answer:If all you need is a Linux CLI then Cygwin may be your answer. While there are plenty of small, simple distros, like Damn Small Linux , most come with at least a simple GUI like Xfce. However, there you can open a terminal and/or switch out of the GUI in any distro, so I think that a distro that can run from a pen drive is perfect. I personally would not use DSL, but that is because I am not looking for “simple”. For you, DSL may be the perfect solution.