Q4OS is a Debian-based desktop Linux distribution designed to offer classic-style user interface (Trinity) and simple accessories, and to serve stable APIs for complex third-party applications, such as Google Chrome, VirtualBox and development tools. The system is also very useful for virtual cloud environments due to its very low hardware requirements.
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.
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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!
Version: 5.8 Rating: 7 Date: 2025-06-05 Votes: 1
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 :-| )
Version: 5.8 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-05-31 Votes: 10
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.