Is it truly possible to run Ubuntu, the giant of open-source operating systems, inside a pocket-sized 10-megabyte archive? The short answer is no —not in the traditional sense. However, the longer answer reveals a fascinating niche of ultra-miniature Linux distributions, forensic tools, and bootable utilities that borrow the Ubuntu soul while fitting on a floppy disk (or a 2005-era USB drive).
If you are looking for the most compact version of Ubuntu to save bandwidth or storage, use these official methods: ubuntu highly compressed 10mb
Many third-party sites claim to offer "Ubuntu highly compressed to 10MB" using tools like KGB Archiver or 7-Zip. Users should be extremely cautious: Download Ubuntu for IoT boards Ubuntu in a 10MB Compressed Image — Overview
The compressed download is often around 25MB to 30MB , which is the closest you will get to your 10MB goal while keeping it functional. Tiny Core Linux (~16 MB) Alpine Linux (~5–10