Tiny Core Linux 17.0: A modern distribution in a few megabytes

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The team behind Tiny Core Linux has released version 17.0 of the minimalist distribution. The new release updates the technical foundation to a current state: Linux 6.18.2 and the GCC compiler to 15.2.0. As the Tiny Core team announced in the forum, the toolchain update also includes glibc 2.42, Binutils 2.45.1, util-linux 2.41.2, and e2fsprogs 1.47.3. The smallest available editions, Core and CorePure64, measure only around 20 and 24 MBytes respectively – making the distribution one of the most compact Linux systems available.

The new kernel 6.18.2 brings support for newer hardware. This includes Apple's M2 series, low-cost processors from Intel's Core Ultra 300 series (Wildcat Lake), and haptic touchpads. With GCC 15.2.0, the distribution includes a modern compiler with extended language features: the new version supports OpenMP 5.2 and 6.0 with features like metadirective and declare variant. C23 features such as the #embed directive and Unsequenced attributes are included, as are C++ improvements – including constexpr placement new and flat_map and flat_set from the standard library.

System requirements remain modest

Minimum requirements change little: TinyCore requires at least 46 MByte RAM according to the current FAQ, MicroCore manages with 28 MByte. 128 MByte RAM plus swap space and a Pentium II class processor or newer are recommended. An i486DX from 1989 is sufficient as an absolute minimum. The distribution continues to forgo systemd, relying instead on BusyBox and traditional SysV-like init scripts.

The update of glibc to version 2.42 may affect existing extensions. Older TCZ packages may need to be recompiled to work with the updated C library. Historically, such version jumps have already required adjustments, for example, when switching from glibc 2.28 to 2.30 in earlier Tiny Core versions.

The new util-linux version 2.41.2 expands partition management with new options. The cfdisk, sfdisk, and fdisk tools now support parameters such as --sector-size and --discard-free. A new T command allows for targeted sector discarding. The partition tools also offer improved integration of local configuration files.

Security improvements in the file system

The e2fsprogs update to 1.47.3 fixes several security-relevant issues. tune2fs now offers better protection against MMP session theft, and e2fsck checks journal inodes for the Encrypt flag. FUSE2fs receives corrections for O_APPEND, O_TRUNC, POSIX ACLs, and the immutable flag. A new udev rule prevents automatic mounting of ext4 file systems via udisks to avoid potential security vulnerabilities.

The project has also updated the script collection: provides.sh, tce-update, and tc-functions offer improved support for HTTPS mirrors. The update-everything script now automatically extends the PATH with /usr/local/bin. shutdown.sh correctly handles empty lines in /opt/.xfiletool.lst. The udev rules 50-udev-default.rules extend permissions for input devices.

Tiny Core Linux remains true to its concept of on-demand loading. Extensions are reloaded via the TCZ system as needed. Mirrors can be selected via /opt/tcemirror or mirrors.lst, with version 17.0 improving HTTPS support in the relevant management scripts.

Three editions available

For x86_64 systems, three editions are available: CorePure64 as a pure command-line variant at 24 MByte, TinyCorePure64 with a minimal graphical interface at 41 MByte, and CorePlus as an extended version at 275 MByte. Installation is done either from a USB stick or persistently with tce=UUID parameters for permanent extensions and settings.

Compared to other minimal distributions, Tiny Core stands out primarily due to its extremely small size and RAM usage. Alpine Linux relies on musl libc and containers, Void Linux on runit and the XBPS package system. Tiny Core particularly excels in embedded systems and older hardware where absolutely minimal resource consumption is required.

Tiny Core Linux 17.0 is available for download on the project website.

(fo)