Elive, or Enlightenment live CD, is a Debian-based desktop Linux distribution and live CD featuring the Enlightenment window manager. Besides being pre-configured and ready for daily desktop use, it also includes "Elpanel" - a control centre for easy system and desktop administration.
To compare the software in this project to the software available in other distributions, please see our Compare Packages page.
Notes: In case where multiple versions of a package are shipped with a distribution, only the default version appears in the table. For indication about the GNOME version, please check the "nautilus" and "gnome-shell" packages. The Apache web server is listed as "httpd" and the Linux kernel is listed as "linux". The KDE desktop is represented by the "plasma-desktop" package and the Xfce desktop by the "xfdesktop" package.
Colour scheme:green text = latest stable version, red text = development or beta version. The function determining beta versions is not 100% reliable due to a wide variety of versioning schemes.
TUXEDO
TUXEDO Computers - Linux Hardware in a tailor made suite Choose from a wide range of laptops and PCs in various sizes and shapes at TUXEDOComputers.com. Every machine comes pre-installed and ready-to-run with Linux. Full 24 months of warranty and lifetime support included!
Learn more about our full service package and all benefits from buying at TUXEDO.
Star Labs
Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.
Apologies, this particular file doesn't seem to be available
Reader Ratings
Reader supplied reviews for Elive
Average rating
5.1
from 37 review(s) Please specify which version of the distribtion you are reviewing. Please selecting a rating in the range of 1-10. Please write at least a few sentences about the distribution while limiting your review to 4080 characters.
Got to say I really wanted to like this one, but after repeated trials I came to the conclusion that Ellive fails in its announced primary mission - revitalizing older computers.
I'll give Elive this - it brings on the bling, sort of a Barbie meets Liniux look and feel. The trouble is in the stability. I get browsers are an issue on old hardware, graphic cards and CPUs are pressed but many distros running on old computers manage with out constant freezes, but not Elive. And it would be somewhat forgivable if the freezing was just associated with browsers, but freezing simply permeates Elive.
Given the website for Elive reminds me of what Ron Popeil might have created if he developed a Linix distro, I expected more. Popeil's products worked as advertised, Elive does not.
And then there is the onerous process to try Elive for free, truly someone thinks much of themselves.
- Conceptually a great idea: supposedly able to breath new life into even 15 year old computers
- A vibrant desktop theme, compared to stodgy old Windows grey on blue it is snazzy
Cons
-------
- Click on the download and see the first major issue - Elive warns you NOT TO USE the Stable version but instead to use the latest Beta, and I quote: " If you want to seriously use Elive, you must go for the latest Beta version instead, which is highly featured and extremely stable" - WTF!!!!! So in Elive land Beta means Stable and Stable means version 1.0, this is messed up beyond belief.
- Complicated bizarre download process that tries to guilt you into donations
- For a distro claiming, and I quote: "With Elive, computers up to 15 years old can be transformed to high-performance machines with a stunning interface fully customizable." Elive actually has difficulty running on older, major brand distributions. In Elive's defense inthe statement quoted above they used "can be", the trouble I have is Elive would not work effectively on a boatload of old Thinkpad/Lenovo old hardware. It was not till I ratcheted up to a T440p that I found hardware it would not freeze on.
- Freeze, reboot, freeze again repeat on ant hardware older than 10 years old. and dodgy on 8-10 year old hardware
Conclusion
---------------
Elive may be a great distro for folks wanting to run a loudly themed Linux distro on middle aged hardware. However it fails in its primary mission and It is unsuitable for old hardware There are many excellent options available for older hardware that actually work out of the box: antiX, DSL, Bodhi, Slacko, Slax, Emmabuntüs,, Slackware, Puppy
Great distro, works on older hardware and blindingly fast on new. A lot of thought has been given to a minimalist base load which provides everything you need. The larger apps are there but you have the chance to really think about how you work and if you need the heavyweights. There is a live usb with persistence to use on machines other than your own. It's great for graphics, music and general office work, but super powerful for system administration and programming. Rethink you computing and have fun doing it!