Got an old PC? Omega Linux can make it feel new again – here’s how
Got an old PC? Omega Linux can make it feel new again – here’s how
Publish Date: 2026-03-02 12:02:00
Source Domain: www.zdnet.com
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Omega Linux is a lightweight Linux distro.
- Based on Arch, Omega is a rolling release.
- Omega is free to install and use.
Do you have an old PC lying around just waiting to serve as your secondary desktop machine, or a way to take your first steps with Linux?
Maybe you want to skip the Ubuntu track and go with a Linux distribution that is regularly updated, lightweight, blazingly fast, and incredibly reliable. If that’s the case, don’t overlook Omega Linux.
Omega Linux is an Arch-based Linux distribution that was created to be an OS perfectly suited for older, lesser-powered hardware. This distro can run on:
- 1GB of RAM
- 1 core CPU at 1.5 GHz
- 15GB of storage
Also: Have an old PC? These 5 lightweight Linux distributions will bring it back to life
Those system requirements cover machines built in the last decade.
What Omega offers
- A lightweight Linux distribution based on Arch Linux
- A rolling release distribution, so it’s always up to date
- A minimal collection of software that you can build on
- The LXDE desktop environment
- The systemctl init system
- Firefox, Mousepad, Vim, and a few other preinstalled apps
- The pacman package manager
What Omega doesn’t offer
- A full collection of software out of the box
- A GUI app store
One of the most impressive things about Omega Linux is that, during my testing, I found it to typically use less than 1% of the CPU when idle. In other words, the OS uses very few system resources, which frees them up for applications.
The OS uses so few system resources.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Who Omega Linux is for
Omega Linux is an ideal distribution for those who want to revive aging PCs but also prefer Arch Linux and don’t mind using the command line (at least to start).
Who Omega Linux is not for
If you’re new to Linux, Omega Linux might not be your best option, especially if you’ve never used the command line. If, however, you are interested in learning the command line, Omega…
