Ask HN: Which Linux disto is the most power efficient?

In general, it's not about what distro you install per se, it's about what processes you have running.

Your best bet is to start with a more minimal distro like Crunchbang or Debian and only install what you need. Then use something like Powertop or whatever the current hotness is, to analyze per-process power usage.

There are lots of tweaks you can make to a stock Ubuntu system to save power. I'd start with XFCE since it uses less power than Unity or Gnome 3. Then use TLP to tweak the rest of your power settings. http://askubuntu.com/questions/285434/is-there-a-power-savin...

I found that xubuntu used more power than Linux Mint xfce. Not sure why.

If you can manage in a virtual tty without X, the power savings are noticeable.

But by far the biggest savings will be disabling ethernet/wifi and reducing screen brightness.

You need to provide some context, otherwise I'm obliged to answer "Android" based on the small amount of power required by the platforms on which it runs.