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First ever Linux install on old laptop

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  • 02-01-2018 10:05pm
    #1
    cheekibreeki
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭


    I have an old laptop (from around 2008-2011) lying around at home at the moment and I'm interested in installing Linux on it. It has Windows Vista 32 bit installed but it does have a 64 bit AMD processor as far as I know. I was wondering if someone could recommend me some good distros to me. I would need something fairly beginner friendly while also not too taxing for my PC. I looked it up a bit and I think Linux Mint or Lubuntu sound good but I'd love to hear some more suggestions!
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    #2
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 14,008 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    cheekibreeki wrote: »
    I have an old laptop (from around 2008-2011) lying around at home at the moment and I'm interested in installing Linux on it. It has Windows Vista 32 bit installed but it does have a 64 bit AMD processor as far as I know. I was wondering if someone could recommend me some good distros to me. I would need something fairly beginner friendly while also not too taxing for my PC. I looked it up a bit and I think Linux Mint or Lubuntu sound good but I'd love to hear some more suggestions!

    In addition to those I would suggest PCLinuxOS ...... maybe the Xfce or the Mate versions. It is not related in any way to Ubuntu or Debian.

    If you could provide more hardware details of the laptop that would help ..... CPU, RAM in particular.

    Two sets of ISOs available here .... official releases and approved community builds
    http://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/os/Linux/distr/pclinuxos/pclinuxos/live-cd/

    I have had good results using Mate and Darkstar (KDE).

    http://www.pclinuxos.com/

    http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum


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    #3
    cheekibreeki
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭cheekibreeki


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    In addition to those I would suggest PCLinuxOS ...... maybe the Xfce or the Mate versions. It is not related in any way to Ubuntu or Debian.
    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    Two sets of ISOs available here .... official releases and approved community builds

    I have had good results using Mate and Darkstar (KDE).
    I'll check those out, thanks
    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    If you could provide more hardware details of the laptop that would help ..... CPU, RAM in particular.

    It has an AMD Athlon Dual-Core QL-64 @ 2.1 GHz and 4GB of DDR2 RAM


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    #4
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 14,008 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    cheekibreeki wrote: »
    I'll check those out, thanks



    It has an AMD Athlon Dual-Core QL-64 @ 2.1 GHz and 4GB of DDR2 RAM

    I would be inclined to check out several ISOs on a USB stick to see which might suit both your use and the hardware.

    What would suit me or any other might well not suit you ...... so do make the effort to run a few of them 'Live' from USB or DVD so you can make up your own mind. ;)


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    #5
    cheekibreeki
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭cheekibreeki


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    I would be inclined to check out several ISOs on a USB stick to see which might suit both your use and the hardware.

    What would suit me or any other might well not suit you ...... so do make the effort to run a few of them 'Live' from USB or DVD so you can make up your own mind. ;)

    that sounds like the best idea for now I suppose, thanks for your suggestions :D


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    #6
    SweetCaliber
    Registered Users Posts: 2,465 ✭✭✭SweetCaliber


    Linux Mint is my favourite however its not everyone's cup of tea. Arch Linux is pretty lightweight and powerful also.

    Not a fan of Ubuntu, Fedora with GNOME is also pretty good.

    But yes, above advice is solid, run a few live demos on your setup and see which runs best/suits you.


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    #7
    Goodshape
    Registered Users Posts: 8,488 ✭✭✭Goodshape


    For an older laptop, LXLE is specifically tuned to be light on resources. It might be worth a look.

    http://www.lxle.net/

    It's Debian based like Linux Mint and Ubuntu, so you can take advantage of those communities when you need to.

    The LXDE desktop is lighter and less featured than Gnome, KDE, or Mint's Cinemon Desktop, but it's clean and easy and has what you need.


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    #8
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    Just to add to the mix, I installed Linux Lite on a 5 year old laptop there the other day.

    Aside from the incessant spinning up and down of the fan, it is working fine. Any distribution with a XFCE or LXDE desktop environment would run fine, especially since you have 4Gb of RAM.


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    #9
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 14,008 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Just checked the specs of the old laptop I installed on last week ....

    I put PCLinuxOS Mate on it

    CPU: Single core Celeron 925 2.3Ghz; 3G 800Mhz RAM

    It is more responsive than I expected ........ quite acceptable TBH.

    It struggles with Live TV being single core :)


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    #10
    biketard
    Registered Users Posts: 535 ✭✭✭biketard


    SweetCaliber wrote: »
    Linux Mint is my favourite however its not everyone's cup of tea. Arch Linux is pretty lightweight and powerful also.

    Not a fan of Ubuntu, Fedora with GNOME is also pretty good.

    But yes, above advice is solid, run a few live demos on your setup and see which runs best/suits you.

    Pretty much what SweetCaliber said. I've ended up on Linux Mint (MATE), but everyone's tastes are different.

    Just be aware that if you choose Ubuntu, you'll probably end up installing a bunch of additional stuff that would've been included with Mint in the first place. People used to look down on Mint for being Linux for dummies, but for me it's just a smart way to get what you need installed in one go.


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    #11
    button_smith
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭button_smith


    Hi CheekiB', i have just read this thread. I was wondering what, if any, O/S you went with ? I too have an old l/top and have been messing around with Tarhpup 6.0.6 and it works pretty well...


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    #12
    button_smith
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭button_smith


    hold on, i've just realized i'm over a year late on this one...sorry !


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    #13
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 14,008 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    button_smith wrote: »
    Hi CheekiB', i have just read this thread. I was wondering what, if any, O/S you went with ? I too have an old l/top and have been messing around with Tarhpup 6.0.6 and it works pretty well...
    button_smith wrote: »
    hold on, i've just realized i'm over a year late on this one...sorry !

    Yes it would be nice to know what was decided in the end ... late and all that your posts are :D


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    #14
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,680 ✭✭✭Worztron


    Be careful with PuppyLinux as it's always in root afaik.

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



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    #15
    button_smith
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭button_smith


    Worztron wrote: »
    Be careful with PuppyLinux as it's always in root afaik.

    Yeah i've heard this said, but why ? especially as anyone who knows about root could, in theory, just use sudo. Even with this 'vulnarability' Puppy Ls are great for giving old,old computers a new (and well deserved ) lease of life.


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    #16
    niallb
    Registered Users Posts: 2,731 ✭✭✭niallb


    button_smith wrote: »
    hold on, i've just realized i'm over a year late on this one...sorry !

    Still, first post in the forum for 2019, so w00t!


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    #17
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,680 ✭✭✭Worztron


    button_smith wrote: »
    Yeah i've heard this said, but why ? especially as anyone who knows about root could, in theory, just use sudo. Even with this 'vulnarability' Puppy Ls are great for giving old,old computers a new (and well deserved ) lease of life.

    Hi button_smith. Another great distro for old computers is 4MLinux - it's 32-bit only (desktop edition). https://www.distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=4mlinux

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



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    #18
    button_smith
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭button_smith


    Worztron wrote: »
    Hi button_smith. Another great distro for old computers is 4MLinux - it's 32-bit only (desktop edition). https://www.distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=4mlinux
    I've not come across this one before. Looks good,yet it is 1000mB compared to puppys 200mB, interesting to know what extra bang you get for your 'buck'. I might well lob it in the v/box and give it a go ( could be a good half way house between mint and puppy ). Thanks, Worztron.


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    #19
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,680 ✭✭✭Worztron


    button_smith wrote: »
    I've not come across this one before. Looks good,yet it is 1000mB compared to puppys 200mB, interesting to know what extra bang you get for your 'buck'. I might well lob it in the v/box and give it a go ( could be a good half way house between mint and puppy ). Thanks, Worztron.

    You're welcome. Handy resource: https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/4mlinux-115/

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



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    #20
    rayzercork
    Registered Users Posts: 83 ✭✭rayzercork


    check out peppermint os (ubuntu based) or MX linux (debian based)


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    #21
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,680 ✭✭✭Worztron


    rayzercork wrote: »
    check out peppermint os (ubuntu based) or MX linux (debian based)

    +1 2 great distros there.

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



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