 Visitor Reviews |
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Reader supplied reviews for Q4OS
Average rating
8.7 from 185 review(s)
Version: 6.2
Rating: 3
Date: 2025-10-28
Votes: 0
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Many users that rank Q4OS high are using the Trinity variant on old computers but what about KDE Plasma which Q4OS team evidently presents as their main offering, their "flagship" in a way?
Q4OS uses Calamares installer which normally makes installation a breeze. Debian proper offers Calamares with the live ISOs but these are oddly hidden from the public eye. Moreover Q4OS installer offers several "profiles": "desktop", basic, live, pure. This is nice. I went for "Desktop" for a first-hand experience of what Q4OS maintainers consider as ideal KDE.
Installation led me to an unmistakably vanilla-looking Plasma similar to the Plasma desktop you get in Debian or Fedora. I tried to track down the differences. Chromium instead of Firefox. Not my choice. KTorrent by default which cannot hold the candle to Qbittorrent. Clementine! Clementine is an example of pseudo-development. Its maintainer changes a letter in a translation and builds a new release out of it. It is a dead app. q4os team does not know that Strawberry Music Player exists. Same basically app with Clementine but in active development. ufw instead of firewalld with gufw as a gui instead of the integrated in KDE System Settings Firewall settings. ufw is more accessible but gufw (GTK3) has shown buggier behaviour in newer systems/distros. I have to give to Q4OS that at least their KDE is not bloated. No kmail/korganizer/akonadi services creating unneeded activity in the background.
Beyond the debatable choices for default applications, desktop is too vanilla, alarmingly vanilla Debian. Fastfetch says Debian 13 Trixie, system info in Plasma settings says Debian 13 Trixie, cat /etc/os-release says... Debian 13 Trixie. So what is this? Just Debian with Calamares?
There are only 3 apps that reminded me I have installed Q4OS and not plain Debian. "Software Centre", "Welcome Screen" and "Q4OS imager" for writing ISOs to USB sticks. Software Centre (uncommon BE spelling for an AE locale) is not a full-blown replacement for Discover but a "curated" collection of software. Something like "Q4os suggests". Well the collection is a mixed bag. Mostly a showcase for their copying of install-shield setup wizard. Guys these imitations of windows-styled installers do not look so polished against the backdrop of modern KDE. They look -and not amusingly so- retro in this context. 61 out of the 85 programs referenced in "Centre" have a rating lower than 5/10. Also it lists some unverified flatpaks while official debian packages are available from developers themselves.
This is a too thin, too weak, too unconvincing, too low-effort layer of customization on top of Debian proper. I noticed there was not any splash screen. I added "splash" to grub bootloader arguments. No joy. Plymouth and plymouth-themes are not installed by default. I have reasons to believe this is because Q4OS does not offer its own custom plymouth theme and all users can get is vanilla Debian boot screens. But if you're not going to provide a plymouth theme with your distro, then why the loglevel=3 grub boot argument, dearies?
Well KDE-Plasma looks like an afterthought for Q4OS. If you turn on "Show Hidden Files", you can find a bunch of hidden files that have nothing to do with KDE in your home directory: .trinity and .trinitykde folders, .compton-tde.conf, .gtkrc-lxqt-q4os (!). Compton? lxqt? These are obviously some common configuration files for the occasional Q4OS app.
But the worst thing about Q40S that negates in advance any argument of the type "We make installation of Debian easy for new Linux users" is that KDEWallet is not preconfigured for the user as system keyring. This is simply unacceptable for a distro that is around for years and does not purport to be hardcore-ish. New users who install Chrome, Vivaldi and a bunch of other high-profile apps that use system keyring to store credentials are in for a treat...
Sorry Q40S team but I will definitely direct my donations elsewhere...
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Version: 6.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-10-26
Votes: 7
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it's a distro that i can do more things compared to arch ( Manjaro )
After a recent update my cinnamon de on manjaro starts sucking up 1.7gb idle memory and my ideatab has 4gb only and it's like 3.4gb available left for me.
i couldn't even watch youtube videos. 1440p videos impossible. 2160p videos don't bother to imagine.
i actually installed zram and configured but still it did not solve my problem.
my cpu is pentium Gold 8800 something with 6 cores built in intel gpu.
so i decided to give it a try to Q4OS.
i left 8 gb swap for sure because i have low memory 3.4gb left for me.
well.
- System is super responsive.
- İ can able to watch 1440p and 4k videos on google chrome with external monitor. 27 inches qhd.
- while im watching videos i can use facebook-twitter- and google search - deepseek with tabs without issues.
- im happy so far and i liked the trinity de.
- there was tearing issue and i found a fix want to share with yours if you are having tearing issue because renderer is x11.
Solution :
Go to your home folder/your name
Enable show hidden files
you will see .compton.tde.conf.
change the lines with these:
backend = "glx";
vsync = "opengl-swc";
save it and reboot. now tearing is gone and vsync is enabled.
The person who helped me for this solution is the guy named HM7.
Credits to HM7.
i highly recommend you to this distro.
the only cons ( maybe because im noob )
i couldn't find the touch screen driver because my ideatab is also tablet i mean has a touchscreen.
i can touch and it dedects but not like touching more like secondary mouse.
gnome de was perfect for this.
but meh not necessarry now. but i will still look for solutions i hope i can fix it too.
Cheers.
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Version: 6.2
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-10-23
Votes: 4
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Hi all,
I should point out that my opinion is that of a novice who has been using Linux for less than five years, with very limited computer knowledge.
I discovered Q4OS about two years ago. I installed it on one of my work computers (a humanitarian association). For three other PCs, I juggled between Mint LMDE and SpiralLinux. The PCs in question are all quite old (more than 1à years). I ended up installing Q4OS on all four PCs. In terms of stability, the three distributions I tested are equivalent, as they are all based on Debian stable. However, when it comes to supporting old hardware, Q4OS performs best. Fast startup and smooth performance are top.
I should also mention that I have installed the KDE environment, which I find more user-friendly. In our association, we welcome a very diverse public, most of whom have little computer skills. KDE Plasma seems to appeal to the majority of people.
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Version: 6.1
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-10-13
Votes: 7
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It's a very good OS and runs well on my netbook.
Specs:
Intel Atom 1.6 GHZ
2GB DDR3
HD 250GB Sata
Model: Samsung NP450 Series
I don't have any problems using the Trinity DE, it's looks like Windows XP look and feel, and it's very easy to use for new users, comming from Windows. Besides i've find just one problem. Sometimes the actual and the previous version doesn't boot properly (yes, i've tried the 5.8 and 6.1 versions). The GRUB suddenly freezes on the boot and point the error on the ACPI (module or driver, I don't know). Two mounths ago, i've tried the 6.1 version and have the same problem. So i've downgraded to 5.8, the problem remains but with a minor frequency. I hope it fixed soon in the next version (not 6.1) or i've a hardware or driver problem when i don't know if exists.
Anyway, depending of the old hardware, it's a good choice for the newcomers.
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Version: 6.1
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-09-29
Votes: 9
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As my first Linux distribution was SuSE Linux 9.1, I still remember the times when KDE3 (the predecessor of TDE) was the default desktop of that very popular linux vendor.
To me, especially the look and feel, stability and configurability were very impressive.
When I heard that after quite some time into KDE4 KDE3 will be forked and continued outside of the KDE umbrella, I was a little skeptical if this will work out. I tested the Trinity DE almost every release, mainly under Opensuse or Debian/Devuan. Then I noticed that Q4S offers a TDE spin and took a look at it. I immediately noticed that the Q4S team took TDE very serious and releases a well polished TDE variant of their distribution.
This month someone of my customers approached me because of the support end of Windows 10.
An elderly lady in her 70ies with a desktop and a laptop she only uses for Facebook and eMails.
The rest of the story you can imagine.
As the laptop was a ancient Acer laptop with a Celeron CPU and 4GB RAM. I thought I will give Q4S with TDE a try.
The installation was straight forward and went without any error.
At the first boot, it installed the missing language-pack automatically and when logging in you are greeted by a dialog where multimedia-codes are installed with a single mouse click.
The default browser is Google Chromium, what I wanted to replace with its ungooled version.
Even here the Q4S team made it effortless to do so. There is a gui-uninstaller for Chromium and flatpak is already preconfigured and ready to use.
I was so delighted with this distro, that I also installed it on my oldest laptop and even if it is powerful enough to run the latest Plasma or Gnome DE, I will keep Q4S TDE there.
Its very polished, very thought through integrated and a pleasant experience to use.
I highly recommend Q4S TDE to anybody who need a good and stable distro for older hardware or if you miss the KDE3 experience.
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Version: 6.1
Rating: 5
Date: 2025-09-26
Votes: 4
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I have a legacy desktop with a MBR disk and using BIOS. I tried to do a Q4OS install using their MANUAL partitioning method to a specific pre-existing partition on the disk.
Without a warning or a message of any kind, Q4OS replaced my MBR and boot menu with its own! As I've installed perhaps a dozen distros, I can attest that this is very unusual behavior. Other distros give you a choice whether to install the distro boot info into in the MBR or the PBR (partition boot record).
I thought maybe I missed something during the install, so I tried again. Same result. Q4OS took over my MBR and boot menu without asking me.
At this point I decided I didn't feel comfortable installing this product on my system, so I abandoned it.
Note that I did NOT test with GPT and UEFI, which is what most people use. So my experience may well not apply to the great majority of people who try this product.
I didn't want to give this system a rating, as I never installed it, but this review software insists I do so or I can't post my review. So I arbitrarily gave it a 5. I hope that's not unfair to Q4OS, which for all I know, could be a great product with a minor flaw that derailed my use of it.
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Version: 6.1
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-09-20
Votes: 0
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I've been following the evolution of Q4Os for a while now, and for me, with each release and distro, it keeps evolving. I have two computers, one with Debian 12 and the other with Q4Os, for developing business automation applications with the PostgreSQL database and Free Pascal Lazarus. I also use the cross-compiler process for other operating systems. Q4Os has served me very well. It has low memory consumption, as soon as I finish a project, I refactor it, which consumes memory to ensure there were no errors. That's all good. The Q4Os team wishes you continued success and continued development.
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Version: 6.1
Rating: 7
Date: 2025-09-17
Votes: 0
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I installed Q4OS 6.1 recently on an older desktop I use in my garage. The install was easy and straight forward. I really like the retro feel of the interface and everything was easy to use and fast .After the install process, I tried to get my very standard Creative Soundblaster X-Fi sound card to play. I could see it using inxi -A but was not able to make it play using the various sound settings. After spending about 30 minutes on it I gave up and installed Zorin instead, It instantly recognized my sound card and getting it up and going was as simple as selecting it and turning up master volume. I would like to try Q4OS again. I think it really has some good things to offer for older hardware.
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Version: 6.1
Rating: 8
Date: 2025-09-17
Votes: 0
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I have been using this distro for donkeys years, and this is the first time I found a glitch in it other than the ubiquitous issue of WiFi disconnecting every 10 or so minutes, which plagues many Debian based distros that i have tinkered with, including Void Linux which is not Debian based. Now coming to the issue, after installing Firefox, the latest version, the programme crashes such that audio plays perfectly after the crash, but there is no video but just a blank screen where the Firefox should have been. If I click anywhere on this blank space Firefox behaves as if I have clicked on a new video on the screen, but actually there is nothing to see on the screen. Hope they find out a solution for it sooner than late, as I would hate to part with this otherwise ultra stable distro. This would be distro nirvana if it came with the runit init system. Till they find out a solution for it I have to use Void Linux.
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-08-31
Votes: 12
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I'm not sure how I missed this distro over the years, but it's quite impressive. I opted for KDE flavor and it runs great on my hardware. I have used several distros over this past year, Arch, Garuda, Endeavour, MX, Fedora, etc... but this one is by far the best running one of the bunch. The other distros I had issues with sound or video or both... Software installs were super easy, resource useage is really low, and looks very good as well. I did strip down KDE a bit as I don't use everything it comes with, but that's normal for me. Spent a few minutes last night updgrading kernel to 6.12 and no issues to report after. It's snappy and easy to use. Overall a great running distro that I plan on using as my daily.
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-08-29
Votes: 3
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Not only is this a great lightweight distro, it's simply a *great* distro, period.
It comes with all the glam and extras of KDE Plasma, it can be custom-themed to look quite like Windows 10 or 11, it also can be fired up with its Trinity Desktop Environment (TDE, a fork from a very early KDE) that is quite lightweight and nearly as full-featured as the KDE version.
As an example of the thought put into lightening the load, much of the time, I forgo having a Network Manager systray helper running, since it's often larger than Network Manager itself. However the TDE Network Manager systray app is so light, there's not much reason not to run it -- it's lighter than either nm-tray or nm-applet. And it doesn't stop there.
The icing on the cake is the forum and user community, among the most responsive I've dealt with. Super bunch all the way around.
If you don't care for Debian distributions, there's a "sister" distro of Q4OS based on Ubuntu -- Quark OS. (Okay, nevermind that Ubuntu itself is Debian-based, some folks think it's not!)
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-08-14
Votes: 6
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Absolutely insane and original operating system. I use Aquarius 5.8 Trinity desktop for a few months now a and it's fast and pretty stable, exactly as advertised. Some configurations was time consuming and had to be made via terminal, for example wifi, bluetooth, touchpad, setting lid open/close actions and maybe something other. But as soon as they are configured Q4OS works just perfect. I like the idea of profiles - I have setup the basic profile and used flatpak additional applications. Since I operate this computer as a secondary one, Q4OS satisfy all the needs excellently - browsing the web, sending and receiving e-mails, office applications, listening to music, watching youtube videos, chatting with friends and other activities. Everything is working flawlessly so far. Thanks for the excellent work developers !
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Version: 4.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-08-09
Votes: 2
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Q4OS is very good operating system, particularly for me who value a lightweight, fast, and customizable Debian-based system. It's often praised for its performance, especially on older or low-resource hardware. The inclusion of the Trinity desktop environment, along with the option to use Plasma, makes it a versatile choice. In conclusion: Q4OS is a well-regarded Linux distribution that offers a balance of performance, customization, and ease of use. Its suitability depends on individual needs and preferences, but it's a solid choice for users seeking a lightweight and efficient Debian-based system
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Version: 6.0-r9
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-08-04
Votes: 4
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Wow, this is really quite amazing.
Needed a lightweight OS for a repurposed Acer Chromebook that was light on power. Used mrchromebook to convert, and after loading my usual distro it worked just fine, but just lagged & was sluggish, I guess to be expected.
Ran across q4OS, tried both the TDE and plasma versions, what a difference! Both ran truly great. Running plasma on it, really brings a whole new life, and a very usable, modern system.
In fact, so impressed I have now loaded the latest Trixie plasma test versions on both my ASUS zenbook and an older Lenovo AIO desktop.
Everything is just so snappy & smooth it really does amaze me at times.
Fantastic work to the q4OS team. I wasn't looking to change my daily driver OS, but here I am.
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-07-21
Votes: 3
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Great Linux to run on ancient eeePC 701 to breath some life into them.
So for any ancient 32bit intel machines with low RAM, this is the system to go. It's a perfect LinuxMint alternative for me on these machines.
The XP theme is a surprisingly well done "clone" if you like that style, also Windows 2000 theme gives me some sweet memories. But I like the more modern themes that make the trinity desktop nicer. I didn't know of TDE before and really like the easy handling and well polished UI.
Great work from the Distro Team! Thanks for keeping the old silicon running! Dekuje!
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 3
Date: 2025-07-12
Votes: 2
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I tried this on an old laptop after learning it was supposed to be a good, lightweight fit for older computers. I also liked the look of TDE, so I thought it might be worth checking out. Unfortunately, I later learned it is not as lightweight as it would seem.
I really liked that they have a Windows installer/uninstaller in their website, it really makes everything much easier.
However, during the first installation, the laptop crashed out of nowhere. Granted, I had disconnected it from the power source for a short while, but it had been connected for a good amount of time, and the battery was mostly full, if the indicator could be trusted. After that, nothing could be updated, so I tried uninstalling and installing again.
After installing the distro again, I was surprised that TDE was not installed, even though I had checked the proper box to do so. I tried installing it afterwards, but without success.
The system also presented several "slowdowns" - I mean, I expected this sort of thing from the Windows 10 already installed, not from a Linux distro.
The final nail in the coffin was a complete freeze when I clicked on the update button - it didn't open the package manager, or anything, and wouldn't let me do anything else either. I suppose that many people may find this distro appealing, but from my experience I simply can't recommend it.
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-07-04
Votes: 12
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Fantastic and stable operating system.
I've used hundreds of distros, and I'm currently using this on all my laptops. It works great on my older Lenovo G-50, and my newer Lenovo VA-14.
Using Debian 12 is great, as it's stable. And, Plasma is 5 is perfect for older computers; it has everything you expect from Plasma, without the heavy memory requirements.
Installation is very easy. They have a great repository of software, including flatpak. And, they have a handy software update app that reminds you of important upgrades. Some low-memory distros don't have this.
Try it!
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 7
Date: 2025-06-05
Votes: 1
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A very good distro especially for low end notebooks, i installed on a 2005 packard bell one and runs flawlessy
a distro that is not exactly "lightweight" or at least not as much as I expected but very solid and well made, the TDE interface is excellent, the only big flaw is that it is a bit confusing with the graphical package manager and with the forced choice between minimal, basic and complete which seems very unnecessarily complicated and that wastes a lot of time after installation when you would like to do something else (It's a bit reminiscent of Windows :-| )
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-05-31
Votes: 11
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Q4OS has served well for a decade as the sole OS I have used to prepare over 50 older used computers for donation to the needy. I chose Q4OS after comparing over 10 other lite Linux operating systems because of its usability with low resource computers, extreme compatibility with a wide variety of computer systems, its ease of use, Debian base, and Windows like operational similarity so those receiving computers have an easy learning curve.
Skills learned on Q4OS are easily transferred to Windows, and of course the reverse is true as well. Throughout the last decade not one of these computers with Q4OS ever got a computer virus except for one Ransomeware attempt that was easily thwarted by simply turning off and unplugging the desktop system. I find Q4OS a solid reliable OS that I would recommend to anyone wishing to revive an older computer system.
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-05-22
Votes: 15
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If you have a PC that's as old as Windows XP-era but want a Linux Distro that's easy to use, not too cluttered, not too dated design, and working out-of-box as close to Linux Mint as possible, then Q4OS Trinity is for you.
This Trinity Desktop Environment (TDE) variant by Q4OS has plenty of Windows XP vibes, you can pick your software packages between fully featured (default), reduced (pick extra applications yourself later), and minimal (experts only) in setup and after setup (called Dekstop Profiles).
In Welcome Dialog, "Install additional codecs" button is a great addition, as well as "Install softwares" button that opens up Q4OS' own Software Center to simplify additional applications to install yourself such as Firefox, LibreOffice, Thunderbird, media players, and so on. "Desktop effects" button under "More" is also appreciated to provide some eye-candy while using TDE.
Since this Distro is based on Debian, you can rely on Debian documentation for additional setup such as boot screen (plymouth) or troubleshooting, Arch documentation can also help.
I have a few tips for finishing up TDE:
1. Within Q4OS Software Center, you might want to install:
1a. Synaptic Package Manager; to open up more options of applications to install.
1b. Update Manager; to simplify software updates.
1c. gMTP; to send and manage files of Android device.
1d. Timeshift; System Restore tool.
1e. Firewall Configuration (gufw); to enable/configure Firewall.
2. Within Synaptic Package Manager (if opted to), you might want to install:
2a. kolourpaint-trinity; TDE's Paint program, working better instead of KDE's kolourpaint
2b. ksnapshot-trinity; TDE's screenshot tool.
3. There's Q4OS' documentation under "Trinity desktop related" section, "Q4OS setup and using", and "Q4OS Frequently asked questions" that might help you.
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-05-16
Votes: 3
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ｋDE plasmaで運用していますが、このq４ＯＳ一度たりともフリーズしたことはありません。更にインストールする時の選択操作画面もわかり易く今までのwindows１０よりも簡単でwindows７に近い感覚ですね。解りにくい複雑な操作もなく７までの簡潔だけど分かり易い選択操作が順に進んでいくという感じ。
評価を少し下げていたのはコピー貼り付け履歴にバクが合ったので評価８/10点かなと思っていたが、そのバグも改善されたので９/10点に上がりました。残りの１点はusb無線wifiは大体対応していないので、自分でドライバーを探してきて対応させることになります。カーネルにmakeなりを使う一式のコマンドを用いることになります。
なのでそこで初めからusbに指すだけで使えるwindowsとは勝手が違いますのでソレだけですかね。
後はcoreｉ５ｰ６５０でも今までのｐｃと同じ様に使えるので貴重なＯＳです。素晴らしい！mxlinuxやBodhiではライブ動画が観れなかったりと不便はありましたがq4osはないですよ安定もしていて本当に素晴らしい！を繰返したく為る程のOSです。
是非これからも開発を続けて下さい応援しています。
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-05-12
Votes: 10
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If you want Debian with KDE Plasma on top (in my humble opinion the best combination of the linux world) then look no further because Q4OS nails it perfectly.
It installs very fast and hasslefree on every machine that I own, it runs smooth as silk, and it stays out of the way.
You can even choose if you want to install a minimal Plasma or middleweight or a heavyweight with many apps.
Kudos to the team, you nailed it.
Love the Trinity Edition as well.
Perfect for stone age laptops.
10/10.
A fine product.
Already paypaled donation.
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-05-01
Votes: 2
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Installed the newest Q4OS (5.8) just this morning to see where it is now. Basic Plasma 64 bit install on an Asus junk laptop with 17" HD+, Celeron N3060 (!!!), a 180 GB Intel SATA 2 (!) SSD, and 8 GB of single channel RAM. The install process was a bit slow, but that was expected. this laptop is really not a fast one. Then some stuff like MM codecs and Chrome browser from the shop, zram-tools (for zram swap) and intel-gpu-tools (to see if the Braswell igpu is doing its job, it is) from the repos. I'm writing this short note on it, in the fifth tab of Chrome. Other four tabs are Netflix, Spotify, Youtube and a local newspaper, all streaming except the newspaper and this page. I can pretty niftly change tabs by ctrl-tabbing and they all work. That should be enough for a review. I gave 10 points by my first impression. Let's say I prefer very much using this one to low end chromebooks. This is good for what they are good for, nothing much more.
There have been some installing problems in previous versions but I met none of those this time. The most impressive thing is that this puny laptop can actually be useful. I bought it for coins, just because of the charger and nice matte 1600 x 900 panel. I noticed there was actually nothing wrong or broken, except that it only had an almost dead and slow spinning disc and just 2 GB of RAM. Either of them is no good with Windows 10. So, I decided to give it a go. I swapped the RAM (just one slot) and the disk, did some settings in BIOS and installed Q4OS.
If you have a similar setup note that I have 8 GB of RAM, and with less RAM or a slower CPU (there are some!) I think maybe three simultaneous streams could be too much. The pretty Vulkan cube also works. I'm not expecting too much from the gaming front but I'll see.
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-04-11
Votes: 21
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i have tried many versions of Linux over the years but had usually migrated back to my preferred Mint or Neon, recent frustrations with Mint and Ubuntu lead me to look at Q4OS which i have found to be a fantastic and stable OS, easy to install use, customisation is quite easy and the quick boot time is a bonus . Currently running 5.8 with a KDE desktop on a 12 year old ASUS laptop and a Dell XPS 13 both with no issues at all. Recommending this OS to anybody who needs to migrate from windows 10
Give it a chance
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-04-04
Votes: 13
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After more than 12 years with Linux Mint, and trying more than 25 linux distributions in live mode, I decided to give Q4OS a try on an old machine: Core 2 Quad with 6 gb of ram and now my machine flies! gave it a new life , Is fast, uses fewer resources, beautiful; it can easily resemble the look of a Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows 11, Mac and more with just one click! is friendly; you don[t need a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science to use it, is Debian; strong as rock; stable, Congratulations to the team behind this excellent distro, give it a try and you won[ t regret...
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Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-03-28
Votes: 17
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I installed Basic KDE. This is even better than what Debian puts out. There's is absolutely no junk that doesn't remove. This is perfect for me. I'm no longer a power user, I just want my apps to work with nothing extra hanging around. This is the replacement for my distro of choice I've been running for the last six year. I have one more machine to install this on and everything will be Q4OS. Even my Laptop with 8gbs of RAM is a beast. It came with Windows 11 and barely chugged along.
I need nine more.
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-03-22
Votes: 1
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After trying maybe 20 different Linux distros the last couple of weeks, this one produces a smile on my face, because it can easily resemble the look of a Windows XP or even earlier (Win2000?) with its Trinity desktop. They even rebuilt the typical application installers and control panel!
The first part of the installation is text-based but this does not bother me because it works without headaches. Especially I like that Q4OS
- is light-weight so I can use it on a very old Core2Duo notebook with just 2GB RAM and still have
- is made with some passion to details, and
- allows to install a clean system where I don't have to uninstall a lot of bloatware first.
Where else do you have the possibility to run Windows XP with the latest software and security updates? ;)
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-03-19
Votes: 0
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Ten years ago, all but one of my machines ran a variant of Microsoft Windows. Today, I have five machines running Linux. I have a server running Rocky 9.5 (sans GUI) that hosts Adobe ColdFusion/Apache websites. I have a tablet and a 64-bit VirtualBox VM running straight Debian 12 (KDE Plasma GUI). And finally, I have two machines running Q4OS 5.7 (KDE Plasma GUI). The Q4OS units include an Intel XEON based machine running as a file server that also provides DNS/WINS services for my network. The other Q4OS unit is a Lenovo X1-Yoga ThinkPad that serves as my main laptop and also hosts an 32-bit Windows 10 VirtualBox machine that I use to run ancient Windows apps. I am amazed at how well Q4OS has handled both of these roles, i.e. file server and laptop client machine. Q4OS is remarkably stable. It installs a very clean Debian environment without all of the usual clutter. The only anomaly that I've noticed (and that I'm still puzzling over) is Q4OS seems to take significantly longer to logout/restart/shutdown compared to a machine running straight Debian 12. It is clearly doing some essential housekeeping, but I'm not exactly sure why it is so noticeably different from Debian 12.
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-03-02
Votes: 7
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Q4OS is a very lightweight and responsive Linux distribution, even on old machines.
At the same time, it’s lightning-fast on new hardware, extremely responsive especially with TDE.
I installed it on my main PC instead of Mint XFCE, and it’s a recommended switch if you’ve gained some experience with Linux. Regarding themes, I installed Darkonaire/Debonair, which are the most modern and acceptable options.
If you prefer vintage themes, they’re available, but I don’t like them.
In my opinion, there should be more modern themes that are selectable from a ready-to-use menu.
Q4OS is a Linux distribution theoretically suitable for everyone, but I wouldn’t recommend it to an absolute Linux beginner. For those approaching Linux for the first time, I suggest Mint, Linux Lite, or Zorin OS. After gaining some practice with these distributions, you can try switching to Q4OS.
Extremely stable and lightweight, it’s hard to find flaws in Q4OS.
One potential downside might be the adjustments for themes, effects, and window appearance, there’s a bit of confusion in this area.
I would’ve preferred all the general appearance settings grouped together in one place, perhaps in the control panel under a single entry. Instead, there are multiple ways to access these settings, and it’s not immediately clear what overrides what. It takes some time to figure out, but you get there eventually.
Still, I’d prefer fewer options with less outdated and poorly supported themes. It’s evident that the aesthetic aspect needs some reorganization, eliminating overly old elements, unifying all settings under one entry, and using a menu with a selection logic that leaves no doubt about what’s being modified.
Overall, stability gets a 10+
Responsiveness/lightness 10+
TDE/KDE theme 9
Ease of use 8
Market for installing developer-predefined programs 6.
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-26
Votes: 19
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This is a really good distribution. I got tired of Mxlinux when it was bloated and slow. Q4OS is really fast and stable. Installing programs is easy and the distribution is easy to configure to your liking. The scanner and printer were found right away. MXlinux has tools that make it easier to use, but they can also be installed on Q4OS. Installation instructions were found on the forum. Q40S is a very well developed system, it has no flaws and I have found no errors using it. It has beautiful plasma desktop with quick theme changer. I recommend trying this distribution.
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-26
Votes: 1
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Hello world ! I'm under Q4OS-5.7 right now.I use the TDE version.It is a very good DE which is underrated based on old KDE version.The TDE devs make an awesome job: it's strange that there is not a lot of distributions using this DE.So a big thank to Q4OS devs for that.At start up i have got about 425MB of ram used, according to htop.
There is everything needed for a daily use in this os.All is running without problems.They've just added a theme called darkonair : it's a very beautiful dark theme with transparency.
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-18
Votes: 11
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I love Q4OS Plasma. It brings me significant benefits. I prefer the Plasma desktop environment, but Trinity Desktop, a slightly lighter desktop, can be installed, but it seems too traditional to me.
The first point I would like to highlight is stability. This operating system honours the approach of being as stable as possible, keeping the core system immutable and only receiving security fixes. On top of this core, a user can install applications such as Google Chrome, Rustdesk, Skype and many Flatpack applications that are updated regularly. So, all these applications are maintained in their current stable version. This is an exceptional approach that I really appreciate.
The second advantage compared to other operating systems is the variety of graphical themes that I can choose from. The developers have prepared balanced Windows-like themes as well as Q4OS-specific themes. I found the Debonaire and Darkonaire themes as Linux best of.
I can recommend anyone who wants a stable and balanced desktop to try Q4OS.
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-09
Votes: 10
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I have been using GNU/Linux since 1995. This is by far the best I have found to run on older hardware which is all I own at any given time. Thus far it has proven rock stable, is very much like my early experiences with Linux, and with a slight XP flavor that I have not found to be bad in any sense. Q4OS is very functional.
The current mainstream distros seem to be heading towards being extremely heavy, unstable, and as far from what linux originally was as they can be.
It may not be for everyone but it's worth a try.
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-02-04
Votes: 7
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TDE Version!
Pros :
+ Unbeatable TDE version (The one and only TDE that work smooth and steady!)
+ Optimized Debian
+ Snappy, Lightweight, but Rich Features
+ Only eat around 350M!!!
+ All Usefull functions
+ Pretty Clean & Lean without much unnecessary bloats
+ TDEpowersave that able to sett and choose CPU's Frequency level
+ 4 Scheme CPU's Freq
+ Beautifull Effects
+ Smooth DIsplay Scaling
+++ Etc much more...
Cons :
- Not for fully Beginners
- Out of the box still need to do some manual homework to make it ready to properly usable.
- Forum Community not much activity
- Decent Documentation
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-01-17
Votes: 15
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Q4OS is for all intents and purposes, Highly optimized and somewhat modified Debian(Q4OS uses its own repos). The KDE version is plenty quick and snappy, and is very usable even on old and/or slow machines. I have tried every popular distro, but never find anything better than Q4OS. This basic-looking distro is light and dependable(even boring), because it just gets the job done and works, day after day, year after year without fail. Being a retired IT person, I put all ex-windows converts on it, and they are happy. They enjoy not having to worry about virus payloads, or other types of attacks(to the same extent while using windows). Linux is a welcome breath of fresh air and true freedom without a company telling me what I can(and can't do with my own machine, while at the same time harvesting my data, and who knows what else).
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-01-14
Votes: 7
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Q4OS is my favourite OS now. I like the way it modifies its Debian base. It is still the old good Debian, stable reliable Debian, but with an interesting added value. Plasma desktop environment is the default, Trinity desktop an option. I like the Q4OS visual themes for Plasma, Debonaire and Darkonair. They are sleek, understated. In addition you can install a few other themes integrated in the Lookswitcher application. I consider Q4OS very suitable for all Windowsers who want to try a Linux distro. Q4OS offers some Windows-like tools and a solid foundation. In my opinion, it is worth a try.
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-12-26
Votes: 9
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I have installed many distros including arch but I stopped here: Q4OS kde. Why you ask, the answer is simple: I have a Debian installed and configured perfectly, I can install the mx tools, many software and backports updates, you can make many choices you already do it and you don't have to bang your head you can choose a basic or complete installation or whatever there is live iso. It's been a year and it's working wonderfully no problem. I turn on my PC it makes correct updates it never breaks the system is made so that you can do what you want. RECOMMENDED!!!
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-12-24
Votes: 5
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One of the lightest most responsive Debian based KDE systems out there(also is very easy on resources and does not tax the CPU), I transferred thousands of large audio and video files(GB's worth) to a new installation from an external USB(which took ten plus minutes on XFCE and other KDE's) , on Q4OS, it was done in three minutes! I have used Q4OS before, but support for my particular apps that I had used, dropped away. I have found new software that does the job and is in the Q4OS repos. I love this distro, and it is a shame more people are not aware of this GEM. These devs have found a way to tame and lighten KDE and allow it to reach it's massive potential. Just try it for yourselves, and you will see. There is only one CON, and that would be that the software selection is not absolutely massive, just sufficient.
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-11-27
Votes: 4
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I use Q4os kde and am very satisfied. Ease of use, minimal system and you can choose whether you want the basic or complete one instead. You can choose whether to install discovery and synaptic or not. Once installed you can install the MX-tools with backports and software being tested on mx-linux. Stable being based on Debian a rock. A computer always ready to use and always ready and always ready for the updates you want. They are very satisfied I have no temptation to change it. Previously I changed one distro a week now NOT ANYMORE!!
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Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-11-16
Votes: 10
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Thank you DistroWatch, without you I can't get any news from the Linux distro world. And the same to Q4OS. Installed and working fine in five-six minutes. My pro about Q4OS is: Debian, easy to use, friendly, beautiful Trinity desktop, less comsuption energy for my laptop, plasma desktop at my home tower pc and trinity desktop laptop, no fear to use a non-windows11 system (thank you to all reviewers here for my decision to use Q4OS). And another pro is the site: a clear and simple documentation, a forum and - why not - a win11 desktop for all former win11 users like me! Just for joking all my friends thinking it is a simple win11 and now... all they want me to go their home for explaining all about this distro. But I know nothing about Linux. They have to use Q4OS simply. All at your fingers. Now the cons are that some window based program doesn't exist in Linux. So I have to use a dual boot (nothing to do, all is chosen in your install moment) and if a use a commercial (with regular licence) program I have to use windows. And that problem exists in for all Linux distro obviously. Q4OS deserves to be seen. Like me and after that I have understood that it's the right distro for me. Everyone from win11 has to install it because is similar for appearance but without all security concerns and above all without any AI inside your computer. Microsoft I hope you know what I mean...
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Version: 5.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-11-07
Votes: 20
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It is my first distribution. I use it at work. I don't have big requirements, just typical office stuff plus some entertainment. I've used both Trinity and Plasma and I don't have any problems with it on my 10 year old laptop (Asus F445L). I have everything I need here. Also Im completly new with linux based systems but nowdays its not a problem if you want to learn something new. Easy to use, easy to modify. Perfect choice of applications for me. There is also a lot of information in the help center if you need it.
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Version: 4.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-09-08
Votes: 20
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q402 is a very well developed system ,it has no flaws y have found no errors using it on modern computers , with plasma desktop ,its installation is very well developed with calamares installer , is a very stable debian distribution y use it also on 32bit very old machines of year 2000 aproximatelly and it works perfectly all the controllers functioning , with trinity desktop on old machines , so y reccomend it for a trouble free installation and a system which you can rely on , also the load on the system is very well manageable . A very well adjusted system , congratulations !!!
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Version: 5.5
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-08-17
Votes: 25
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I try a lot of distros and desktop environment until some years, . My favourite is the debian, ubuntu based ones with KDE, but the last 2 years i used Tumleweed. Almost everything works, but just almost. Some issues with update, wifi, and printer. I decided to chose other distro. I suffered a lot because always had something problem with printer, appearance settings, mounting usb, installing app, or working stremio. But i have given a chance Q4OS Plasma! Finally, it works!! Everything, i mean really everything what i need. Fine installation, settiings, even the Discover and the updates, printers, stremio, you can use flatpaks. It is fantastic, great thanks!!
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Version: 5.5
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-08-14
Votes: 24
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Q4OS is a really great operating system, I found it the best option to me. I like the stability and approach of Debian. It is available in two editions, Plasma and Trinity desktop. Plasma pose a better desktop to me, however Trinity has become an extraordinary, novel option. I like the Q4OS Lookswitcher styles idea, I can theme the desktop look in different ways, even in quite believable Windows styles. I prefer Q4OS over other Linux distributions because of the sober approach to keep Debian's proven base, so I can rely on Q4OS absolutely. Repositories of Q4OS offer plenty of applications, they consist of vanilla Debian repositories and some smaller Q4OS one. Live and installation media come with pre-defined set of applications, they are configured with basic and desktop options but the most magic is the ability to define own application set and apply it upon the OS installation. Q4OS also offers some other dedicated native tools they make user's life easier. Q4OS forum seems to be a great platform to get a user support with occasional periods of silence.
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Version: 4.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-08-11
Votes: 232
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Really like Q4OS, but the last two versions of Plasma have a bug in the screenlock. It will randomly Fail to show a box for the password when you attempt to wake the computer, and nothing seems to remedy it short of a hard reboot. Upgraded the memory to 16 GBs but it failed to solve the problem.
I finally decided to do the option of installing a second desktop, and that seems to have completely fixed the problem. I am delighted with the change and stability of Cinnamon. New life for Q4OS; it has become my daily driver!
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Version: 5.5
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-08-08
Votes: 17
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Very tired of Win11 and its # bugs (last updated, my touchpad not working). Ever heard of Linux but I don't what to become an engineer and I have no spare time to learn anything. After a lot of readings I installed Q4OS: perfect and totally working. How to? I don't know, I just chose what was on the screen!
Trinity desktop is very beautiful and anxiety-free. I like very much and the feeling is that you have always used and seen it. I used only Windows for many Years and my fear was to be lost in a Linux desktop. And you can use (when you like) even the plasma desktop (very beautiful but needs more memory).
For programs there are two systems for downloading (one with a simple click but another one is better to write a title as they are too numerous for a readable-in-a-minute list).
Q4OS chosen for Debian, excellent desktop (my first chose was Windows XP replica), fast and NO typical Win11 slowdown problems. Thank you very much and hope the best for Q4OS team!!
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Version: 5.5
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-07-31
Votes: 5
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compared to a few months ago I found it much improved (you can see the battery level for example). For those coming from windows, this distro is one of the best to take the first step, despite the limited availability of software (unless you go on synaptic which is a bit more difficult for a beginner). We are not at the level of AntiX for old PCs, but we are very close. Tested on an old eee pc 900 with 2gb of ram and a cpu, I think, of 900 mhz... it runs well. Maybe there should also be more clarity on which software is installed in the complete option.
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-06-18
Votes: 5
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For many years, I have been distro hopping, hoping that one day, I'll settle down to one particular distro. I do like the concept of a rolling release distro. Install once, and just do the upgrades. The only one that really had my interest was PCLINUXOS as a daily driver. However, I had an issue with that distro that prompted me to look elsewhere. That's where I found Q4OS on Distrowatch. It came with a windows installer. I wish more distros do that. I downloaded Q4OS and install it on my ancient laptop that still have Windows 7. I chose Trinity as my desktop, and after a bit of tweaking, was going good. Very happy with the stability. Yay! The issue that I had with PClinux was not there. Everything worked. I think I have found my daily driver. I even liked the 5 year support. Good-oh.
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Version: 4.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-06-05
Votes: 2
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You can install those many programs, I mean just the GUI based ones, most of them need either one of the most common GUIs like KDE, XFCE, GNOME, LXDE so in that moment you install such packet a depencency will be resolved and a compatible desktop engine will be installed, in case there is no native support for Trinity and wrapped around.
And at this point Q4OS is not the light distro as it could be with Trinity only without wrappers.
Native Trinity 10 stars, and also with multiple wrappers, extraordinary stable.
Hope they manage to find some companies that offer paid support in order to grow.
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-05-08
Votes: 9
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I first became involved with Mandrake Linux after Win 9x kept crashing for no good reason. Mandrake was stable, and the KDE 3x desktop was configurable, simple, and just worked. When KDE went to 4x and later, it lost me. The 'new and improved' GUI seemed to be all over the place, and it was back to Win for me.
The disaster that is Windows 11, along with MS's soon to be lack of support for 10, led me to Q4OS. It runs quite happily in a VirtualBox, and the Trinity desktop is exactly as I remember KDE 3.
I guess if you are looking for the latest and greatest bling, it might not work for you. For me? I'm making it the stop.
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-04-25
Votes: 9
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Q4os raises the bar in productivity for me. Snappy both in startup and use. What I look for in usefulness, this 5.4 release is my
"go to" OS to get things done and have a happy experience doing it.I run it on my Dell Optiplex 9020, which I purchased refurbished.
16 GB RAM, Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor in the still reliable mini tower, doing heavy lifting and computing.
Feels like a mating of Windows 98 and 7, two quality releases by Microsoft. This version of Q4os is powered by Debian Bookworm
and constantly reminds me why I can't just drop Debian.Any Windows user who feels ready to embark on the plunge into Linux should try this, but shouldn't expect cute and fashionable.It can make one forget fancy bells and whistles in favor of solid performance. It's an OS designed to be loved. Many thanks to the developers for this project.If someone wanted to share a Windows computer with Linux
fo the firdst time, I would suggest Q4os. I have no reason not to put it on my Dell Inspiron 3910 (Windows 11) desktop, which already has Parrot 6 on a Seagate 1 TB ST1000DM010-2EP102 hard drive.
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 1
Date: 2024-03-11
Votes: 2
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Very, very, very disappointing. I tried Q4OS on three Thinkpad/Lenovo laptops and could not get it properly installed (as in able to boot) on any of the three. Two computers were 64 bit and both ran fine in live mode but both subsequently failed to boot when installed along side Window (aka installed as a Windows app) and both failed to boot as pure installs even though the installer indicted the installation was successful and I should remove the install media and reboot. Once again these ran fine in live mode.
I lo tried the 32 bit version on a 32 bit computer , only there is no 32 bit live mode for Q4OS. Once again Q4OS indicated the installation was successful and I should remove the install media and reboot. ll it did was blink on blank screen after getting past the Thinkpad splash screen.
Curious, I than installed the 32 bit onto a flashdrive and then attempted to boot it one the two 64 bit machines and it did the same thing, just blinked on an empty screen.
For comparison I also installed LMDE, antiX, Bodhi,, Crunchbang ++., Exe GNU on the same 3 machines uing 64 and 32 bit versions accordingly and they all worked.
Clearly the issue is with Q4OS and their support is of no help. A shame as I really like what I saw when running from live mode on 64 bit.
I don't mind a few glitches on old hardware but this is untenable given other Debian derivative are able to install and boot.
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-02-12
Votes: 8
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The Q4OS distribution stands out as the premier choice for users seeking to harness the power of the TDE Trinity desktop environment. Built upon the robust and mature Debian Linux, Q4OS boasts exceptional stability. Notably lightweight, it refrains from inundating users with superfluous software that may be extraneous to their requirements. However, it may prove less suitable for novice users, notwithstanding its straightforward installation process, as it is tailored towards more proficient users who appreciate the advantages of a traditional user interface within an operating system. In essence, Q4OS caters to those who harbor reservations regarding the design philosophy underpinning GNOME3/KDE[4-5-6], instead offering the functionality of the modernized KDE3.5 while adhering to contemporary standards. For individuals seeking this unique blend of heritage and innovation, Q4OS emerges as the quintessential distribution. Additionally, Q4OS presents users with the option of the KDE Plasma environment. However, the primary allure of Q4OS lies in its provision of the most optimized TDE experience that you can find today.
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 1
Date: 2024-02-06
Votes: 2
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I have tried to install Q4OS on 3 different PCs. and could not get it "run" any of the three laptops I tried it on, despite success in Live mode.. On the other hand Zorin, FatDog, FossaPup, Mint Cinnamon, Zorin-Lite, Linux Lite, Mint Xfce, Mint LMDE,MX-Linux, Mx-Linux Fluxbox, Bodhi, antiX, Debian LXLE, Debian XFCE all worked in live mode AND installed without issue. I tried to get help in the Q4OS forum but week passed with no response. Just sad, Q4OS appears to have a poor installer and be a distro with poor support.
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 7
Date: 2024-01-14
Votes: 2
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Ein feines Betriebssystem, um alte Hardware weiterverwenden zu können und vor dem Schrottplatz zu bewahren. Leider ist es das auch schon, auf einem mordernen Arbeits- und Produktivsystem würde ich nicht verwenden
Ich habe es auf einem alten Eee-PC mit 32-Bit Atom-Prozessor und 1 GB Arbeitsspeicher installiert, den ich ausschliesslich fürs Online-Banking nutze. Da läuft es absolut stabil und flüssig ohne Ruckler und Hänger.
A fine operating system to be able to continue using old hardware and save it from the scrap heap. Unfortunately, that's all it is, I wouldn't use it on a modern work and production system
I have installed it on an old Eee PC with a 32-bit Atom processor and 1 GB of RAM, which I use exclusively for online banking. It runs absolutely stable and smoothly without any stutters or hangs.
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-12-25
Votes: 59
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Ich nutze Q4OS (Trinity i386) in VirtualBox ausschließlich für online banking. Basis ist ein TUXEDO InfinityBook mit Tuxedo2 OS.
Keine Email, kein Surfen, keine andere Webseite - nur die der Bank. Firefox löscht beim Beenden alle Spuren, Cookies etc.
Ich denke das Vorgehen sollte relativ sicher sein und nach langen Suchen ist Q4OS für mich das beste Betriebssystem dafür. Aussehen und Einstellbarkeit sind zweitrangig, dafür habe ich ja das Grundsystem.
Also volle Punktzahl für mich
I use Q4OS (Trinity i386) in VirtualBox exclusively for online banking. The basis is a TUXEDO InfinityBook with Tuxedo2 OS.
No email, no surfing, no other website - only the bank's website. Firefox deletes all traces, cookies etc. when closing.
I think the procedure should be relatively safe and after a long search, Q4OS is the best operating system for me. Appearance and adjustability are secondary, that's why I have the basic system.
So full marks for me
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-12-21
Votes: 18
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A Lean, Mean, Customization Machine
For users who crave a lightning-fast and rock-solid desktop experience, Q4OS stands out as a shining champion. Unlike bloated distros overflowing with pre-installed fluff, Q4OS takes a refreshingly minimalist approach. It starts with a lean core, armed with powerful tools to craft a system perfectly tailored to your needs. This philosophy delivers astonishing results.
Q4OS boasts exceptional performance. Even on aging hardware, it breathes life into sluggish machines, transforming them into nimble workhorses. This magic stems from its efficient design, ensuring resources are laser-focused on your tasks, not unnecessary processes. Say goodbye to lag and hello to smooth sailing!
Furthermore, Q4OS prioritizes stability. Built on the rock-solid foundation of Debian, it runs like a dream, rarely faltering or needing intervention. You can install it today and rely on it for years to come, receiving regular security updates that keep your system safe and sound.
Yet, Q4OS doesn't sacrifice usability for speed. Its user interface, with the choice between the classic Trinity and modern KDE Plasma, is intuitive and user-friendly. The built-in tools empower customization like no other. You can easily trim the system to its bare essentials, adding only the applications you truly need. This empowers you to create a desktop that feels truly yours, perfectly optimized for your unique workflow.
While the community might not be the largest, it's passionate and helpful. You'll find extensive documentation and resources to guide your journey, and the friendly community is always ready to lend a hand.
In conclusion, Q4OS is not just a Linux distribution; it's an experience. It's for users who value efficiency, stability, and control. If you're tired of bloated systems and yearn for a lean, mean, customization machine, Q4OS awaits. Give it a spin, and experience the magic of a truly personalized desktop.
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-12-08
Votes: 10
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I have tried numerous OS installations for my old 32bit HP laptop. This downloads quickly, installs without problem or complicated issues. When running on my laptop it is fast, responsive and ideal for typing, surfing the internet and email. It also worked great on my lenovo thinkpads. It is very intuitive at every stage and the whole OS just forms a nice logical unit. One can choose KDE, but I have found the Trinity desktop environment very light and easy, so I just stick to it. There are also some small look changes one can make that is rather nice.
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Version: 5.4
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-12-05
Votes: 4
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excellent distro, light and powerful, i installed 5.4 trinity/acquarius 32 bit on my 2004 packard bell laptop...installed midori as browser and everything ok....did not get working stuff using 7/XP or lubuntu/xubuntu/puppy and still q4os supplies 32 bit support and in any case underneath there is all the power and solidity of Debian
just a small problem with the wifi configuration that I had to do from terminal
i upgraded from 3.13 which i installed years ago and still runs smoothly and seems much improved to me
good work!
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Version: 5.3
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-11-10
Votes: 14
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My device:
Dell Inspirion 9400, a top of the line heavy laptop computer called a ¨desktop replacement¨, because it is very solidly built and it is very heavy.
Intel Core2 Duo (August 2006)
Designed for Windows XP + ¨Windows Vista Capable¨:)
The computer was manufactured in January 2007, so it is almost 17 years old.
I switched from XP to Lubuntu 32 bit in 2018, but that is because I assumed it was 32 bit, when it was in fact a 64 bit.
It was running slow with Lubuntu 32 bit, but it was very stable, and I used it as a daily driver for at least two years.
When Lubuntu stopped 32 bit support, I loaded Linux Lite, which worked beautifully.
Because the graphics could not work with what I needed to do for my job, I had to retire it.
I finally decided I would try and rescue it and see if I might try another distribution.
I plan to use it as my living room music computer.
I tried to install latest version of Linux Lite, because when I tried an update of Linux Lite after having stored the laptop for a year, it did not want to update. Linux Lite installation froze several times despite me trying various ways to get it to ¨learn¨ and ¨unfreeze¨ itself.
I put Bodhi in it, and it would not even get off the ground.
I tried Q4OS, and behold, it works.
I am giving it a 9, not because it is so wonderful, but because if I give it an 8, it will be akin to Linux Lite, but Linux Lite no longer works with it, and I cannot rate it lower than Bodhi, since Bodhi did not work.
So 9 it is:)
I have been using Linux as my daily driver since 2009, so I guess I am no longer a newbie:)
I only use Windows or Apple if it is forced upon me by someone else.
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Version: 5.3
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-11-06
Votes: 8
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I installed Q4OS on my 32 bit old desktop with only 2 GB ram and it is running very well. it automatically detected my epson printer and scanner I am using latest chromium browser on it and my web browsing experience is quiet good my browser is running very fast and web page download speed is also very good. Q4OS linux is very fast and intelligent linux distros. I tested many other linux distros but I wanted such distro that is minimal,fast and stable. I had only one problem with it that when I installed it with windows on dual boot system my grub menu showed me two choices to boot from either windows or Q4OS but after upgrade when I restarted my system I was offered no choice to boot from and directly booted into Q4OS. overall I am enjoying Q4OS ...
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Version: 5.3
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-10-22
Votes: 63
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The only Linux distribution to work flawlessly on my Alienware laptop, M15R7. All other distros (including plain Debian) caused my computer to lock up after installing the priority Nvidia drivers for the RTX-3070 graphics card.
The open-source, nonpriority drivers worked fine on most distros. Nobara was the second longest-lasting with the priority drivers, lasting a few weeks before it went to a black screen and wouldn’t boot up. Ubuntu lasted a few days. I tried almost every distro in the top 100 on Distrowatch, but I couldn't get anything else to work.
Normally, Debian or openSUSE are exceptional, just not with my current laptop. If you have compatibility issues, especially with a Nvidia graphics card, I'd recommend checking out Q4OS.
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-09-26
Votes: 16
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This distro should be among the top three right behind(even with)MX linux. Very ingenious implementation of Debian and KDE, Stable fast not overly polished so it gets up and goes quick. It is also hard to break, as I have installed on family members & friends, who are newbies and it stands up and takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I also use this distro as a rescue OS which it does really well also, another good use is as a music storage/player which it does very well. I did not give it a ten because I believe there is no such thing as a 10, as that would be perfect and no distros are perfect, but Q4OS is close. Thank you devs.
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 5
Date: 2023-09-21
Votes: 6
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Ran with TDE.
DIstro seems good at first. Easy and fast install.
Love the interface. It's a shame other distros try to be "modern" (i.e. ugly and flat... did I mention ugly?).
The system seems pretty fast, although, granted, my computer is still relatively beefy despite its age.
My good experiences end here.
Upon booting up I am told that the system can automatically install NVIDIA drivers for me. Okay! Let's do it. I restart and... the system is broken and will no longer boot. I have to reinstall. Okay. This happens the next time... and the next time after that. So, I just went with the preinstalled driver. Some things lag because of that, but at least I can use the computer.
The system experiences screen tearing, and I'm not sure how to fix that. Oh, well.
I try to find a Youtube downloader in Synaptic package manager. The first one does not work at all. I mark it for a complete removal and move on to youtube-dl. I use it in the terminal and... it doesn't work. So I close the terminal and look online for what to do. I open the terminal again and try to use Youtube-dl. The command is not found anymore... what?
Last but not least, I'm usually not one to cry, "Bloat!" but this distro has plenty of unnecessary inclusions. Why are there THREE file managers? One shortcut opens up Dolphin, another opens up Konqueror. And if you search for "file manager" in the menu, there comes up Krusader alongside the other two! Which one am I supposed to use???
This distro has great potential, but there's a lot of fixing to do before it's usable.
P.S. I also tried the installation alongside Windows 10, and it didn't work.
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 6
Date: 2023-09-15
Votes: 6
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Ran Q4OS in live mode and really loved it. Q4OS is a Linux distro that is easy for old Windows users (Win7, Win8 WinXP etc) to migrate to. The added bonus is Q4OS is light on resources and breathes new life into old computers.
I was so impressed after trying Q4OS in Live mode I went to install it and things quickly went south. Simply put the install completed successfully but Q4OS was not able to come up and no assistance was forth coming from the support forum even after many weeks. if you look at the forum you will see many issues not only remain unsolved but never replied to at all,
So if you are a desktop user you are apparently on your own with Q4OS. That is a shame but the large number of posts in the Q4OS support forum that are not replied to tell the tale. So the functioning distro is a 9, but the support is a 3 which averages to a 6.
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-09-13
Votes: 2
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Good Distro!
It's the best Distro that i've ever Seen!
I've installed in Virtual Box and find it good, so i've installed on an old Toshiba Satellite with Windows 2000 as factory os, And it was running fast on 512mb ram!
After that, i've installed it on my Packard Bell dot s and Loved it! This old Netbook is running very fast and finally i can use it AS my daily Driver! Than i've translated it to my language in GitHub, and the pull-request was merged in 10 minutes! It's based in Debian bookworm, and installs very fast.
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 5
Date: 2023-09-05
Votes: 6
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Summary:
Q4OS hits the mark in so many ways. For those who are fortunate to get a clean install and boot it likely is a wonderful distro. Where Q4OSfalls down is on the support side. Unfortunately not all installs go cleanly and then the hit or miss attitude to support becomes an issue. And while lack of support is one thing, unwarranted snarky support is another. However you can purchase support, which likely will use a more forgiving tone and therefore Q4OS may be a viable option for an office environment.
Pros:
A solid distro that mostly does exactly what it says
Light weight
Easy transition for Windows users
Cons:
Latest release uses significantly more RAM than previous versions for no discernible benefit
Buggy Windows co-existence installation
Unwarranted arrogant to rude responses by developers to users on occasion in the forum
Free support is inferior to other distros in its class
Many requests for help in the forum go unanswered
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-09-04
Votes: 2
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I used to run Q4OS on a fairly old Dell computer, but when I bought a new Dell it came with Windows 11. However are sticking wth W.11 for some time, I became more and more frustrated by its file system etc etc. So I decided I'd go back to Linux. I tried the latest versions of Q4OS and MInt Cinnamon on my old machine and decided I preferred Q4OS.
I did not want to dual boot, and to my amazement, Q4OS installed without any problems overwriting Windows 11, set-up its own Grub, and now I am booting straight into it.
It runs faster than on my old Dell, and so far everything runs without any problems. The only problem I have is that I did not remove secure boot, and discovered that it will not do a Dell System Update. However when I remove Secure boot from the bios, that will slove the problem.
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-09-02
Votes: 3
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As a curious distro hopper for over 12 years, I've found Q4OS 5.2 Plasma edition a pleasant surprise.
Installation was a breeze, and once tweaked to my liking, works like a charm on a 15 year Core2 laptop.
I would recommend installing Discover, Synaptic and the Q4OS updater first.
Chromium was substituted for the Debian Firefox ESR branch and everything is sweet.
Some nice plasmoid effects ship as standard with many more available to suit you preference.
There is much more easily accessible control available without delving deep into the OS like Win10 or 11
To sum up: A solid OS with plenty of room for eyecandy (xsession error log shows nothing after two weeks of use)
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Version: 4.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-08-12
Votes: 13
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I absolutely love it. I set mine up to look/feel like a XP/WIN7 hybrid and I've actually had people ask what version of Windows that was !
You choose when to update, and they always work. No need to restart or reinstall anything. The system just works.
I've got it running on an older MacBook Pro and my Mac Pro 5,1 from 2010 (!). Couldn't possibly feel more secure doing financial stuff.
Because of the file system, it's perfectly capable of running on the same hard disk as a regular Windows install - but this system is both faster *and* more reliable.
Only thing I would change is the ability to arrange the start menu, which is modifiable but somewhat limited... this is a rather minor criticism given the overall safety, stability and functionality of the OS.
I would recommend it to anyone. Anyone.
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 5
Date: 2023-08-09
Votes: 1
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The Plasma version is okay, I guess, but I don't use Plasma because in my experience it's too buggy. I messed around with it here, and it didn't give me any issues, but also this is one of the most barebones and basic Plasma setups. And even at the Full Desktop profile, it still comes with very few apps. This is good for some people, but not for me. I think, if Q4OS only had the Plasma edition, it would be a very boring distro, not worth a look.
So I'll talk about the TDE (Trinity Desktop Environment) version here. First of all, let me say this: for my money this is the prettiest-looking desktop out there. Primarily because this is the last desktop that comes shipped with some professionally-made skeuomorphic themes from the early 2000s, the time before everything became flat and soulless. And the Q4OS team has put an incredible amount of work into this edition. The control panel, the themes, the applets, everything is pre-configured to deliver a desktop that work as well, if not better than many modern desktops.
However, I was immediately able to spot a few issues. But before I get to them, let me say something about the installation. I hate it. At first I got happy seeing how the ISO is only about 1GB in size. But my happiness flew out the window when I realized that the distro is gonna be downloading another 1-2 gigs of content DURING the installation. With my slow and unreliable internet I'd much rather risk failing the download of the ISO than failing the installation. This is much less safe in my opinion.
After installing the distro, first thing I tried to do is download a MEGASync deb file and install it. The system tried opening it with Ark instead. After spending about half an hour trying to figure it out and googling, I found out that this system lacks a GDebi Installer, and that the issue about this was raised in 2019 on the forums, and yet here we are in 2023 and it still hasn't been addressed. I'm sorry, but I consider stuff like this essential, and it's ridiculous to me that it's not pre-installed.
Next thing I realized was that you can't drag files into the Trash, whether on the desktop or on the panel. It says "Access Denied". Turns out the icons on the desktop (which also get automatically created as you install new software) are Global Icons, which cannot be dragged or renamed for some reason, but can be deleted.
Another problem I noticed is there doesn't seem to be any Bluetooth app pre-installed. I get that this and the previous problem are kinda to be expected with a retro-style distro like this, but they make it really hard to recommend for a general use.
Like, it's fun to poke around in for nostalgia, but I don't see how it can compete with most distros out there.
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-07-24
Votes: 5
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I want to offer my suggestion on dual-boot with Q4OS. I installed Q4OS KDE desktop on a 128GB USB SanDisk drive. I booted the Q4OS USB drive on a HP Intel Core I3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, WiFi, and Windows 11 in S mode OS laptop. After login, I ran "sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y". I rebooted and GRUB showed both OS in the boot menu. Of course, Q4OS was listed first and Windows 11 second. It booed both OSes from the GRUB menu. I removed the Q4OS USB key from the laptop, and Windows 11 booted as normal.
It is true Q4OS wants to be exclusive! This solution avoids a separate partition on the SSD. Plus you can use the Q4OS USB Drive on any computer, just make sure you do the updates from the computer listed in GRUB. This solution may not be for everyone, but it is an alternative for me.
I loved the Q4OS KDE Plasma desktop. It appears to be fast and stable on old and new computes.Try it, you may like it too!
Q4OS KDE Desktop User
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 6
Date: 2023-07-20
Votes: 4
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Have used q4os since version 3.xx on my main desktop computer, in a dual boot setup. It always performed perfectly! This latest version of 5.2 is a real Prima Dona, however. It is based on Debian Bookworm 12. so has smoothed out some previous rough edges - that is commendable. It also runs very quickly on my 10 year old laptops. I am quite impressed with the improvements to KDE as well.
Now I said it was a Prima Dona, and by that I mean this version doesn't play nicely with other boot scenarios. Oh, it will install alongside whatever OS you have, but then when you reboot the machine, the only option is Q4OS 5.2! Can I fix the boot manager? - Sure! But then, why should that be necessary for such an OS? All the other popular distros play fairly - Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Debian, Peppermint, and so on. Guess for now will have to regard this Q4os bug as a feature.
So, If you are ready to use Q4os exclusively, or want to tinker with it to work with other distros, I say it is a great choice. If not, I would look at some others first.
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 8
Date: 2023-07-16
Votes: 3
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My new OS ! Once we got the 'feel' of a different OS, Q4 quickly became my new 'favorite'.
Difficult ? NO is the best answer.
The desktop was easily customized. Its magic how Q4 folks assumed all my favorite & correct settings !
The KDE software ? had to be learned the hard way.
Favorites - Konsole, Kate, Kfind, Ksnip are just one-click away on the tool-bar.
Other one-click favorites include Thunar, AbiWord, SMplayer, XNview, Falkon browser.
The Windows-button shows Software Discover, and System Settings ,,,, thats it !
The complete application menu is rarely used.
Performance issues ? none.
This is a 16GB APPLE 27" iMAC. Most everything is one-blink away !
This new Debian seems to 'pause' while shuffling many files with Thunar. Not noticed with other apps.
I have removed 'linked-library-shortcuts' and the problem seems abated.
Library-shortcuts allow multi-partitions to 'appear' as local-librarys. I call it "mirror-magic" (its not real) !
Problems ? Only 1.... once.
The VLC video player auto-magically decides to shift to FULL-BLACK-SCREEN,
Lost keyboard & mouse. Power-OFF works. Re-boot & remove VLC.
Cause ? APPLE iMAC video processors are NOT all the same. Tough luck.
The same version VLC runs fine on my other old iMAC.
Futures ? Q4 is already an 8 !
Currently toying with KDE Konnect on a cellphone & the iMAC.
Konnect integrates many phone functions with Q4 using WiFi (no USB fumbling needed).
I hope to step # 1-fone-foto, 2-voice-to-text the foto info, 3-xfer the foto & text to Q4, 4-SQL text into foto-base.
Can we get up to 9 ? I think so. If Q4os stripped away MOST all user-applications, like players, browsers, offices, games, converters, utilitys, etc, etc, leaving just Discover, think of the time spent getting rid of 'stuff' I'll never use.
The best way to play ! Good game guys !
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-07-15
Votes: 3
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I have installed Q4OS version 5, 2 on a 12 year old laptop with 2 x 2GHZ Intel Celeron CPUs, 4GB RAM, 500MB hard disk, Ethernet and WI-fi interface. I have installed the KDE Plasma desktop with Darktable, IDLE3, and Xboard. Despite the increase in RAM usage, Q4OS 5.2 seems to run faster and more stable than previous versions of Q4OS.I am using Q4OS 5.2 as a daily driver for this old laptop.
I am happy with the performance and love the KDE desktop. The one factor that sold me is the fact that this is a Debian Stable Linux distribution. I have tried Arch and Fedora, but this laptop configuration seems to love Debian, who am I to say no to this relationship:-)
Thank you Q4OS!
Happy Q4OS 5.2 Linux User
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 8
Date: 2023-07-10
Votes: 2
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I just reviewed the 4.12 version on 2023-06-14 and gave it a 10. Sadly with the release of 5.2 we find as more RAM hungry distro that is noticeably slower. I ave no idea what that is about but it went from 296 MB RAM at idle to 547 MB at idle for the Trinity desktop.
At that weight you should also look at Komander which weighs in at 485 MB RAM running XFCE and is essentially a Windows 7 knockoff that comes fully loaded out of te box and is very fast.
QNOS is a great distro but it just ate some RAM for no discernible benefit.
tfb
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Version: 5.2
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-07-08
Votes: 5
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Absolutely stunning.
This is the best Linux OS I have tested so far. It is fast and is stunning!
It has everything that you will ever need and has a theme switcher that has all the Windows desktops you could ever want.
Furthermore, it lacks nothing that Windows has and if you want to install any software it is self extracting which is a dream to a Windows user.
Very happy with this version, everything looks modern and simply works.
I will be making a donation as this is a level above the rest.
Brilliant work guys.
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Version: 4.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-06-25
Votes: 3
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Great distro for old PCs and conservative users.
I'm using it on my old PC, where were before Windows 7 and Vista, with TDE, which is using about 200MB RAM from 4GB in iddle. KDE Plasma is working well on this distro, too, no bugs and bloatware, so it's using about 500-600MB RAM with gadgets on desktop (I'm using only clocks, calendar and CPU/RAM usage bar).
About installation:
The Q4OS is using graphics installer, if you have live version or installation version with KDE Plasma, the Trinity installation version is using good old interface, which was used in older versions of Debian (some editions are using in nowadays) and in Ubuntu 4.10
About Trinity:
HW requirements are quite similar to Windows XP requirements, so 20 years PC will be running on this distro great. Interface is similar to this system, too, because it's based on KDE 3.5, which was released in 2005 and KDE is looking similar to Windows interface. But what has Q4OS comparing with other distros with TDE is XP menu style and installer setup, which is very similar to installer setup in Windows. It would be great, if this installer setup could be used for every .DEB package, not only for few apps, which are listed in special program.
Only thing, which is missing in Q4OS, is GUI installer for packages, so you need to install it if you don't use terminal for packages installation. The second one is gamemode preinstalled, but it's small detail and this is not gaming distro.
Result:
It's great OS for every user, especially for users using old machines and conservative users, who are prefer truly PC interface than PC/tablet remix with big buttons, which is used by most newer DEs.
Based on Debian is good choise for 32-bit support.
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Version: 5.0-testing
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-06-14
Votes: 8
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Wow, I installed Q4OS with the Trinty desktop and I am stunned. If you are looking to breathe new life into old hardware this is it. I was looking for an alternative to the detestable antiX and came across Bodhi and Q4OS, both excellent choices for older hardware.
At idle with wifi connectivity free -m indicated it came in at 293 MB (as a Live key) so knock off a few MB if you install it.
While Bodhi has a more modern elegant looking desktop Q4OS seems positioned more like a throwback to the stable and practical days of Windows 95, Windows NT and Windows XP, and that is meant as a compliment. For those of us who do not like the modern trend of forcing our PC and laptop desktops to mimic smartphones Q4OS is a comforting environment that was designed for days when the workstation was king, not some real estate restricted scrolling mess that modern desktops have become.
But appearances aside Q4OS has some great utility features like its profiler, that is useful, functional, and customizable. Q4OS also has some tricks up its sleeve to install on Windows that other distros should consider.
All that aside it is fast. I tested this on a IBM Thinkpad T61p from 2007 with 2 GB of RAM. Yep on a 16 year old machine and Q4OS was fast, no problem with YouTube running Chromium.
Q4OS also has utilities to tweak its themes etc that is easy to apply.
So if you like the productivity of desktops of the past and blinding speed in a low resource environment in a stable environment try Q4OS. If you like a more elegant look and feel try Bodhi. Even lighter, checkout SliTaz, but Q4OS is slick,someone but a lot of effort into a distro that should be better known.
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Version: 4.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-05-26
Votes: 9
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This distro is exactly what I have been looking for(MX stable quality KDE with more speed). I have to give 9 out of ten because no distro is perfect, but this is great like MX or mint but faster and more responsive. I am in the process of putting Q4OS on all my older computers, while I have MX or Mint on the newer computers. Its intuitive KDE with almost the responsiveness of Artix, and it is a kick. The only very slight downside is I wish the repo were bigger, this distro is fun and right there with MX and Mint for quality.
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Version: 5.0-testing
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-05-17
Votes: 8
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I stumbled upon this distro about a year and a half ago, just distro hopping. I migrated from KDE Neon, mainly because it updates like 5 times a day, was annoying. Q4OS simply works, is light on system resources, and I have yet to have a crash on it in the 1 1/2 years I have been using it. Detected all my hardware with no problems as well too. Am using a Lenovo laptop with a core I3 processor and 4 gigs of ram, and it runs super fast. This is the first review I have written on a distro, and that is saying something! It is definitely worth a try!
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Version: 5.0-testing
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-04-04
Votes: 11
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This newer testing release is running very well on my pc.
It's like a stable lighter version of some of the more bloated Plasma releases that are available atmo.
Installs ok apart from some grub issues but i fixed that from within my other Linux i had installed.
I think the problem might have been down to having too many new and old leftovers from previous OS installs.
Anyway ,i had the desktop up and running pretty quick ,doesn't come with too much installed which i think is a plus point.
Though it does have the same useful Welcome Screen with easy click options for installing extra software and drivers ,e.t.c.
I did run into a problem trying to install the offered Nvidia drivers but devs said they will be fixing that soon.
Well ,it is a testing release so things like that are to be expected.
Overall a great OS and now my daily driver ,will be looking forward to future improvements .
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Version: 4.11
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-03-23
Votes: 13
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I have tried many smaller distros for my old laptops. This is the only one that installed correctly and easily and that I have managed to update on both 32bit and 64bit machines. I just use it as is and it has been stable the entire time. It also works well with my HP printer. I use it on an old 32bit HP computer and Lenovo laptops. I like it's trinity desktop and with the look changer one is able to have a fresh look. I like things simple and working. For my purposes I give it ten out of ten. Love it, love it, love it!
NV
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Version: 4.11
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-03-06
Votes: 11
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Q4OS is a rather interesting Debian derivative which puts little strain on hardware and can function equally well at an introductory level for most newbies or for more complicated use for experienced Linux users and can work with both ARM and X86 form factor processors. I have used it on big desktops and on an old laptop long ago with no major issues. Its Trinity desktop is a bit tired looking, but it does work and in a KDE Plasma form it has a crisper look at the expense of a bit more processor power, but still works nicely.
I will give a somewhat lengthy example of the distribution's utility here:
I recently got a very good buy on an Alldocube Tablet PC which I did not expect to use with Windows and I rapidly ran into problems trying to load it with Linux software of unexpected forms. The tablet has a nice look and size and can support itself with its own built in support which is not dependent on the detachable keyboard using the Pogo interface. I was hoping to make this into a workable Linux tablet and tried some smaller form distributions or distribution-like settings. Puppy could function byt was awkward and not terribly efficient on the unit if loaded. Touchscreen function was inconsistent. In the near-distribution form, AntiX was unable to establish a wireless connection and had no audio and could not really move beyond an Ethernet connection. Fedora was tried in a stripped-down version with audio only with headphones and at low volume and had problems with not being able to be updated despite easy wireless setup that made the AntiX setup look pathetic.
Manjaro XFCE was tried next and gave horrid flickering of the Intel UHDgraphics630 card which was negotiated poorly in AntiX and well in Fedora. While flickering, I could guess a location and the touchscreen would mostly respond where the screen was blacked out rather bizarrely. I managed to push the work on this with no resolution and no good sound and poor wireless function thought better than with AntiX.
Bunsen would not load well either with flickering of the screen and no sound and the camera was a no go as well.
After this comes Q4OS as I am not a big Ubuntu fan and did not want to play with Lite or with Lubuntu with its formidable content.
Q4OS was not really known much for use in tablets that I could see, but it was reliable Debian and Debian has played better with Intel UHD graphics600 series so I gave it a try. Q4OS loaded easily and fairly quickly, picked up the graphics as well as the wireless and even had the camera function picked up. Touchscreen was no problem either. The installation was the least problematic, though audio remains an issue. No function can be found of the Realtek/Intel series which is recognized but not easily teased forward despite the use of Alsamixer and Pipewire. I have not tried to back up to OSS or other audio drivers. Use of DKMS has not made any difference either. I hope that firmware update or Kernel incorporated updates can bring the audio functionality to some end, but I can always add on a USB audio card system. Perhaps I can use a small headset unit such as Plugable for headphone port action using the snd-usb-audio driver which I have used before or the similar UGreen interface. Both have worked reliably for others I have known with Linux or even with less sophisticated Raspberry Pi computers.
With Q4OS, the poor support of this PC tablet has been relatively easy to manage.
I find Q4OS has reasonable function from its KDE Plasma base and the substantial 8 GB RAM of the PC Tablet should be able to work fairly nicely as a tablet with good power, even with the large KDE footprint. Q4OS has been by far the easiest distribution for this purpose.
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Version: 4.11
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-03-05
Votes: 6
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Perfect for an old laptop, even touchpad gestures run out of the box, a feature never before seen and I have tried more than 20 distros.
Trinity desktop looks very tidy, might be my 2nd favourite after XFCE.
Integration of Konqueror with many other apps is interesting, but I'm leaning to not using it too much.
Only downside is that bootloader install is more confusing than usual.
I probably wouldn't install this OS on modern machine, but on old hardware I haven't seen better and trust me, I have tried many distros.
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Version: 4.11
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-02-22
Votes: 3
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It was recommended to me by a forum member. At first, though, I picked the 64-bit edition with KDE. It starts blinding fast. I don't know what the developers did to the D.E. but this is a pleasant surprise. It looks a bit plaid compared to the later Plasmas but I don't care, I dislike animations and desire quick fast over shenanigans. No problems installing Wine and using other programs. I wish I could write more about it but it's boring in a good way. One hitch is that it shuts down somewhat slowly; soon after I click "OK" on shutdown confirmation it holds for several seconds. On this installation I skipped the Desktop Profiler, couldn't be arsed with it to give me junk like Libreoffice and VLC while there are much-better programs.
Later I decided to take up on that forum member's offer, grabbing the ISO for the 32-bit operating system with Trinity. (It has to be installed and uses a version of Debian installer.) It doesn't ask for network options but that is handled in the first time the user boots successfully into the system. This OS supports Wifi which is a big plus. Nice desktop; my first try with it was supposed to be RebornOS 64-bit but I had installation problems with that. A reason why I didn't want to keep it was because it seems to use Konqueror as file manager, but I'm not used to it. It behaves a lot like Windows98, the desktop menu also. On Trinity desktop I couldn't find the way to disable touchpad tap-to-click (doesn't seem to carry "synclient" program) and it was clunky having to visit the terminal to run "xrandr" only to lower the screen brightness from full burst. I don't recommend going to "System Administration/Monitor Settings" because it asks for the user password before setting anything in there, and if you do it wrong in the "gamma" screen it could totally screw up the view! Therefore I accepted the Desktop Profiler option to move up to KDE Plasma v5.20. However it could take at least an hour and copies over 120 thousand files into your disk!
Running "update-initramfs" takes a really long time and the "distro update" could do it three times or more. Just don't fiddle with "swap" partition, you have been warned, it's not like with Arch Linux where if the UUID of "swap" is changed it only requires editing "/etc/fstab". I wish Debian's developers did something about it.
For the 32-bit installation, if Q4OS isn't going to be the only OS put on the internal HDD do not pick "guided entire disk" partitioning from the installer because it creates only two partitions, the main one and "swap" which might be too small, and it would require assistance from GRUB for another distro to be able to boot into it. For me the install failed at bootloader stage; at this point the user should select "Continue without bootloader" from Debian installer main menu. Someone else would have deducted points for it.
by mnrv-ovrf-year-c
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Version: 4.11
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-02-14
Votes: 11
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Previously I tested Q4OS within the Parallels virtualization environment on an iMac, and it ran beautifully. A more interesting test came when I installed it using the Q4OS “Windows installer” on a $300 Fujitsu laptop (Fujitsu A3510).
I was skeptical – but it works like a dream. Everything works as promised. I have Q4OS (with the Cinnamon desktop environment installed afterwards) running in its own 48 GB virtual partition (let’s call it that: a virtual partition) but have full access to the Windows section of the SSD drive. Bluetooth, WiFi, everything worked immediately.
This is wonderful. This OS will remain on this computer!
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Version: 4.11
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-02-04
Votes: 8
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Awesome, I use 32 bit and 64 bit version. Q4OS 32 bit on an old Dell Optiplex GX260 functionality absolutely top, 64 bit version on several old PCs. flexible and easy to find the functionality of the operating system and stable as a mountain. the websites of Q4OS there is a lot of information and you will find what you are wondering about, I think Q4OS is the best and I recommend this distro, awesome (Best simple and nice looking alternative to Windows XP/7/8/10/11)
Q4OS and Linux in general are good for the most of our computers keep on working.
Norton.
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Version: 4.11
Rating: 1
Date: 2023-01-10
Votes: 2
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Disappointing and frustrating experience especially after reading many good reviews. I was unable to install the live ISO on bare metal. Tried downloading the ISO (from several of their download links) and flashing it to two different flash drive I verified are not faulty. Used Balena Etcher to flash ISO to thumb drive. Each time the OS tried to load it got stuck on the black screen with the boot text. It would start to load and then just hang. Concluded something is wrong with the ISO that is posted.
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-12-11
Votes: 33
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Best simple and nice looking alternative to Windows XP/7/8/10/11. Better that Linux Mint (that I love and was using before) because of the effort to make it look like Windows, by using great KDE themes. Prefered the full install to get Office suite, etc. Just select the win10 in parameters and boom, system looks like Windows (Though it works differently, like single click open a file).
I disagree with people below that find it slow. It is NOT, and is working perfectly fine out of the box.
Discover is the very simple app market and using deb package is simple also.
This is now my primary OS. Win11 is on a second partition for 1 proprietary program I cannot yet use in Linux (I need to learn alternative).
I use dual boot. Files are on a shared partition (in NTFS ane encrypted by Bitlocker). This encrypted partition is seamlessly accessible via Q4OS (just enter the bitlocker partition password at Q4OS start).
It is not perfect, I had to install Segoe UI font to improve the win10/11 look. Some glitches happen sometimes. That' OK.
I will not come back to windows as my first OS. And I have saved some money by refurbishing some old computers with Q4OS, like my Acer C720P tactile chromebook...Everything works fine. It's a bit slow, but this is a Celeron PC of 2015 !
Q4OS and Linux in general are good for making the most of our computers and not recycling them because win11 demands it !
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-05
Votes: 31
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Q4Os for me is being the best working distro for soft programming for commercial automation. I recommend this distro to those new to linux.
I'm a free pascal programmer (lazarus) and this distro works for me a lot, along with the postgresql database.
Q4Os being based on Debain my line of learning was very easy on how to configure and install dependency packages and other production applications. I believe newcomers as soon as they see an easy to use Q4Os environment will recommend it to more people.
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-11-09
Votes: 10
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Changed from Debian Bullseye , to this fantastic piece of OS.
At first installation I choosed full package with TDE, didnt like, because of load of software I didnt used and the WIN XP appearance, but I do why q4os devs made it like that.
Then i changed to Basic installation and XFCE desktop, that was pretty much what I have sought for, basic, snappy and clean , until I should compile something from github, did not work , alot packages was missing, and changed again to full distro of Q4OS and MATE desktop and now I pretty much like this alot, maybe I stay here in Q4OS for a while.
+ I have now 37,57seconds boot time from power on to login screen with hp amd laptop from 2014 after I did some cleaning
of systemd boot services. can't wait till I get my hands on a SSD.
- nothing directly, but sometimes MATE software fails to load, for example Caja-file browser, but that I can change.
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-11-06
Votes: 1
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Slow loading on startup. Slow installing applications. Slow uninstalling applications. Toooooo many updates.Won't run Opera. Discover is very limited. Other than those things it is a great little alternative to windows 10 or 11 hell. biden would probably use it if he could remember how to run it. Highly suggest using it. It will grow on you. This is a very good reason to stop the distro dance. MX Linux may be a bit better in the purest sense.Might use WUBI although this project has not been worked on since 2007.
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-10-20
Votes: 8
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Version 64 bits with Trinity desktop.
Once installed, everything works fine on my very low power pc (Atom 2 GB Ram): the system is a Debian.
Since now I did not encountered some old problems that where present on the previous version (for example, a crash from time to time of Dolphin).
My hardware works fine, no problem with the printer, the scanner, sound and webcam. Even Skype works fine.
I did not tried all the software packages, but all those ones I tried worked fine.
This version is a good choice for everyone that wants a working system on old hardware or just someone, like me, that loves old fashioned but working desktop (by the way Trinity is the last available version)..
So why just 8 and not 10 on my rating?
1. the basic theme gives a start menu that could be, in my opinion, confusing: why not put it simpler? (ok, there are other theme you ca choose from, where the start menu is simpler)
2. the strong emphasis on Konqueror: I really like it, but as a browser now it is not the best one, so maybe the best choiice is to use a real modern browser and a separate file manager.
3. the installation, on my machine, was really hard: I tried many times. My hard disk config is an old classic: 3 main partitions and one logic with many partitions. It was impossible to install it on a logic partition (boot on that partition or on MBR), at last I was able to install it on one main partition and boot on that.
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 4
Date: 2022-10-17
Votes: 17
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Q40S team raises the bar of expectations about their Trinity distro on their website: "lightweight, fast, efficient, in many ways surpasses competition.. we love it so much..." I downloaded and installed q4os-4.10-x64-tde.r2.iso. I tested it thoroughly for almost a week by using it as my "main daily driver". Neither Q4OS nor Trinity surpass any competition to put it mildly.
Live session starts promising with clear messages and friendly pop-ups. Feel n looks are utterly windowzy. Dejavu. WinXP reborn. Home-brew installers of popular apps amusingly imitate the classic install-shield setups. But my amusement stopped there.
Q40S cannot install a working Grub in UEFI either by following the defaults or by partitioning manually the disk and creating a 300mb fat32 partition mounted at /boot/efi and flagged as "boot". I booted a random Debian live iso. Mounted local partitions and reinstalled grub from the command line. Not exactly the windowzy way to install a "Desktop Operating System".
Trinity is indeed colourful and highly customizable in pure KDE vein. Alas it remains buggy like its KDE progenitor. "Theme Manager" erases 30 minutes of customization by just pressing OK. It reverts to defaults while THERE IS a "defaults" button on the left. Control panel offers duplicate and overlapping options with sometimes baffling lack of... control. You have not permission to change this or that setting as plain user, you are not offered with credential prompts upon saving and not an easy way to run the control panel as admin.
Keybindings are a sore point. They are somehow hardcoded. You cannot switch keyboard layouts but with "alt+ctrl+K" only. "TDE Keyboard Tool" residing on the system tray offers the option to change the keyboard shortcut but it does not actually work. People use alt+shift, super+space, ctrl+shift etc not only on Linux but on every "Desktop Operating System". Now try to bind terminal to standard ctrl+alt+T. It is ctrl+T on Q40S Tde but cannot be applied when some app windows are active when it conflicts with the app keybindings. You have to deselect active windows and click on an empty space of the desktop.
Mime types handling is even worse. For some strange reason "popular" file types like epub are not recognized as such, even when you force association with a relevant program. Mime type is not application/x-epub+zip as the default /etc/default/mime.types designates in good ol' debian way! It is application/x-kdeuser1 (!) because Trinity interferes with mime-type handling creating some .local/share/mime folder with obscure configuration files.
I found my way around but I'll you tell this: it wasn't worth my time. Some things should work out of the box. They do… in competition.
Handing of some menial tasks is frustrating. You attach an external usb drive to your comp. A media applet in the tray prompts you with the option to mount it and Konqueror opens it. So far so good. Try now to play media files stored in your external drive, videos or music files. "Couldn't create GStreamer source element for media:/sdb1/Music/[nameofyourmusicalbum]/02. [nameofthetrack].flac". Media applet mounts the external drive onto "media:/sdbX", a path that is not recognized by the very same media players "Q4Os Software Center" installs. If you go around through your file manager you'll find the same drive in "media/yourusername/labelofyourdrive" where any other distro would have pointed you to straight away. You wonder what would happen if Q40S developers didn't really love Trinity so much.
Bottom line: As Windows-meme Q4OS Trinity version has its moments. For anything else, such as running a lean and capable desktop on an old PC, use xfce or icebox or anything, my friends, if you want a customizable and at the same time transparent and reliable system, but not Trinity as at least distributed by Q4OS.
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-10-13
Votes: 5
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How could anyone think that this is the best distro? I have tried at least 30 and it is by far the best. Designed with the user in mind. A real contender to replace windows. The only irritations is constant updates. "While talking about security, Q40s is very difficult to break through and hence it is a highly secure OS when compared to the other operating systems. Its high-tech security is one of the main reasons for Linux popularity and enormous use." Stop you hopping a use Q40; you will be glad you did.
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-10-11
Votes: 2
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I like Q4OS 4.10. Two weeks ago, I installed the x64 Trinity edition from a CD on a Prescott-core Pentium 4 PC with 2 GB of RAM. Installation was easy for me, a Windows nerd. So far, Q4OS has worked great, and I plan to continue to use it to meet my Linux needs.
Here are minor issues that kept me from giving Q4OS 4.10 a rating of 10:
1. An icon appeared in the dock to inform me that updates were available. When I tried to install the updates, the update process failed. Google helped me to learn that I needed to run "sudo apt update" and "sudo apt dist-upgrade" before the automated updates would succeed. I think that the automatic updates application should be smart enough to just work without me needing to prepare the computer for updates from the command line.
2. Q4OS comes with two web browsers, Firefox and Konqueror. Firefox is up to date and works well, but Konqueror is out of date and should not be used to browse the web. Konqueror also serves as the file manager, which is fine, but Konqueror is prominently presented as a web browser with Konqueror "Web Browser" shortcuts placed on the desktop and the taskbar by default. To encourage users to use the up-to-date browser, only Firefox should be prominently presented as a web browser on the desktop and the taskbar by default.
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-10-09
Votes: 5
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Using Plasma Desktop which I find very responsive, customizable and easy to use. I do have almost 10 years Linux experience now. I only use MS Windows were I have to these days.
I have tended to now use Debian based distros, having tried Arch and others in the past. For me the only two distros I track and use are Mints LMDE and Q4OS Plasma. Both are Debian Stable but each uses a different Desktop. Both work well for me.
Q4OS is much leaner and a little faster than LMDE, so its best for older desktops and notebooks.
I use Q4OS as my business desktop for one year now on a business MS Windows domain network. My hardware is a Intel i3 NUC Mini PC with 8Gb Mem, SSD and a 4K Screen attached. It's extremely reliable and responsive with Firefox Browser running two instances (Hosted Accounting system and business browsing with approx 10 tabs open across both instances, Linux MS Teams app (Chat and Teams meetings), SoftOffice 2021 for Word Processing, Spreadsheeting etc, RDP connection to a Windows Terminal Server (KRDC) and Evolution connecting me to my O365 mailbox. Almost never have a problem operating on a business network. Memory usage around 3.5Gb total. I also have Wine 7.0 installed to handle one small Windows app I need. I print on the business network and attach to Windows shares to share files.
At home I run another Intel NUC with another 4K screen. Similar setup to above but I run a few strategy wargames I enjoy under Wine 7. I print reliably to an HP OfficeJet and listen to music via bluetooth to a sound system.
Very underrated in my opinion.
Pro's
- Very lean install - I use the basic profile and then add only what I need from there
- Can setup using a profile to build a new PC how you want it.
- A great Linux business desktop with careful setup
- Things just work out of the box - printing, wireless, etc
- Fast and responsive on older hardware
- Stable and reliable day to day - very dependable
- Best battery runtime I have found on a Linux distro - I add tlp for even better run times.
- Reliable updates - I use Timeshift to snapshot before major changes
Cons
- Being Debian Stable, choose your hardware to suit. (Not the latest !)
A solid dependable distro and one worth investigating - excellent job the Dev's have done here.
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-09-29
Votes: 6
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Using Trinity desktop it is light, stable, and fast boot.
Wireless, bluetooth, brave browser etc. just work.
Stable debian is always reliable and easy to maintain with synaptic.
Plenty of packages to handle webcam, capture of desktop, specific text editors and file managers.
Control Panel allows customization of keyboard shortcuts, display, user specific desktop icons and themes...
Using it on a 2014 hp chromebook with intel 2955u processor and 4gb ram and 32 gb emmc for desktop purposes.
Tried a couple of other distros like Gallium OS etc. and this one was the most current and worked for me.
Had to tweak a file setting or two for things like two finger scrolling on trackpad... but pretty much worked out of the box.
Tools allow you to change the menu and look and feel pretty easily and this was appreciated.
If you are using and older less capaable pc like me suggest you use Trinity desktop over Plasma for more responsive pc.
A big thank you to the devs, good job and good documentation!!!
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Version: 4.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-08-28
Votes: 7
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I've been looking for a "lite" distro for my 10yo laptop and have gone through several and so far Q4OS is my favorite. I have an Intel I3 powered laptop with only 8G of ram and Q4OS is lean and fast. I also like how surprisingly customizable it is with a fresh look right out of the box. I have been using it for a few months with no issues or bugs, which is a pleasant surprise. I'm only using it to do basic pc tasks so I can't comment on how it will perform for power users but I don't think it's intended use.
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Latest Reviews
Project: Q4OS
Version: 6.2
Rating: 3
Date: 2025-10-28
Votes: 0
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Many users that rank Q4OS high are using the Trinity variant on old computers but what about KDE Plasma which Q4OS team evidently presents as their main offering, their "flagship" in a way?
Q4OS uses Calamares installer which normally makes installation a breeze. Debian proper offers Calamares with the live ISOs but these are oddly hidden from the public eye. Moreover Q4OS installer offers several "profiles": "desktop", basic, live, pure. This is nice. I went for "Desktop" for a first-hand experience of what Q4OS maintainers consider as ideal KDE.
Installation led me to an unmistakably vanilla-looking Plasma similar to the Plasma desktop you get in Debian or Fedora. I tried to track down the differences. Chromium instead of Firefox. Not my choice. KTorrent by default which cannot hold the candle to Qbittorrent. Clementine! Clementine is an example of pseudo-development. Its maintainer changes a letter in a translation and builds a new release out of it. It is a dead app. q4os team does not know that Strawberry Music Player exists. Same basically app with Clementine but in active development. ufw instead of firewalld with gufw as a gui instead of the integrated in KDE System Settings Firewall settings. ufw is more accessible but gufw (GTK3) has shown buggier behaviour in newer systems/distros. I have to give to Q4OS that at least their KDE is not bloated. No kmail/korganizer/akonadi services creating unneeded activity in the background.
Beyond the debatable choices for default applications, desktop is too vanilla, alarmingly vanilla Debian. Fastfetch says Debian 13 Trixie, system info in Plasma settings says Debian 13 Trixie, cat /etc/os-release says... Debian 13 Trixie. So what is this? Just Debian with Calamares?
There are only 3 apps that reminded me I have installed Q4OS and not plain Debian. "Software Centre", "Welcome Screen" and "Q4OS imager" for writing ISOs to USB sticks. Software Centre (uncommon BE spelling for an AE locale) is not a full-blown replacement for Discover but a "curated" collection of software. Something like "Q4os suggests". Well the collection is a mixed bag. Mostly a showcase for their copying of install-shield setup wizard. Guys these imitations of windows-styled installers do not look so polished against the backdrop of modern KDE. They look -and not amusingly so- retro in this context. 61 out of the 85 programs referenced in "Centre" have a rating lower than 5/10. Also it lists some unverified flatpaks while official debian packages are available from developers themselves.
This is a too thin, too weak, too unconvincing, too low-effort layer of customization on top of Debian proper. I noticed there was not any splash screen. I added "splash" to grub bootloader arguments. No joy. Plymouth and plymouth-themes are not installed by default. I have reasons to believe this is because Q4OS does not offer its own custom plymouth theme and all users can get is vanilla Debian boot screens. But if you're not going to provide a plymouth theme with your distro, then why the loglevel=3 grub boot argument, dearies?
Well KDE-Plasma looks like an afterthought for Q4OS. If you turn on "Show Hidden Files", you can find a bunch of hidden files that have nothing to do with KDE in your home directory: .trinity and .trinitykde folders, .compton-tde.conf, .gtkrc-lxqt-q4os (!). Compton? lxqt? These are obviously some common configuration files for the occasional Q4OS app.
But the worst thing about Q40S that negates in advance any argument of the type "We make installation of Debian easy for new Linux users" is that KDEWallet is not preconfigured for the user as system keyring. This is simply unacceptable for a distro that is around for years and does not purport to be hardcore-ish. New users who install Chrome, Vivaldi and a bunch of other high-profile apps that use system keyring to store credentials are in for a treat...
Sorry Q40S team but I will definitely direct my donations elsewhere...
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 6.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-10-26
Votes: 7
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it's a distro that i can do more things compared to arch ( Manjaro )
After a recent update my cinnamon de on manjaro starts sucking up 1.7gb idle memory and my ideatab has 4gb only and it's like 3.4gb available left for me.
i couldn't even watch youtube videos. 1440p videos impossible. 2160p videos don't bother to imagine.
i actually installed zram and configured but still it did not solve my problem.
my cpu is pentium Gold 8800 something with 6 cores built in intel gpu.
so i decided to give it a try to Q4OS.
i left 8 gb swap for sure because i have low memory 3.4gb left for me.
well.
- System is super responsive.
- İ can able to watch 1440p and 4k videos on google chrome with external monitor. 27 inches qhd.
- while im watching videos i can use facebook-twitter- and google search - deepseek with tabs without issues.
- im happy so far and i liked the trinity de.
- there was tearing issue and i found a fix want to share with yours if you are having tearing issue because renderer is x11.
Solution :
Go to your home folder/your name
Enable show hidden files
you will see .compton.tde.conf.
change the lines with these:
backend = "glx";
vsync = "opengl-swc";
save it and reboot. now tearing is gone and vsync is enabled.
The person who helped me for this solution is the guy named HM7.
Credits to HM7.
i highly recommend you to this distro.
the only cons ( maybe because im noob )
i couldn't find the touch screen driver because my ideatab is also tablet i mean has a touchscreen.
i can touch and it dedects but not like touching more like secondary mouse.
gnome de was perfect for this.
but meh not necessarry now. but i will still look for solutions i hope i can fix it too.
Cheers.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 6.2
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-10-23
Votes: 4
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Hi all,
I should point out that my opinion is that of a novice who has been using Linux for less than five years, with very limited computer knowledge.
I discovered Q4OS about two years ago. I installed it on one of my work computers (a humanitarian association). For three other PCs, I juggled between Mint LMDE and SpiralLinux. The PCs in question are all quite old (more than 1à years). I ended up installing Q4OS on all four PCs. In terms of stability, the three distributions I tested are equivalent, as they are all based on Debian stable. However, when it comes to supporting old hardware, Q4OS performs best. Fast startup and smooth performance are top.
I should also mention that I have installed the KDE environment, which I find more user-friendly. In our association, we welcome a very diverse public, most of whom have little computer skills. KDE Plasma seems to appeal to the majority of people.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 6.1
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-10-13
Votes: 7
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It's a very good OS and runs well on my netbook.
Specs:
Intel Atom 1.6 GHZ
2GB DDR3
HD 250GB Sata
Model: Samsung NP450 Series
I don't have any problems using the Trinity DE, it's looks like Windows XP look and feel, and it's very easy to use for new users, comming from Windows. Besides i've find just one problem. Sometimes the actual and the previous version doesn't boot properly (yes, i've tried the 5.8 and 6.1 versions). The GRUB suddenly freezes on the boot and point the error on the ACPI (module or driver, I don't know). Two mounths ago, i've tried the 6.1 version and have the same problem. So i've downgraded to 5.8, the problem remains but with a minor frequency. I hope it fixed soon in the next version (not 6.1) or i've a hardware or driver problem when i don't know if exists.
Anyway, depending of the old hardware, it's a good choice for the newcomers.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 6.1
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-09-29
Votes: 9
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As my first Linux distribution was SuSE Linux 9.1, I still remember the times when KDE3 (the predecessor of TDE) was the default desktop of that very popular linux vendor.
To me, especially the look and feel, stability and configurability were very impressive.
When I heard that after quite some time into KDE4 KDE3 will be forked and continued outside of the KDE umbrella, I was a little skeptical if this will work out. I tested the Trinity DE almost every release, mainly under Opensuse or Debian/Devuan. Then I noticed that Q4S offers a TDE spin and took a look at it. I immediately noticed that the Q4S team took TDE very serious and releases a well polished TDE variant of their distribution.
This month someone of my customers approached me because of the support end of Windows 10.
An elderly lady in her 70ies with a desktop and a laptop she only uses for Facebook and eMails.
The rest of the story you can imagine.
As the laptop was a ancient Acer laptop with a Celeron CPU and 4GB RAM. I thought I will give Q4S with TDE a try.
The installation was straight forward and went without any error.
At the first boot, it installed the missing language-pack automatically and when logging in you are greeted by a dialog where multimedia-codes are installed with a single mouse click.
The default browser is Google Chromium, what I wanted to replace with its ungooled version.
Even here the Q4S team made it effortless to do so. There is a gui-uninstaller for Chromium and flatpak is already preconfigured and ready to use.
I was so delighted with this distro, that I also installed it on my oldest laptop and even if it is powerful enough to run the latest Plasma or Gnome DE, I will keep Q4S TDE there.
Its very polished, very thought through integrated and a pleasant experience to use.
I highly recommend Q4S TDE to anybody who need a good and stable distro for older hardware or if you miss the KDE3 experience.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 6.1
Rating: 5
Date: 2025-09-26
Votes: 4
|
I have a legacy desktop with a MBR disk and using BIOS. I tried to do a Q4OS install using their MANUAL partitioning method to a specific pre-existing partition on the disk.
Without a warning or a message of any kind, Q4OS replaced my MBR and boot menu with its own! As I've installed perhaps a dozen distros, I can attest that this is very unusual behavior. Other distros give you a choice whether to install the distro boot info into in the MBR or the PBR (partition boot record).
I thought maybe I missed something during the install, so I tried again. Same result. Q4OS took over my MBR and boot menu without asking me.
At this point I decided I didn't feel comfortable installing this product on my system, so I abandoned it.
Note that I did NOT test with GPT and UEFI, which is what most people use. So my experience may well not apply to the great majority of people who try this product.
I didn't want to give this system a rating, as I never installed it, but this review software insists I do so or I can't post my review. So I arbitrarily gave it a 5. I hope that's not unfair to Q4OS, which for all I know, could be a great product with a minor flaw that derailed my use of it.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 6.1
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-09-20
Votes: 0
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I've been following the evolution of Q4Os for a while now, and for me, with each release and distro, it keeps evolving. I have two computers, one with Debian 12 and the other with Q4Os, for developing business automation applications with the PostgreSQL database and Free Pascal Lazarus. I also use the cross-compiler process for other operating systems. Q4Os has served me very well. It has low memory consumption, as soon as I finish a project, I refactor it, which consumes memory to ensure there were no errors. That's all good. The Q4Os team wishes you continued success and continued development.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 6.1
Rating: 8
Date: 2025-09-17
Votes: 0
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I have been using this distro for donkeys years, and this is the first time I found a glitch in it other than the ubiquitous issue of WiFi disconnecting every 10 or so minutes, which plagues many Debian based distros that i have tinkered with, including Void Linux which is not Debian based. Now coming to the issue, after installing Firefox, the latest version, the programme crashes such that audio plays perfectly after the crash, but there is no video but just a blank screen where the Firefox should have been. If I click anywhere on this blank space Firefox behaves as if I have clicked on a new video on the screen, but actually there is nothing to see on the screen. Hope they find out a solution for it sooner than late, as I would hate to part with this otherwise ultra stable distro. This would be distro nirvana if it came with the runit init system. Till they find out a solution for it I have to use Void Linux.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 6.1
Rating: 7
Date: 2025-09-17
Votes: 0
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I installed Q4OS 6.1 recently on an older desktop I use in my garage. The install was easy and straight forward. I really like the retro feel of the interface and everything was easy to use and fast .After the install process, I tried to get my very standard Creative Soundblaster X-Fi sound card to play. I could see it using inxi -A but was not able to make it play using the various sound settings. After spending about 30 minutes on it I gave up and installed Zorin instead, It instantly recognized my sound card and getting it up and going was as simple as selecting it and turning up master volume. I would like to try Q4OS again. I think it really has some good things to offer for older hardware.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-08-31
Votes: 12
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I'm not sure how I missed this distro over the years, but it's quite impressive. I opted for KDE flavor and it runs great on my hardware. I have used several distros over this past year, Arch, Garuda, Endeavour, MX, Fedora, etc... but this one is by far the best running one of the bunch. The other distros I had issues with sound or video or both... Software installs were super easy, resource useage is really low, and looks very good as well. I did strip down KDE a bit as I don't use everything it comes with, but that's normal for me. Spent a few minutes last night updgrading kernel to 6.12 and no issues to report after. It's snappy and easy to use. Overall a great running distro that I plan on using as my daily.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-08-29
Votes: 3
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Not only is this a great lightweight distro, it's simply a *great* distro, period.
It comes with all the glam and extras of KDE Plasma, it can be custom-themed to look quite like Windows 10 or 11, it also can be fired up with its Trinity Desktop Environment (TDE, a fork from a very early KDE) that is quite lightweight and nearly as full-featured as the KDE version.
As an example of the thought put into lightening the load, much of the time, I forgo having a Network Manager systray helper running, since it's often larger than Network Manager itself. However the TDE Network Manager systray app is so light, there's not much reason not to run it -- it's lighter than either nm-tray or nm-applet. And it doesn't stop there.
The icing on the cake is the forum and user community, among the most responsive I've dealt with. Super bunch all the way around.
If you don't care for Debian distributions, there's a "sister" distro of Q4OS based on Ubuntu -- Quark OS. (Okay, nevermind that Ubuntu itself is Debian-based, some folks think it's not!)
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-08-14
Votes: 6
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Absolutely insane and original operating system. I use Aquarius 5.8 Trinity desktop for a few months now a and it's fast and pretty stable, exactly as advertised. Some configurations was time consuming and had to be made via terminal, for example wifi, bluetooth, touchpad, setting lid open/close actions and maybe something other. But as soon as they are configured Q4OS works just perfect. I like the idea of profiles - I have setup the basic profile and used flatpak additional applications. Since I operate this computer as a secondary one, Q4OS satisfy all the needs excellently - browsing the web, sending and receiving e-mails, office applications, listening to music, watching youtube videos, chatting with friends and other activities. Everything is working flawlessly so far. Thanks for the excellent work developers !
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 4.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-08-09
Votes: 2
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Q4OS is very good operating system, particularly for me who value a lightweight, fast, and customizable Debian-based system. It's often praised for its performance, especially on older or low-resource hardware. The inclusion of the Trinity desktop environment, along with the option to use Plasma, makes it a versatile choice. In conclusion: Q4OS is a well-regarded Linux distribution that offers a balance of performance, customization, and ease of use. Its suitability depends on individual needs and preferences, but it's a solid choice for users seeking a lightweight and efficient Debian-based system
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 6.0-r9
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-08-04
Votes: 4
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Wow, this is really quite amazing.
Needed a lightweight OS for a repurposed Acer Chromebook that was light on power. Used mrchromebook to convert, and after loading my usual distro it worked just fine, but just lagged & was sluggish, I guess to be expected.
Ran across q4OS, tried both the TDE and plasma versions, what a difference! Both ran truly great. Running plasma on it, really brings a whole new life, and a very usable, modern system.
In fact, so impressed I have now loaded the latest Trixie plasma test versions on both my ASUS zenbook and an older Lenovo AIO desktop.
Everything is just so snappy & smooth it really does amaze me at times.
Fantastic work to the q4OS team. I wasn't looking to change my daily driver OS, but here I am.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-07-21
Votes: 3
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Great Linux to run on ancient eeePC 701 to breath some life into them.
So for any ancient 32bit intel machines with low RAM, this is the system to go. It's a perfect LinuxMint alternative for me on these machines.
The XP theme is a surprisingly well done "clone" if you like that style, also Windows 2000 theme gives me some sweet memories. But I like the more modern themes that make the trinity desktop nicer. I didn't know of TDE before and really like the easy handling and well polished UI.
Great work from the Distro Team! Thanks for keeping the old silicon running! Dekuje!
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 3
Date: 2025-07-12
Votes: 2
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I tried this on an old laptop after learning it was supposed to be a good, lightweight fit for older computers. I also liked the look of TDE, so I thought it might be worth checking out. Unfortunately, I later learned it is not as lightweight as it would seem.
I really liked that they have a Windows installer/uninstaller in their website, it really makes everything much easier.
However, during the first installation, the laptop crashed out of nowhere. Granted, I had disconnected it from the power source for a short while, but it had been connected for a good amount of time, and the battery was mostly full, if the indicator could be trusted. After that, nothing could be updated, so I tried uninstalling and installing again.
After installing the distro again, I was surprised that TDE was not installed, even though I had checked the proper box to do so. I tried installing it afterwards, but without success.
The system also presented several "slowdowns" - I mean, I expected this sort of thing from the Windows 10 already installed, not from a Linux distro.
The final nail in the coffin was a complete freeze when I clicked on the update button - it didn't open the package manager, or anything, and wouldn't let me do anything else either. I suppose that many people may find this distro appealing, but from my experience I simply can't recommend it.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-07-04
Votes: 12
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Fantastic and stable operating system.
I've used hundreds of distros, and I'm currently using this on all my laptops. It works great on my older Lenovo G-50, and my newer Lenovo VA-14.
Using Debian 12 is great, as it's stable. And, Plasma is 5 is perfect for older computers; it has everything you expect from Plasma, without the heavy memory requirements.
Installation is very easy. They have a great repository of software, including flatpak. And, they have a handy software update app that reminds you of important upgrades. Some low-memory distros don't have this.
Try it!
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 7
Date: 2025-06-05
Votes: 1
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A very good distro especially for low end notebooks, i installed on a 2005 packard bell one and runs flawlessy
a distro that is not exactly "lightweight" or at least not as much as I expected but very solid and well made, the TDE interface is excellent, the only big flaw is that it is a bit confusing with the graphical package manager and with the forced choice between minimal, basic and complete which seems very unnecessarily complicated and that wastes a lot of time after installation when you would like to do something else (It's a bit reminiscent of Windows :-| )
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-05-31
Votes: 11
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Q4OS has served well for a decade as the sole OS I have used to prepare over 50 older used computers for donation to the needy. I chose Q4OS after comparing over 10 other lite Linux operating systems because of its usability with low resource computers, extreme compatibility with a wide variety of computer systems, its ease of use, Debian base, and Windows like operational similarity so those receiving computers have an easy learning curve.
Skills learned on Q4OS are easily transferred to Windows, and of course the reverse is true as well. Throughout the last decade not one of these computers with Q4OS ever got a computer virus except for one Ransomeware attempt that was easily thwarted by simply turning off and unplugging the desktop system. I find Q4OS a solid reliable OS that I would recommend to anyone wishing to revive an older computer system.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-05-22
Votes: 15
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If you have a PC that's as old as Windows XP-era but want a Linux Distro that's easy to use, not too cluttered, not too dated design, and working out-of-box as close to Linux Mint as possible, then Q4OS Trinity is for you.
This Trinity Desktop Environment (TDE) variant by Q4OS has plenty of Windows XP vibes, you can pick your software packages between fully featured (default), reduced (pick extra applications yourself later), and minimal (experts only) in setup and after setup (called Dekstop Profiles).
In Welcome Dialog, "Install additional codecs" button is a great addition, as well as "Install softwares" button that opens up Q4OS' own Software Center to simplify additional applications to install yourself such as Firefox, LibreOffice, Thunderbird, media players, and so on. "Desktop effects" button under "More" is also appreciated to provide some eye-candy while using TDE.
Since this Distro is based on Debian, you can rely on Debian documentation for additional setup such as boot screen (plymouth) or troubleshooting, Arch documentation can also help.
I have a few tips for finishing up TDE:
1. Within Q4OS Software Center, you might want to install:
1a. Synaptic Package Manager; to open up more options of applications to install.
1b. Update Manager; to simplify software updates.
1c. gMTP; to send and manage files of Android device.
1d. Timeshift; System Restore tool.
1e. Firewall Configuration (gufw); to enable/configure Firewall.
2. Within Synaptic Package Manager (if opted to), you might want to install:
2a. kolourpaint-trinity; TDE's Paint program, working better instead of KDE's kolourpaint
2b. ksnapshot-trinity; TDE's screenshot tool.
3. There's Q4OS' documentation under "Trinity desktop related" section, "Q4OS setup and using", and "Q4OS Frequently asked questions" that might help you.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-05-16
Votes: 3
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ｋDE plasmaで運用していますが、このq４ＯＳ一度たりともフリーズしたことはありません。更にインストールする時の選択操作画面もわかり易く今までのwindows１０よりも簡単でwindows７に近い感覚ですね。解りにくい複雑な操作もなく７までの簡潔だけど分かり易い選択操作が順に進んでいくという感じ。
評価を少し下げていたのはコピー貼り付け履歴にバクが合ったので評価８/10点かなと思っていたが、そのバグも改善されたので９/10点に上がりました。残りの１点はusb無線wifiは大体対応していないので、自分でドライバーを探してきて対応させることになります。カーネルにmakeなりを使う一式のコマンドを用いることになります。
なのでそこで初めからusbに指すだけで使えるwindowsとは勝手が違いますのでソレだけですかね。
後はcoreｉ５ｰ６５０でも今までのｐｃと同じ様に使えるので貴重なＯＳです。素晴らしい！mxlinuxやBodhiではライブ動画が観れなかったりと不便はありましたがq4osはないですよ安定もしていて本当に素晴らしい！を繰返したく為る程のOSです。
是非これからも開発を続けて下さい応援しています。
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-05-12
Votes: 10
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If you want Debian with KDE Plasma on top (in my humble opinion the best combination of the linux world) then look no further because Q4OS nails it perfectly.
It installs very fast and hasslefree on every machine that I own, it runs smooth as silk, and it stays out of the way.
You can even choose if you want to install a minimal Plasma or middleweight or a heavyweight with many apps.
Kudos to the team, you nailed it.
Love the Trinity Edition as well.
Perfect for stone age laptops.
10/10.
A fine product.
Already paypaled donation.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-05-01
Votes: 2
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Installed the newest Q4OS (5.8) just this morning to see where it is now. Basic Plasma 64 bit install on an Asus junk laptop with 17" HD+, Celeron N3060 (!!!), a 180 GB Intel SATA 2 (!) SSD, and 8 GB of single channel RAM. The install process was a bit slow, but that was expected. this laptop is really not a fast one. Then some stuff like MM codecs and Chrome browser from the shop, zram-tools (for zram swap) and intel-gpu-tools (to see if the Braswell igpu is doing its job, it is) from the repos. I'm writing this short note on it, in the fifth tab of Chrome. Other four tabs are Netflix, Spotify, Youtube and a local newspaper, all streaming except the newspaper and this page. I can pretty niftly change tabs by ctrl-tabbing and they all work. That should be enough for a review. I gave 10 points by my first impression. Let's say I prefer very much using this one to low end chromebooks. This is good for what they are good for, nothing much more.
There have been some installing problems in previous versions but I met none of those this time. The most impressive thing is that this puny laptop can actually be useful. I bought it for coins, just because of the charger and nice matte 1600 x 900 panel. I noticed there was actually nothing wrong or broken, except that it only had an almost dead and slow spinning disc and just 2 GB of RAM. Either of them is no good with Windows 10. So, I decided to give it a go. I swapped the RAM (just one slot) and the disk, did some settings in BIOS and installed Q4OS.
If you have a similar setup note that I have 8 GB of RAM, and with less RAM or a slower CPU (there are some!) I think maybe three simultaneous streams could be too much. The pretty Vulkan cube also works. I'm not expecting too much from the gaming front but I'll see.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-04-11
Votes: 21
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i have tried many versions of Linux over the years but had usually migrated back to my preferred Mint or Neon, recent frustrations with Mint and Ubuntu lead me to look at Q4OS which i have found to be a fantastic and stable OS, easy to install use, customisation is quite easy and the quick boot time is a bonus . Currently running 5.8 with a KDE desktop on a 12 year old ASUS laptop and a Dell XPS 13 both with no issues at all. Recommending this OS to anybody who needs to migrate from windows 10
Give it a chance
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-04-04
Votes: 13
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After more than 12 years with Linux Mint, and trying more than 25 linux distributions in live mode, I decided to give Q4OS a try on an old machine: Core 2 Quad with 6 gb of ram and now my machine flies! gave it a new life , Is fast, uses fewer resources, beautiful; it can easily resemble the look of a Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows 11, Mac and more with just one click! is friendly; you don[t need a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science to use it, is Debian; strong as rock; stable, Congratulations to the team behind this excellent distro, give it a try and you won[ t regret...
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.8
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-03-28
Votes: 17
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I installed Basic KDE. This is even better than what Debian puts out. There's is absolutely no junk that doesn't remove. This is perfect for me. I'm no longer a power user, I just want my apps to work with nothing extra hanging around. This is the replacement for my distro of choice I've been running for the last six year. I have one more machine to install this on and everything will be Q4OS. Even my Laptop with 8gbs of RAM is a beast. It came with Windows 11 and barely chugged along.
I need nine more.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-03-22
Votes: 1
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After trying maybe 20 different Linux distros the last couple of weeks, this one produces a smile on my face, because it can easily resemble the look of a Windows XP or even earlier (Win2000?) with its Trinity desktop. They even rebuilt the typical application installers and control panel!
The first part of the installation is text-based but this does not bother me because it works without headaches. Especially I like that Q4OS
- is light-weight so I can use it on a very old Core2Duo notebook with just 2GB RAM and still have
- is made with some passion to details, and
- allows to install a clean system where I don't have to uninstall a lot of bloatware first.
Where else do you have the possibility to run Windows XP with the latest software and security updates? ;)
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-03-19
Votes: 0
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Ten years ago, all but one of my machines ran a variant of Microsoft Windows. Today, I have five machines running Linux. I have a server running Rocky 9.5 (sans GUI) that hosts Adobe ColdFusion/Apache websites. I have a tablet and a 64-bit VirtualBox VM running straight Debian 12 (KDE Plasma GUI). And finally, I have two machines running Q4OS 5.7 (KDE Plasma GUI). The Q4OS units include an Intel XEON based machine running as a file server that also provides DNS/WINS services for my network. The other Q4OS unit is a Lenovo X1-Yoga ThinkPad that serves as my main laptop and also hosts an 32-bit Windows 10 VirtualBox machine that I use to run ancient Windows apps. I am amazed at how well Q4OS has handled both of these roles, i.e. file server and laptop client machine. Q4OS is remarkably stable. It installs a very clean Debian environment without all of the usual clutter. The only anomaly that I've noticed (and that I'm still puzzling over) is Q4OS seems to take significantly longer to logout/restart/shutdown compared to a machine running straight Debian 12. It is clearly doing some essential housekeeping, but I'm not exactly sure why it is so noticeably different from Debian 12.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-03-02
Votes: 7
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Q4OS is a very lightweight and responsive Linux distribution, even on old machines.
At the same time, it’s lightning-fast on new hardware, extremely responsive especially with TDE.
I installed it on my main PC instead of Mint XFCE, and it’s a recommended switch if you’ve gained some experience with Linux. Regarding themes, I installed Darkonaire/Debonair, which are the most modern and acceptable options.
If you prefer vintage themes, they’re available, but I don’t like them.
In my opinion, there should be more modern themes that are selectable from a ready-to-use menu.
Q4OS is a Linux distribution theoretically suitable for everyone, but I wouldn’t recommend it to an absolute Linux beginner. For those approaching Linux for the first time, I suggest Mint, Linux Lite, or Zorin OS. After gaining some practice with these distributions, you can try switching to Q4OS.
Extremely stable and lightweight, it’s hard to find flaws in Q4OS.
One potential downside might be the adjustments for themes, effects, and window appearance, there’s a bit of confusion in this area.
I would’ve preferred all the general appearance settings grouped together in one place, perhaps in the control panel under a single entry. Instead, there are multiple ways to access these settings, and it’s not immediately clear what overrides what. It takes some time to figure out, but you get there eventually.
Still, I’d prefer fewer options with less outdated and poorly supported themes. It’s evident that the aesthetic aspect needs some reorganization, eliminating overly old elements, unifying all settings under one entry, and using a menu with a selection logic that leaves no doubt about what’s being modified.
Overall, stability gets a 10+
Responsiveness/lightness 10+
TDE/KDE theme 9
Ease of use 8
Market for installing developer-predefined programs 6.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-26
Votes: 1
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Hello world ! I'm under Q4OS-5.7 right now.I use the TDE version.It is a very good DE which is underrated based on old KDE version.The TDE devs make an awesome job: it's strange that there is not a lot of distributions using this DE.So a big thank to Q4OS devs for that.At start up i have got about 425MB of ram used, according to htop.
There is everything needed for a daily use in this os.All is running without problems.They've just added a theme called darkonair : it's a very beautiful dark theme with transparency.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-26
Votes: 19
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This is a really good distribution. I got tired of Mxlinux when it was bloated and slow. Q4OS is really fast and stable. Installing programs is easy and the distribution is easy to configure to your liking. The scanner and printer were found right away. MXlinux has tools that make it easier to use, but they can also be installed on Q4OS. Installation instructions were found on the forum. Q40S is a very well developed system, it has no flaws and I have found no errors using it. It has beautiful plasma desktop with quick theme changer. I recommend trying this distribution.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-18
Votes: 11
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I love Q4OS Plasma. It brings me significant benefits. I prefer the Plasma desktop environment, but Trinity Desktop, a slightly lighter desktop, can be installed, but it seems too traditional to me.
The first point I would like to highlight is stability. This operating system honours the approach of being as stable as possible, keeping the core system immutable and only receiving security fixes. On top of this core, a user can install applications such as Google Chrome, Rustdesk, Skype and many Flatpack applications that are updated regularly. So, all these applications are maintained in their current stable version. This is an exceptional approach that I really appreciate.
The second advantage compared to other operating systems is the variety of graphical themes that I can choose from. The developers have prepared balanced Windows-like themes as well as Q4OS-specific themes. I found the Debonaire and Darkonaire themes as Linux best of.
I can recommend anyone who wants a stable and balanced desktop to try Q4OS.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-09
Votes: 10
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I have been using GNU/Linux since 1995. This is by far the best I have found to run on older hardware which is all I own at any given time. Thus far it has proven rock stable, is very much like my early experiences with Linux, and with a slight XP flavor that I have not found to be bad in any sense. Q4OS is very functional.
The current mainstream distros seem to be heading towards being extremely heavy, unstable, and as far from what linux originally was as they can be.
It may not be for everyone but it's worth a try.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-02-04
Votes: 7
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TDE Version!
Pros :
+ Unbeatable TDE version (The one and only TDE that work smooth and steady!)
+ Optimized Debian
+ Snappy, Lightweight, but Rich Features
+ Only eat around 350M!!!
+ All Usefull functions
+ Pretty Clean & Lean without much unnecessary bloats
+ TDEpowersave that able to sett and choose CPU's Frequency level
+ 4 Scheme CPU's Freq
+ Beautifull Effects
+ Smooth DIsplay Scaling
+++ Etc much more...
Cons :
- Not for fully Beginners
- Out of the box still need to do some manual homework to make it ready to properly usable.
- Forum Community not much activity
- Decent Documentation
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2025-01-17
Votes: 15
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Q4OS is for all intents and purposes, Highly optimized and somewhat modified Debian(Q4OS uses its own repos). The KDE version is plenty quick and snappy, and is very usable even on old and/or slow machines. I have tried every popular distro, but never find anything better than Q4OS. This basic-looking distro is light and dependable(even boring), because it just gets the job done and works, day after day, year after year without fail. Being a retired IT person, I put all ex-windows converts on it, and they are happy. They enjoy not having to worry about virus payloads, or other types of attacks(to the same extent while using windows). Linux is a welcome breath of fresh air and true freedom without a company telling me what I can(and can't do with my own machine, while at the same time harvesting my data, and who knows what else).
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-01-14
Votes: 7
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Q4OS is my favourite OS now. I like the way it modifies its Debian base. It is still the old good Debian, stable reliable Debian, but with an interesting added value. Plasma desktop environment is the default, Trinity desktop an option. I like the Q4OS visual themes for Plasma, Debonaire and Darkonair. They are sleek, understated. In addition you can install a few other themes integrated in the Lookswitcher application. I consider Q4OS very suitable for all Windowsers who want to try a Linux distro. Q4OS offers some Windows-like tools and a solid foundation. In my opinion, it is worth a try.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-12-26
Votes: 9
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I have installed many distros including arch but I stopped here: Q4OS kde. Why you ask, the answer is simple: I have a Debian installed and configured perfectly, I can install the mx tools, many software and backports updates, you can make many choices you already do it and you don't have to bang your head you can choose a basic or complete installation or whatever there is live iso. It's been a year and it's working wonderfully no problem. I turn on my PC it makes correct updates it never breaks the system is made so that you can do what you want. RECOMMENDED!!!
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-12-24
Votes: 5
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One of the lightest most responsive Debian based KDE systems out there(also is very easy on resources and does not tax the CPU), I transferred thousands of large audio and video files(GB's worth) to a new installation from an external USB(which took ten plus minutes on XFCE and other KDE's) , on Q4OS, it was done in three minutes! I have used Q4OS before, but support for my particular apps that I had used, dropped away. I have found new software that does the job and is in the Q4OS repos. I love this distro, and it is a shame more people are not aware of this GEM. These devs have found a way to tame and lighten KDE and allow it to reach it's massive potential. Just try it for yourselves, and you will see. There is only one CON, and that would be that the software selection is not absolutely massive, just sufficient.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-11-27
Votes: 4
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I use Q4os kde and am very satisfied. Ease of use, minimal system and you can choose whether you want the basic or complete one instead. You can choose whether to install discovery and synaptic or not. Once installed you can install the MX-tools with backports and software being tested on mx-linux. Stable being based on Debian a rock. A computer always ready to use and always ready and always ready for the updates you want. They are very satisfied I have no temptation to change it. Previously I changed one distro a week now NOT ANYMORE!!
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.7
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-11-16
Votes: 10
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Thank you DistroWatch, without you I can't get any news from the Linux distro world. And the same to Q4OS. Installed and working fine in five-six minutes. My pro about Q4OS is: Debian, easy to use, friendly, beautiful Trinity desktop, less comsuption energy for my laptop, plasma desktop at my home tower pc and trinity desktop laptop, no fear to use a non-windows11 system (thank you to all reviewers here for my decision to use Q4OS). And another pro is the site: a clear and simple documentation, a forum and - why not - a win11 desktop for all former win11 users like me! Just for joking all my friends thinking it is a simple win11 and now... all they want me to go their home for explaining all about this distro. But I know nothing about Linux. They have to use Q4OS simply. All at your fingers. Now the cons are that some window based program doesn't exist in Linux. So I have to use a dual boot (nothing to do, all is chosen in your install moment) and if a use a commercial (with regular licence) program I have to use windows. And that problem exists in for all Linux distro obviously. Q4OS deserves to be seen. Like me and after that I have understood that it's the right distro for me. Everyone from win11 has to install it because is similar for appearance but without all security concerns and above all without any AI inside your computer. Microsoft I hope you know what I mean...
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.6
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-11-07
Votes: 20
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It is my first distribution. I use it at work. I don't have big requirements, just typical office stuff plus some entertainment. I've used both Trinity and Plasma and I don't have any problems with it on my 10 year old laptop (Asus F445L). I have everything I need here. Also Im completly new with linux based systems but nowdays its not a problem if you want to learn something new. Easy to use, easy to modify. Perfect choice of applications for me. There is also a lot of information in the help center if you need it.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 4.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-09-08
Votes: 20
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q402 is a very well developed system ,it has no flaws y have found no errors using it on modern computers , with plasma desktop ,its installation is very well developed with calamares installer , is a very stable debian distribution y use it also on 32bit very old machines of year 2000 aproximatelly and it works perfectly all the controllers functioning , with trinity desktop on old machines , so y reccomend it for a trouble free installation and a system which you can rely on , also the load on the system is very well manageable . A very well adjusted system , congratulations !!!
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.5
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-08-17
Votes: 25
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I try a lot of distros and desktop environment until some years, . My favourite is the debian, ubuntu based ones with KDE, but the last 2 years i used Tumleweed. Almost everything works, but just almost. Some issues with update, wifi, and printer. I decided to chose other distro. I suffered a lot because always had something problem with printer, appearance settings, mounting usb, installing app, or working stremio. But i have given a chance Q4OS Plasma! Finally, it works!! Everything, i mean really everything what i need. Fine installation, settiings, even the Discover and the updates, printers, stremio, you can use flatpaks. It is fantastic, great thanks!!
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.5
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-08-14
Votes: 24
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Q4OS is a really great operating system, I found it the best option to me. I like the stability and approach of Debian. It is available in two editions, Plasma and Trinity desktop. Plasma pose a better desktop to me, however Trinity has become an extraordinary, novel option. I like the Q4OS Lookswitcher styles idea, I can theme the desktop look in different ways, even in quite believable Windows styles. I prefer Q4OS over other Linux distributions because of the sober approach to keep Debian's proven base, so I can rely on Q4OS absolutely. Repositories of Q4OS offer plenty of applications, they consist of vanilla Debian repositories and some smaller Q4OS one. Live and installation media come with pre-defined set of applications, they are configured with basic and desktop options but the most magic is the ability to define own application set and apply it upon the OS installation. Q4OS also offers some other dedicated native tools they make user's life easier. Q4OS forum seems to be a great platform to get a user support with occasional periods of silence.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 4.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-08-11
Votes: 232
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Really like Q4OS, but the last two versions of Plasma have a bug in the screenlock. It will randomly Fail to show a box for the password when you attempt to wake the computer, and nothing seems to remedy it short of a hard reboot. Upgraded the memory to 16 GBs but it failed to solve the problem.
I finally decided to do the option of installing a second desktop, and that seems to have completely fixed the problem. I am delighted with the change and stability of Cinnamon. New life for Q4OS; it has become my daily driver!
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.5
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-08-08
Votes: 17
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Very tired of Win11 and its # bugs (last updated, my touchpad not working). Ever heard of Linux but I don't what to become an engineer and I have no spare time to learn anything. After a lot of readings I installed Q4OS: perfect and totally working. How to? I don't know, I just chose what was on the screen!
Trinity desktop is very beautiful and anxiety-free. I like very much and the feeling is that you have always used and seen it. I used only Windows for many Years and my fear was to be lost in a Linux desktop. And you can use (when you like) even the plasma desktop (very beautiful but needs more memory).
For programs there are two systems for downloading (one with a simple click but another one is better to write a title as they are too numerous for a readable-in-a-minute list).
Q4OS chosen for Debian, excellent desktop (my first chose was Windows XP replica), fast and NO typical Win11 slowdown problems. Thank you very much and hope the best for Q4OS team!!
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.5
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-07-31
Votes: 5
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compared to a few months ago I found it much improved (you can see the battery level for example). For those coming from windows, this distro is one of the best to take the first step, despite the limited availability of software (unless you go on synaptic which is a bit more difficult for a beginner). We are not at the level of AntiX for old PCs, but we are very close. Tested on an old eee pc 900 with 2gb of ram and a cpu, I think, of 900 mhz... it runs well. Maybe there should also be more clarity on which software is installed in the complete option.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.4
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-06-18
Votes: 5
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For many years, I have been distro hopping, hoping that one day, I'll settle down to one particular distro. I do like the concept of a rolling release distro. Install once, and just do the upgrades. The only one that really had my interest was PCLINUXOS as a daily driver. However, I had an issue with that distro that prompted me to look elsewhere. That's where I found Q4OS on Distrowatch. It came with a windows installer. I wish more distros do that. I downloaded Q4OS and install it on my ancient laptop that still have Windows 7. I chose Trinity as my desktop, and after a bit of tweaking, was going good. Very happy with the stability. Yay! The issue that I had with PClinux was not there. Everything worked. I think I have found my daily driver. I even liked the 5 year support. Good-oh.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 4.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-06-05
Votes: 2
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You can install those many programs, I mean just the GUI based ones, most of them need either one of the most common GUIs like KDE, XFCE, GNOME, LXDE so in that moment you install such packet a depencency will be resolved and a compatible desktop engine will be installed, in case there is no native support for Trinity and wrapped around.
And at this point Q4OS is not the light distro as it could be with Trinity only without wrappers.
Native Trinity 10 stars, and also with multiple wrappers, extraordinary stable.
Hope they manage to find some companies that offer paid support in order to grow.
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Project: Q4OS
Version: 5.4
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-05-08
Votes: 9
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I first became involved with Mandrake Linux after Win 9x kept crashing for no good reason. Mandrake was stable, and the KDE 3x desktop was configurable, simple, and just worked. When KDE went to 4x and later, it lost me. The 'new and improved' GUI seemed to be all over the place, and it was back to Win for me.
The disaster that is Windows 11, along with MS's soon to be lack of support for 10, led me to Q4OS. It runs quite happily in a VirtualBox, and the Trinity desktop is exactly as I remember KDE 3.
I guess if you are looking for the latest and greatest bling, it might not work for you. For me? I'm making it the stop.
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