraf, iftop, mtr, NC, FTP, netwatch
- Support Windows shares: by mounting with mount -t cifs
- Wireless tools: comparable to iw, rfkill, wpa_supplicant
- Other tools: like OpenSSH SSH server and client, screen, Midnight Commander, and more…
Choosing the Right Slax Architecture (32-bit or 64-bit)
Slax is available for 32-bit and 64-bit processor architectures. The 32-bit version can run on very old computers, including systems with Intel 686-class processors introduced in 1995. It also runs on modern computers, although it requires a slightly larger download than the 64-bit version. Furthermore, it has a limitation that a single application can address only 4GB of RAM.
By contrast, the 64-bit version has a smaller download size, is free from these limitations, and is compatible with most computers available today. So, in general, if you plan to use Slax on very old, archaic computers, then choose 32-bit. If your computer was manufactured in the 21st century, you should choose the 64-bit version of Slax. If you’re not sure which computer you’ll use, opt for the 64-bit version because almost all computers manufactured today support 64-bit architecture.
SLAX – Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✓ Runs directly from a USB drive or DVD without requiring installation, making it ideal for portable computing and system recovery. | ✗ Ships with only a minimal set of applications, so many additional programs must be installed manually. |
| ✓ Lightweight Linux distribution that boots quickly and performs well on older or low-resource computers. | ✗ Smaller user community than mainstream Linux distributions, resulting in fewer tutorials and third-party resources. |
| ✓ Supports persistent storage, allowing you to save files, settings, and installed applications between sessions when using writable media. | ✗ Some modern hardware may require additional drivers or manual configuration for full compatibility. |
| ✓ Available in both Debian- and Slackware-based editions, giving users access to extensive software repositories through APT or Slackpkg. | ✗ Not intended to replace a full-featured desktop Linux distribution for demanding daily workloads. |
| ✓ Completely free and open-source with support for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. | ✗ Advanced customization and command-line administration may require prior Linux experience. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Slax run without installing it on a hard drive?
Yes. Slax is designed as a live Linux operating system that can boot directly from a USB flash drive, hard drive, or CD/DVD without requiring a traditional installation. This makes it useful when you want a portable Linux environment or need to access a computer without modifying its existing operating system.
Does Slax save files and settings on a USB drive?
Yes. When run from a writable USB drive, persistent changes can save system modifications and restore them the next time you boot. When running from read-only media such as a CD or DVD, changes are stored in memory and are lost after reboot.
Which Slax version should you use, 32-bit or 64-bit?
The 32-bit edition is intended for very old computers with compatible processors, while the 64-bit edition is the better choice for most modern PCs. The article notes that 32-bit systems have a 4GB-per-application addressing limitation, whereas the 64-bit version does not have this limitation.
What is the difference between Slax and Puppy Linux?
Both are lightweight Linux distributions designed to work well on older or resource-constrained computers and can run from portable media. Slax emphasizes its modular design, Debian and Slackware bases, and persistent changes, while Puppy Linux is another lightweight option with its own package system and desktop environment.
What’s New in 12.2.0 and 15.0.4
- Fixed Debian and Slackware versions to run properly as they should
Official Homepage – https://www.slax.org
System requirements:
32bit version
- Processor: i686 or newer CPU; all Intel processors and AMD processors will work
- Memory: 128 MB of RAM for desktop, 512 MB of RAM to run a Web browser
- Peripherals: CD or USB drive to boot from
- Optionally: network card, sound card
64bit version
- Processor: An x86_64 CPU, like AMD Athlon 64, Opteron, Sempron, Intel Core 2/i3/i5/i7, and others
- Memory: 128 MB of RAM for desktop, 512 MB of RAM to run a Web browser
- Peripherals: CD or USB drive to boot from
- Optionally: network card, sound card
