Linux Lite 4.8

As the lightweight distro now welcomes Windows 7 EOLers, Mayank Sharma wonders if Lite is the right option?

- Mayank Sharma

MIN SPECS

CPU: 1GHz
RAM: 768MB
HDD: 8GB
Build: 64-bit only with seperate images for UEFI/ Secureboot machines.

Linux Lite is a stalwart in the league of beginner-friendly distros, as the project has been putting out releases since 2012. From the get-go its raison d’être has been to present Linux as an appealing option to users looking for refuge from Windows. It does so by mixing familiar mainstream apps with customised ones to ease regular desktop configuration and administration tasks. Its latest release reenforces this view by moving forward its scheduled release date to coincide with Windows 7’s End of Life.

To mark the occasion, Linux Lite 4.8 features a special wallpaper that is a throwback to the default wallpaper on Windows 7. The layout of the distro’s customised Xfce desktop will also appeal to Windows 7 users, with a panel at the bottom that houses the application launcher in the left corner, and the network, volume and clock applet on the other end. The icons on the desktop have been labelled as per their names in Windows, such as Recycle Bin and Control Panel, for added familiarity.

Another useful familiarity feature is the