This is a list of Linux distributions that can be run entirely from a computer's random-access memory (RAM), meaning that once the operating system (OS) has been loaded to the RAM, the media it was loaded from can be removed, and the distribution will run the personal computer (PC) from RAM only. This ability allows them to be very fast, since reading and writing data from and to RAM is far 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 initial ramdisks (initramfs) and allows a user to run a live distro that does not run from RAM by default by adding toram to the kernel boot parameters.
Further, some distributions can be configured to run from RAM, such as Ubuntu, using the toram option included in the initial ramdisk Casper utility scripts.
Table + Linux distributions that run from RAM Distribution Based on RAM needed Installing drive Latest release Alpine Linux Independent base system uses less than 64 MB CD – USB flash drive – HDD 2025-05-30Version: 3.22.0 antiX LinuxDebian 256 MB CD – USB flash drive – HDD 2026-03-21Version: 26Arch Linux Independent 400 MB CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD 2024-12-01Version: 2024.12.01Kernel: 6.12.1 AUSTRUMI Slackware less than 100 MB CD – DVD – USB flash drive 2024-04-05Version: 4.9.3 CoreOS Independent 2048 MB USB flash drive – HDD 2020-05-22Version: 2512.3.0Debian Live Independent 780 MB (required), 2048 MB (recommended) DVD – USB flash drive – HDD – Secure Digital 2025-05-17Version: 12.11Kernel: 6.1 Grml Debian 256 MB (required), 512 MB (or more, recommended) CD – USB flash drive – HDD 2025-05-15Version: 2025.05Kernel: 6.14.4 Kanotix Debian & Knoppix 1024 MB CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD 2024-04-01Version: Slowfire 2024Kernel: 6.6.13 Knoppix Debian 1024 MB CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD 2022-05-05Version: 9.3 Lightweight Portable Security (LPS), currently known as Trusted End Node Security (TENS) Thinstation 1024 MB (basic), 1.5 GB (deluxe) CD – USB flash drive 2021-04-30Version: 3.0.4.1 Lightwhale Independent 400 MB CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD 2026-05-01Version: 3.0.1Kernel: 6.19.5 Nanolinux Tiny Core Linux 64 MB CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD 2015-04-05Version: 1.3 Parted MagicParted Magic – About Independent 175 MB – 312 MB CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD 2025-01-22Version: 2025_01_22 PCLinuxOS Mandriva 1024 MB CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD 2024-10-17Version: 2024.10Kernel: 6.10.10 Porteus Slackware 512 MB CD – DVD – USB flash drive 2023-09-26Version: 5.01Kernel: 6.5 Puppy Linux Independent 64 MB (required), 512 MB (recommended) CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD 2025-02-13Version: BookwormPup64 10.0.10 Slax Debian and Slackware 15.0.0 512 MBCD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD 2023-10-10Version: 12.2.0 SliTaz Independent 192 MB (48 MB for base) CD – DVD – USB flash drive – HDD – Floppy disk 2023-10-01Version: 5.0Kernel: 3.2.53 Tails Debian 2048 MB (recommended) DVD – USB flash drive – HDD – Secure Digital 2026-08-19Version: 7.11 Tin Hat Linux Hardened Gentoo 4096 MB 2002-02-01Version: 1.0 Tiny SliTaz SliTaz 4 MB CD – USB flash drive – HDD – Floppy disk 2025-04-06 Tiny Core Linux Independent 46 MB CD – HDD – USB flash drive 2025-03-31Version: 16.0Kernel: 6.12.11
See also tmpfs; by mounting a tmpfs and running files that are placed on this, files and programs can be run from RAM, even on Linux distros that do not run completely in RAM Clustered file system; network file systems are another way to avoid needing to use a (slow) hard disk initrd ("initial ramdisk"), a scheme for loading a temporary root file system into memory in the boot process of the Linux kernel Light-weight Linux distribution List of live CDs List of tools to create bootable USB SYSLINUX, a suite of lightweight PC MBR bootloaders for starting up computers with the Linux kernel Windows PE, a non-Linux operating system that can also be run from RAM, but does not have all of the needed software
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