Tag: x86

TOP 10 Linux distributions offering support for 32-bit architecture in 2025

2025-02-072025-01-30 by pavroo

The beginning of 2025, as always, brings new releases of various Linux distributions, mainly 64-bit, but we should not forget about the still active, maybe already outdated 32-bit hardware architecture (i686). Some open-source projects are still actively developing this architecture, it should be borne in mind that it will disappear completely in the near future.

It should also be taken into account that home computer users still have working laptops or desktops with 32-bit processors that still fulfill their tasks.

My list provides information about Linux-related projects collected on the Linuxiarze.pl portal, that still support 32-bit systems. The list of Linux 32-bit distributions contains only ACTIVE projects, without awarding points and stars, which can be done by any of you.

1. Debian GNU/Linux

Debian is one of the oldest Linux distributions valued for its stability, excellent package management system that automatically solves dependency problems and security.
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2. SparkyLinux

SparkyLinux is a Linux distribution built on Debian. It has a pre-installed rich set of programs, codecs and plugins that allow you to work freely on your computer.
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3. Damn Small Linux

Damn Small Linux (DSL) is a minimalist Live distribution built on Knoppix. DSL takes up about 50MB and does not require installation on the hard drive and the default desktop is JWM and Fluxbox. The last version based on antiX was released in 2024.
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4. Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux is an independent Linux distribution designed to support routers, VoIP gateways and network firewalls. It is intended to work in embedded devices.
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5. NixOS

NixOS is an independent GNU/Linux distribution developed since 2003. NixOS stands out from other distributions with its innovative way of managing packages and building the structure of system directories.
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6. antiX

antiX is a Live distribution designed for older computers. The default system desktop is IceWM. By design, antiX is designed to provide a lightweight but fully functional operating system.
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7. MX

MX is a Linux distribution built on top of antiX. The system uses the Xfce desktop by default. The project is developed in cooperation with the Mepis distribution community.
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8. GParted LiveCD

GParted (GNOME Partition Editor) is a tool for managing disk partitions. The program allows you to create, copy, read, delete, move, and resize partitions. It supports many types of file systems, such as Btrfs, ext2, ext3, ext4, FAT16, FAT32, HFS, HFS+, JFS, SWAP, NTFS, Reiser4, ReiserFS, UFS and XFS.
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9. Q4OS

Q4OS is a Linux distribution based on the stable branch of Debian GNU/Linux. It features the classic look of the Trinity Desktop Environment (TDE) along with a collection of basic applications.
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10. Porteus

Porteus is a Linux distribution based on Slackware. It is a community fork / continuation of the Slax distribution and is built from modules. The Porteus project was founded in early 2010 as “Slax Remix”.
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Ten post dostępny jest również w języku polskim: https://linuxiarze.pl/top-10-dystrybucji-linux-32-bit-2025/

ArchStrike

2024-10-212024-10-18 by pavroo

Web site: archstrike.org Origin: USA Category: Security, Pentest Desktop environment: Openbox Architecture: x86, x86_64 Based on: Arch Linux Wikipedia: Media: Live DVD The last version | Released: 2021.12.31 | December 31, 2021 Zobacz po polsku: ArchStrike ArchStrike (formerly: ArchAssault) is a non-profit organization that provides repositories and a Linux distribution for security, privacy, and security ... Read more

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ClearOS

2024-10-212024-10-16 by pavroo

Web site: clearfoundation.co.nz Origin: New Zealand Category: Server, Firewall Desktop environment: CLI, Web-interface Architecture: x86, x86_64 Based on: Red Hat Wikipedia: ClearOS Media: Install DVD The last version | Released: 7.9.1 | October 13, 2021 Zobacz po polsku: ClearOS ClearOS (previously: ClarkConnect) – a Linux distribution based on CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It ... Read more

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Wombat

2024-10-212024-10-11 by pavroo

Web site: www.ertos.nicta.com.au (not active) Origin: Australia Category: embedded Desktop environment: CLI Architecture: x86, ARM, MIPS Based on: Independent Wikipedia: Wombat Media: Install The last version | Released: 2.6.9.1 | 2011 (?) Wombat – a high-performance virtualised Linux operating system created by Open Kernel Labs, a spin-off of National ICT Australia’s (now NICTA) Embedded, Real ... Read more

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Zonbu OS

2024-10-212024-10-09 by pavroo

Web site: zonbu.com (not active) Origin: USA Category: Desktop Desktop environment: Xfce Architecture: x86 Based on: Gentoo Wikipedia: Zonbu Media: Install The last version | Released: build 1445 | 2008 Zonbu OS – a Gentoo-based Linux distribution created by USA company Zonbu, and targeted to their own computers Zonbu Mini. The Zonbu OS distro had ... Read more

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VideoLinux

2024-10-212024-09-30 by pavroo

Web site: videolinux.net (not active) Origin: United Kingdom Category: Multimedia Desktop environment: KDE Architecture: x86 Based on: PCLinuxOS Wikipedia: Media: Live CD The last version | Released: 2.1 Alpha | July 1, 2006 VideoLinux – a PCLinuxOS-based Linux distribution with focus on DVD backups, video encoding and transcoding, DVD authoring, format conversion and anything else ... Read more

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ValEnt

2024-10-212024-09-23 by pavroo

Web site: valentlinux.org (not active) Origin: unknown Category: Desktop Desktop environment: unknown Architecture: x86 Based on: unknown Wikipedia: Media: Live CD The last version | Released: unknown ValEnt – a live Linux distribution targeted to home and small office users. It requires i586 (32bit) CPU, 256MB of RAM memory, and 4 GB of hard drive ... Read more

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Other operating systems still support the 32 bit architecture in 2023

2024-08-212023-01-29 by pavroo

The present, second list in 2023 is related to the first Linux x86 distributions of 2023, and lists other operating systems that still offer x86/i386-i686 architecture support.

My list of operating systems below is not based on the Linux kernel, but is related to open-source projects and systems from the family: BSD, Solaris, Unix, DOS, AROS and others, independently developed.

I hope that the following 32-bit operating systems will interest you at least a little bit, but keep in mind that 32-bit architecture is slowly becoming a thing of the past.

9front

Plan9front (or 9front) is an open source operating system that is a fork of Plan 9, created by the folks at Cat-V. The project was started to address the lack of dedicated development resources at Bell Labs and to make various fixes and improvements.
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9legacy

9legacy used to be an alternative distribution of Plan 9 from Bell Labs and is now a continuation of Plan 9. It is a set of regularly updated patches based on the latest release of Plan 9 from Bell Labs.
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AROS ONE

AROS One is a complete distribution of the Aros operating system, intended for users of personal computers (desktop).
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BSDRP

The BSD Router Project (BSDRP) is an open source FreeBSD distribution, an embedded system, for network routers. By default, the system uses the free software Quagga, which is an implementation of TCP/IP-based routing protocols, and Bird, an open source implementation of an Internet protocol package for routing (calculating a route and sending a data packet over a computer network), for unix-like systems.
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FreeBSD

FreeBSD is a Unix operating system from the BSD family, compliant with the Posix standard. The founders of the project were Nate Williams, Rod Grimes and Jordan Hubbard. The development of the project is supervised by the Core Team, which supervises the work of official developers and other programmers.
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FreeDOS

FreeDOS is an open source, free operating system, compatible with the no longer developed MS DOS. The project was founded in 1995 by American programmer Jim Hall. FreeDOS is an open source alternative to MS DOS, after the end of development of this system by Microsoft in 1994.
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FuguIta

FuguIta is a Live CD/USB operating system based on OpenBSD. It is characterized by a very low demand for computer power. The minimum requirements to run the Live system are an i386 class processor and 48 MB of RAM (in text mode).
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Haiku

Haiku is an open source operating system aimed at PC users. Haiku was inspired by the Be Operating System (BeOS). The goal of the Haiku project is compatibility with BeOS R5 at the source and binary level, which is to allow the compilation and execution of applications written for BeOS.
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HelenOS

HelenOS is a portable, open-source operating system based on a multi-server microkernel design and implemented from scratch. The HelenOS source code is written in C and published under the BSD license.
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Icaros Desktop Live

Icaros Desktop Live! is a complete distribution of the Aros operating system, intended for users of personal computers (desktop).
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KolibriOS

KolibriOS is a very small and lightweight operating system with a monolithic kernel, designed for 32-bit x86 machines. KolibriOS fits on a standard 1.44MB floppy disk and requires 8MB of RAM. The larger version of KolibriOS has additional software and is available as an iso image of approximately 5MB.
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MidnightBSD

MidnightBSD is a Unix operating system from the BSD family, developed since 2007. It is based on FreeBSD and is designed for personal computers. The system’s graphical interface is borrowed from the NEXTSTEP system and the system configuration uses GNUstep.
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MikeOS

MikeOS is an operating system for computers with x86 processors, written in assembly language. It is a learning tool that demonstrates how simple real-mode 16-bit operating systems are, with well-annotated code and extensive documentation.
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MorphOS

MorphOS is a 32-bit operating system designed for machines compatible with the Amiga computer, equipped with a PowerPC processor, Pegasos and Efika motherboards. The system has been developed since 2000 by the MorphOS Development Team.
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NetBSD

NetBSD is a free, free, secure, and highly portable Unix based operating system in the BSD family. The project was created in 1993 on the basis of the 4.3BSD Net/2 code and its continuation 386BSD. The main goal of the project is to provide a high-quality, stable and available operating system for a large number of devices.
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NexentaStor

NexentaStor is a Unix operating system based on the illumos kernel and a direct fork of OpenSolaris. NexentaStor is optimized to operate in the areas of: virtualization; SAN (Storage Area Network) – mass storage network; NAS (Network Attached Storage) – a technology that allows you to connect disk storage resources directly to a computer network…
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NomadBSD

NomadBSD is a live USB system based on FreeBSD. Automatic device detection and default settings are configured to use a desktop system that works “out of the box” and can also be used as a rescue system to recover lost data.
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OpenBSD

OpenBSD is a Unix-based standalone operating system from the BSD family. The project was created in 1995 as a result of a split in the NetBSD team. The founder of OpenBSD was Canadian programmer Theo de Raadt.
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PonyOS

PonyOS is an open source UNIX hobby operating system based on ToAruOS. The system is developed by the same developer as ToAruOS and is aimed at “pony people like you”.
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ReactOS

ReactOS is an open source operating system which is intended to be binary compatible with applications and drivers created for MS Windows NT 5.x. The project has been developed since 1998 and is still in the development phase (alpha). The very idea of an open operating system was created in 1996 under the name FreeWin95, intended to be a clone of operating systems from the Windows 9x family.
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Redox

Redox OS is an independently developed, Unix-like operating system released under the MIT license. Redox uses its own microkernel and is written in the Mozilla Rust programming language. It has support for the ZFS file system and includes UNIX commands.
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RISC OS

RISC OS is an operating system created by Acorn Computers in 1987. The system was intended for Archimedes personal computers, based on the ARM chipset. In the following years, the system was developed by the following companies: Element 14, RISCOS Ltd., Pace Micro Technology, RISC OS Select and Castle Technology.
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Tribblix

Tribblix is an operating system distribution derived from OpenSolaris, OpenIndiana and illumos, with a retro style and modern components. The kernel and commands come from illumos, with a few components currently repackaged from OpenIndiana (mainly X11 and a few others); almost everything else was repackaged from sources.
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Wpis dostępny również w języku polskim: https://linuxiarze.pl/2023-inne-systemy-operacyjne-x86/

Linux distributions still support the 32 bit architecture in 2023 part3

2024-08-212023-01-07 by pavroo

Peppermint OS

Peppermint OS is a general purpose Linux distribution based on Debian and Devuan (formerly Lubuntu). By design, Peppermint is supposed to be a lightweight, fast system that does not consume large computer resources.
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PLD

PLD (PLD Linux Distribution) is a Polish Linux distribution developed since 2002 (first release). The system is designed for network servers and workstations for advanced users.
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Porteus

Porteus is a Linux distribution based on Slackware. It is a social fork / continuation of the Slax distribution and is built of modules. The Porteus project was founded in early 2010 as “Slax Remix”.
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PrimTux

PrimTux is a Debian-based stable Linux distribution developed by a small team of teachers and computer enthusiasts in an educational environment.
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Puppy Linux

Puppy Linux is an independent distribution started by Barry Kauler in 2003. Puppy Linux Community is currently developing the system.
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Q4OS

Q4OS is a Linux distribution based on the Debian GNU/Linux stable branch. It features the classic look of the Trinity Desktop Environment (TDE) desktop along with a collection of essential applications.
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Refracta
$refracta 8$

Refracta is a distribution of the Linux operating system aimed at home computer users. Refracta can be used as a rescue system and for recovering data from the disk.
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Rescatux

Rescatux is an emergency Linux distribution built on Debian from the stable branch. Rescatux comes with the graphical Rescapp program.
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ROSA

ROSA is a Live distribution developed by part of the development team that worked on Mandriva.
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Salix OS

Salix OS is a distribution in development since 2009, it is built on Slackware and fully compatible with it. Salix is fast and easy to use, system management is done via graphical interface or command line.
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Skolelinux

Skolelinux aka DebianEdu is a specially prepared Linux distribution aimed at schools and universities. The system is built entirely on Debian from the stable branch, which contains about 75 typically educational applications and 15 enabling network configuration in school environments.
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Slackel

Slackel is a Greek Linux distribution built on and fully compatible with Slackware and Salix OS. The system includes the current version of Slackware and the latest version of the KDE desktop environment.
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Slackware

Slackware is the oldest active Linux distribution developed by Patrick Volkerding.
The first version was released in July 1993 and was based on SLS Linux.
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Slax

Slax is a Linux distribution built on the top off Slackware by Tomáš Matějíček. The system is built of modules that can be added or removed, which affects the speed of the system. Now is based on Debian.
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SparkyLinux

SparkyLinux is a Linux distribution built on Debian. It has a pre-installed rich set of programs, codecs and plug-ins enabling free work on the computer.
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Tiny Core

Tiny Core is one of the smallest Linux distributions that run in graphical mode. It is an independent distribution, but derived from the no longer developed Damn Small Linux.
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Vitalinux

Vitalinux is a GNU/Linux distribution developed in Aragon (Spain) based on Ubuntu. Vitalinux comes with the MigasFree systems management system.
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Void

Void Linux is a standalone general purpose Linux distribution. The system is equipped with a hybrid package manager “XBPS”, which allows you to install, update and remove packages, as well as build applications from source packages. At the moment, there are about 4500 packages in the repositories of the system.
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YunoHost

YunoHost is a Debian-based Linux distribution aimed at facilitating quick server setup and web application hosting. The distribution can be managed with a custom command line tool or through the web admin panel.
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Linux distributions still support the 32 bit architecture in 2023 part2

2024-08-212023-01-06 by pavroo

GNUinOS

GNUinOS is a fork of the Devuan GNU/Linux distribution that uses the Openbox window manager. It is very lightweight, comes with the linux-libre kernel, and is focused on general purpose computers. The project aims to create a distribution fully approved by the FSF.
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GParted LiveCD

GParted (GNOME Partition Editor) is a disk partition management tool. The program allows you to create, copy, read, delete, move and resize partitions. It supports many types of file systems, such as Btrfs, ext2, ext3, ext4, FAT16, FAT32, HFS, HFS+, JFS, SWAP, NTFS, Reiser4, ReiserFS, UFS and XFS.
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Grml

Grml is a live distribution built on Debian from the stable branch.
It contains a set of tools (mostly text) for system administrators.
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GuixSD

GuixSD (Guix System Distribution) is an independent GNU/Linux distribution centered around the GNU Guix package manager. The distribution uses the Linux-libre kernel, and has support for the GNU Hurd, which is under development. In February 2015, GuixSd was added to the Free Software Foundation’s list of free distributions.
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Hyperbola

Hyperbola GNU/Linux-Libre is an open source project providing a completely free and free GNU/Linux-libre operating system. Hyperbola is based on Arch Linux, includes security patches from Debian, and optimized packages for the i686 and x86_64 architectures.
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Kali

Kali Linux is a specialized Linux distribution for security testing and cracking. The system is based on the Debian distribution from the testing branch and is equipped with the GNOME desktop.
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KNOPPIX

Knoppix was the first Linux distribution created as a Live CD/DVD, i.e. run from CD without installation, by the German engineer Klaus Knopper. The system is based on test Debian with the default LXDE graphical environment (CD version) and can be installed on a hard drive or a portable drive.
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Lion

Lion Linux is an operating system for desktops and laptops. It is designed to work “out of the box” and is fully loaded with apps that most people need.
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LxPup

LxPup is a Linux distribution based on Puppy. LxPup offers LXDE as the default desktop environment, Openbox as the window manager, LxPanelX (a fork of LxPanel, and the PCManFM file manager.
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Mageia

Mageia (Greek: magic) is a fork of Mandriva. It was created in 2010 and is being developed by a non-profit organization consisting of former Mandriva employees and the community gathered around the project.
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LMDE

Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) is built on Debian packages from the testing branch. Just like the Ubuntu-based version, it comes with non-free codecs and drivers installed by default, so novice users have no problem playing popular audio and video files.
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Miyo

MiyoLinux is a Devuan-based, Refract-based minimalist Linux distribution. The system uses Openbox as the default window manager, which is ideal for older or resource-constrained computers. Iso images equipped with IceWM, JWM and i3 are also available.
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MX

MX is a Linux distribution built on top of antiX. The system uses the Xfce desktop by default. The project is developed in cooperation with the Mepis distribution community.
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nakeDeb

nakeDeb is a French Debian-based Linux distribution planned to accompany the kissballad project.
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NixOS

NixOS is an independent GNU/Linux distribution developed since 2003. NixOS stands out from other distributions with its innovative way of managing packages and building the structure of system directories.
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OLPC

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is an initiative to create low-cost laptops with a pre-installed operating system and a set of applications for children in developing countries.
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openmamba

openmamba GNU/Linux is an independent Linux distribution aimed at users of personal computers (Intel i686 compatible). The system can be used on notebooks, desktops and servers.
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Pentoo

Pentoo is a live Linux distribution for network testing, station security, and intrusion detection. Includes GPGPU password cracking tools configured with openCL and CUDA.
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