I'm resetting windows 10 on my Thinkpad T580 for work but would like to create a partition for linux. It's an older laptop and really chugs through games like Minecraft or RuneScape but I enjoy playing relaxing games while I listen to audiobooks at night. I grew up using windows which is why I've mostly used Ubuntu and ZorinOS in the past but I'd like to expand my horizons to something like kubuntu. I value good UI/UX design and something lightweight for my old potato. Any recommendations on Linux distros?
** Thanks for all the input! I tried Fedora first but it felt kind of clunky to me. Then I tried out Mint xfce and it's right up my alley! I can run a separate Firefox profile right off the task bar that runs outside of my VPN which is perfect for Netflix and other sites that have issues. So far loving how customizable it is. Minecraft runs ok off GDLauncher, and lutris is really cool. I forgot I had a boat load of old GOG games that are perfect for this laptop. I really fucking love Linux ๐
Imagine Linux Mint Debian edition, but it isn't green and there are a lot of useful GUI tools. It's also so near to actually being Debian that you can just install things meant for Debian on it. It also runs a backported kernel for modern graphics driver and chipset support so you get your stability and your performance all in one.
Stick to the main distros unless you have a specific reason to use a novel one. Despite its drawbacks, KUbuntu is great and I definitely recommend it. Once you find a thing or two you don't like about it, you can swap to a distro that does those things differently and you're off to the races :)
PS Linux can breathe new life into a laptop, but if apps are too intense for your hardware it won't magically give you more RAM.. With the exception of Minecraft Prism Launcher + Fabulously Optimized, then your Linuxtop turns into a NASA supercomputer
If you want to shake things up with an arch derivative you can try EndeavourOS, there are a lot of different DEs you can choose straight from the installer
I'm personally using Kubuntu because a lot of programs I like are built for Ubuntu already and while I'm fine with messing with building from source for some things, for most, I like my binaries prebuilt on a distro package service. Also I like KDE Plasma.
If your laptop is on the potato side I would personally avoid kde, it's much lighter now than it used to be but still heavier than other options. Mint looks good in my personal opinion and, again in my opinion, is a better alternative if compared to ubuntu, it's based on it but with some improvements. The default flavor comes with cinnamon, but if your laptop struggles it's also available with xfce, which even older machines should be able to handle.
@raccoon @[email protected]@linux_gaming
I put xfce on a garbage laptop for my parents (who are used to much older windows) and they loved it, the laptop ended up breaking eventually but that was a hardware issue and they regularly ask me when I'll be able to replace it
I'd say give a few Arch-based distros a try, or just straight up Arch if you're feeling adventurous. Arch distros are just slim and speedy, which could be good for your old laptop. The new official archinstall tool makes it relatively easy compared to installing Arch the manual way, but if you're looking for more ease of use EndeavourOS is a great option.
I'm using Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop on a Thinkpad older than yours, and everything works fine for me. I've seen somebody saying that the Xfce edition is slow for them, but maybe the MATE one is lightweight enough for you.
Wouldn't use SteamOS on a PC. It only supports a certain set of hardware, is not really meant to be used on a desktop pc and they don't seem to provide updates that frequently/often. Also installation is not that easy for non-technical users. But feel free to give it a try.
In another thread I mention that I was thinkingabout using Fedora with steam installed which is basically what steamos is. I think I'm settled on fedora, but my new PC plans are on hold. Might get a steam deck or meta quest, idk.
Linux Lite is worth a look, it's designed for old machines as well as folks moving over from Windows.
Edit: Porteus is another good lightweight distro to checkout. It's light enough to run off a USB but can also be installed on the hard disk. It has KDE, Xfce and Cinnamon environment options too.