quickest-loading distro?

newbiesforever · 02-18-2007, 01:23 PM

Which distro loads the fastest? Is there no clear winner? My distro, MEPIS, isn't particularly slow, but still takes longer than Windows to get to the desktop.

acid_kewpie · 02-18-2007, 01:26 PM

not really a valid question... it's all down to what you run on it, what services, what desktop environment etc... you'll probably find something like slackware or debian will often be more streamline, but then probably less featureful and user friendly too. some versions of linux, like the one that runs on my router boot in about 15 seconds. not too handy for you to use though ehh?

craigevil · 02-18-2007, 02:04 PM

It all depends on the services that you boot with. Also depends on whether you automount other partitions.

I run Debian with KDE and I can cold boot into KDE in around 30 seconds, way faster than XP used to do on the same system.

saikee · 02-18-2007, 02:09 PM

Slax

It is small enough to reside wholly in the memory.

It uses a super quick filing system too.

Puppy isn't far off.

Troppix is very fast too but that is what we expect from any of the Slax family.

Berto · 02-18-2007, 03:10 PM

Vector for me. But "to get to the desktop" is really not what should be judged since even if windows does show you the desktop faster (it doesn't for me), you still have to wait a hell of a lot longer for it to be usable in windows.

phil.d.g · 02-18-2007, 03:34 PM

Ever since udev replaced hotplug I don't think I've ever had a distro boot significantly slower than Windows, my current Slackware install is a fair bit quicker.

Its all a moot point anyhow. Since the proper procedure to turning on a computer is to press the on button and go and make a brew

newbiesforever · 02-18-2007, 04:28 PM

[QUOTE=craigevil]It all depends on the services that you boot with. Also depends on whether you automount other partitions.

Automount? This is a different question, but could the issue of automounting be why certain distros don't cooperate in reading my Windows partition? I mean, could it be because they aren't automounting it? I haven't tried changing automount settings on anything before; my expertise is limited enough that that hadn't occurred to me.

SciYro · 02-18-2007, 04:38 PM

fastest loading distro = LFS with custom, init style one-script-per-runtime scripts, rather then rc style scripts.