It should be possible to combine Ethereum Wallet and/or Mist Browser together with geth --light
Unfortunately Ethereum Wallet is "looking for peers" for eternity then, even if the log shows no problem:
What is wrong?
$ ./Ethereum\ Wallet
[2016-11-25 13:23:23.730] [INFO] main - Running in production mode: true
Secp256k1 bindings are not compiled. Pure JS implementation will be used.
[2016-11-25 13:23:24.044] [INFO] main - Starting in Wallet mode
[2016-11-25 13:23:24.190] [INFO] Db - Loading db: /home/roland/.config/Ethereum Wallet/mist.lokidb
[2016-11-25 13:23:24.213] [INFO] Windows - Creating commonly-used windows
[2016-11-25 13:23:24.216] [INFO] Windows - Create secondary window: loading, owner: notset
[2016-11-25 13:23:24.272] [INFO] updateChecker - Check for update...
[2016-11-25 13:23:28.168] [INFO] Windows - Create primary window: main, owner: notset
[2016-11-25 13:23:28.197] [INFO] Windows - Create primary window: splash, owner: notset
[2016-11-25 13:23:29.159] [INFO] ipcCommunicator - Backend language set to: en-US
[2016-11-25 13:23:31.442] [INFO] (ui: splash) - Web3 already initialized, re-using provider.
[2016-11-25 13:23:31.918] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - Initializing...
[2016-11-25 13:23:31.919] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - Resolving path to Eth client binary ...
[2016-11-25 13:23:31.922] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - Eth client binary path: /home/roland/programs/mist/nodes/eth/linux-x64/eth
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.085] [INFO] updateChecker - App is up-to-date.
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.467] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - Initializing...
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.467] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - Resolving platform...
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.470] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - Calculating possible clients...
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.478] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - 1 possible clients.
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.480] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - Verifying status of all 1 possible clients...
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.488] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - Verify Geth status ...
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.524] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - Checking for Geth sanity check ...
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.526] [INFO] ClientBinaryManager - Checking sanity for Geth ...
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.830] [INFO] Sockets/node-ipc - Connect to {"path":"/home/roland/.ethereum/geth.ipc"}
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.838] [INFO] Sockets/node-ipc - Connected!
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.840] [INFO] NodeSync - Ethereum node connected, re-start sync
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.844] [INFO] NodeSync - Starting sync loop
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.847] [INFO] Sockets/7 - Connect to {"path":"/home/roland/.ethereum/geth.ipc"}
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.849] [INFO] main - Connected via IPC to node.
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.918] [INFO] Sockets/7 - Connected!
[2016-11-25 13:23:32.969] [INFO] (ui: splash) - network is mainnet
light
mode is experimental, may be thats the issue. I am guessing.