# Tiny Core Linux

Tiny Core Linux (TCL) is a minimal Linux kernel based operating system focusing on providing a base system using BusyBox and FLTK. It was developed by Robert Shingledecker, who was previously the lead developer of Damn Small Linux. The distribution is notable for its small size (11 to 16 MB) and minimalism; additional functions are provided by extensions. Tiny Core Linux is free and open-source software licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2.

## Types

* Tiny Core (23 MB) is the recommended option for new users who have a wired network connection. It includes the base Core system and a dynamic FLTK/FLWM graphical user interface.
* Core (17 MB) (also known as "Micro Core Linux") is a smaller variant of Tiny Core without a graphical desktop, though additional extensions can be added to create a system with a graphical desktop environment.
* Core64 is a port to the x86_64 architecture with a 32-bit user land, i.e. it uses a 64-bit kernel and 64-bit modules, but it can use the same extensions as Core.
* CorePure64 is a port of "Core" to the x86_64 architecture. 64-bit kernel and 64-bit extensions.
* dCore (12 MB) is a core made from Debian or Ubuntu compatible files that uses import and the SCE package format, a self-contained package format for the Tiny Core distribution since 5.x series.
* Core Plus (106 MB) is "an installation image and not the distribution". It is composed of Tiny Core with additional functionality, most notably wireless support and non-US keyboard support.
* piCore is the Raspberry Pi port of "Core".

## System requirements

Minimal configuration: Tiny Core needs at least 46 MB of RAM in order to run, and (micro) Core requires at least 28 MB of RAM. The minimum CPU is an i486DX.
Recommended configuration: A Pentium II CPU and 128 MB of RAM are recommended for Tiny Core.

## Design philosophy

The developers describe TCL as "a nomadic ultra small graphical desktop operating system capable of booting from cdrom, pendrive, or frugally from a hard drive." As of version 2.8.1, the core is designed to run primarily in RAM but with three distinct modes of operation:
* "Cloud" or Internet mode — A "testdrive" mode using a built-in appbrowser GUI to explore extensions from an online application extension repository loaded into RAM only for the current session.
* TCE/Install — A mode for Tiny Core Extensions downloaded and run from a storage partition but kept as symbolic links in RAM.
* TCE/CopyFS — A mode which installs applications onto a Linux partition like a more typical Linux installation.

## Release history

| Version | Stability | Release date |
| 1.0 | Stable version | January 5, 2009 |
| 2.0 | Stable version | June 7, 2009 |
| 3.0 | Stable version | July 19, 2010 |
| 4.0 | Stable version | September 25, 2011 |
| 4.7.7 | Stable version | May 10, 2013 |
| 5.0 | Stable version | September 14, 2013 |
| 5.0.1 | Stable version | October 1, 2013 |
| 5.0.2 | Stable version | October 18, 2013 |
| 5.1 | Stable version | November 28, 2013 |
| 5.2 | Stable version | January 14, 2014 |
| 5.3 | Stable version | April 19, 2014 |
| 5.4 | Stable version | September 10, 2014 |
| 6.0 | Stable version | January 5, 2015 |
| 6.1 | Stable version | March 7, 2015 |
| 6.2 | Stable version | May 3, 2015 |
| 6.3 | Stable version | May 30, 2015 |
| 6.4 | Stable version | September 8, 2015 |
| 6.4.1 | Stable version | November 4, 2015 |
| 7.0 | Stable version | February 23, 2016 |
| 7.1 | Stable version | May 22, 2016 |
| 7.2 | Stable version | July 4, 2016 |
| 8.0 | Stable version | April 10, 2017 |
| 8.1 | Stable version | September 3, 2017 |
| 8.2 | Stable version | September 22, 2017 |
| 9.0 | Stable version | February 26, 2018 |
| 10.0 | Stable version | January 20, 2019 |
| 10.1 | Stable version | June 11, 2019 |
| 11.0 | Stable version | February 9, 2020 |
| 11.1 | Stable version | April 1, 2020 |
| 12.0 | Stable version | February 17, 2021 |
| 13.0 | Stable version | January 31, 2022 |
| 14.0 | Stable version | April 12, 2023 |
| 15.0 | Latest version | February 22, 2024 |