This lightweight Linux distro I tried can run on older machines - but looks modern

ZDNET's key takeaways

• Waydog is a lightweight Linux distro with panache.

• This distro uses Wayland and offers both Labwc and Sway.

• Wayland does feel like it's still in early development.

Linux is on the rise, and that means even more distributions will be popping up. Some of those distributions are meant for modern hardware, while others run just fine on older machines, with fewer system resources.

Also: This fun tiling window manager may be rough around the edges - but it has big potential

You know what I'm talking about… lightweight Linux distributions.

• Linux Lite

• Lubuntu

• Puppy Linux

• antiX

• Xubuntu

That list goes on.

There is yet another lightweight Linux distribution to jump into the fray: Waydog.

Waydog is a companion to Lilidog. Where Lilidog opts to use X11 as its windowing protocol, Waydog goes for Wayland compositor. Although Lilidog is still in active development, I decided to test Waydog because I'm partial to Wayland.

Waydog is part of a trio (made up of Lilidog, Beardog, and Waydog). Again, Waydog is Wayland, Lilidog is X11, and Beardog is the bare-bones version. Although I ran into some speculation that Lilidog was no longer in active development, the developer reached out to me to let me know that all three are still alive and barking.

For a lightweight Linux distribution, Waydog certainly doesn't look like it was created in the early 2000s. If you're an aesthete like me, that matters.

On the occasion that I need a lightweight Linux distribution, I'm going to look for something that checks all the boxes. It must run well on older hardware, must have a modern package manager, and must have a modern aesthetic.

Such is the case with Waydog.

Also: The best old-school Linux window managers that still hold up

Before I continue, it's important to know that Waydog is still in early development (or so it seems). The reason I say that is because the desktop acts a bit flaky. That could also be because I'm running it as a virtual machine, and I've experienced some wonkiness on distributions that would otherwise run fine.

With all of that said…

What is Waydog?

Waydog is a lightweight Linux distribution, based on Debian "Trixie." As the name implies, Waydog uses the Wayland compositor and offers two different desktops: Labwc and Sway.

Labwc stands for Lab Wayland Compositor. This desktop is a lightweight stacking compositor for Wayland inspired by Openbox, designed to manage windows efficiently without added bloat. Labwc focuses on simplicity and performance.

Sway, on the other hand, is a lightweight tiling window manager and Wayland compositor that allows for a grid-like layout of application windows to maximize screen efficiency.

Sway is a keyboard-centric desktop, so it does require understanding several keyboard shortcuts.

Think of it this way: Waydog offers desktops for new users and advanced users. If you're new to Linux, you would use Labwc. If you're a seasoned user, go with Sway.

What's really interesting about this is that, on Waydog, Labwc and Sway look almost identical; they don't, however, work the same way. Labwc is mouse-driven, and Sway is keyboard-driven. Both include the Fuzzel menu, so you can click the House icon in the upper left corner to open the desktop menu and access all of the installed applications.

There is one point of confusion that I ran into. As I mentioned, Sway is a tiling window manager that leans heavily into keyboard shortcuts. For example, Super + Return opens the terminal window. However, if you log into Labwc, Suer + Return also opens the terminal window. 

The difference is that Sway tiles the windows, whereas Labwc does not. 

Labwc also includes a right-click desktop menu, where you can also access programs and more.

Within the realm of Waydog, the lines between Sway and Labwc are fairly blurred, but I would still suggest that new users opt for Labwc. What you can do is start to familiarize yourself with the keyboard shortcuts and, once you feel comfortable with them, log into the Sway desktop for more efficiency.

Is this ready for the world?

From what I experienced with Waydog, there's too much screen tearing and other visual glitches that prevent Waydog from being ready for daily usage. 

Also: The best Linux distributions for beginners

Again, take this with a grain of salt, given that I ran Waydog as a virtual machine and not on bare metal. I was also informed (by the developer) that Waydog does have trouble running on VMs, so if you're install this on a spare machine, you will not have the same problems I experienced. 

Even so, I really enjoyed playing around with Waydog (both Labwc and Sway). The more I use tiling window managers, the more I like them; so I would probably opt for Sway over Labwc.

In the end, I loved that Waydog gives lightweight Linux a bit of an aesthetic push into the future. What I would really like is for the developer to add something like Hyprdog into the mix, with the Hyprland compositing window manager. I find that Hyprland is one of the best tiling window managers because it can be so highly customized. The "dog pound" could then include Beardog (for absolute minimal installation), Waydog (for a Wayland-based desktop), Lilidog (for an X11 desktop), and Hyrpdog (for a more modern and customizable look and feel).

I hope the developer continues with all three of these distributions because they offer a unique take on Lightweight Linux. I would suggest you download a Waydog ISO , burn it to a USB drive , and install it on a spare (aging) machine. Who knows, you might find your new favorite Linux distribution.

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