It's my first experience...
It's my first experience...
I brought out my old HP Pavilion G6. Since I switched to Windows 10, the wireless adapter drivers kept failing (Intel Centrino 1000). After a while I decided to go Linux. A recent video recommended Pop, so I tried installing it. While doing that, I searched for a driver and found one. Installing was tricky because many of Ubuntu’s driver setup tools were missing. After a few more hours, I finally got a clean install with Purist Ubuntu (20.04.3), but it was slow and had glitches. Still struggling to get the driver working. Anyone have ideas? Maybe I should try Pop again. I did some research and learned I can set up a Windows 95/98 interface, which is what I want. Once I have a stable system, I’ll upgrade other machines too.
Consider Manjaro as an option since a driver is likely to function there if one exists
I haven't been an expert on Linux distributions, but I've been using MX Linux daily for at least three to four years and found it to be excellent. I'm not suggesting switching, but with my low-spec machine it seems to perform well. My main reasons for choosing MX Linux are its low memory consumption and minimal CPU usage. I occasionally play games with Wine and mostly browse the web using WPS Office. Another factor is that it's based on Debian, which is popular, and Ubuntu too. The advantage of Debian-based distros is that if you encounter an issue, a quick search usually finds a solution.
Due to its tailored utility, the driver support on Manjaro outperforms that of other distributions because of its specialized features.
Does your setup include a rotating hard drive rather than an SSD? If yes, Ubuntu might feel quite slow. You could consider Xubuntu (with XFCE) or Lubuntu (with LXDE/LXQT), both designed for older hardware. I personally used Lubuntu on a NextBook Flexx 11; it performed much better than the Windows 10 included, despite its limited specs and slow storage speeds. I also run LXDE/LXQT on an old PowerBook G4 with a PATA drive, which works fine except for the long startup times. KDE has become more efficient than GNOME in recent years, offering lighter performance, though I rely on stories rather than tests. Otherwise, Kubuntu with KDE might be worth exploring for a customized *nix experience. This community has great examples and inspiration if you're interested.
There are many Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora and Manjaro to explore. Each offers different versions or editions with unique desktop settings. Some options use fewer system resources, which can boost performance on older hardware. While driver details aren't covered here, you can still run a functional system on your machine. Noted flavors include XFCE, LXDE/LXQT, and Tiling Window Managers on Manjaro. I tested Linux Mint XFCE on a low-end laptop with limited RAM, then upgraded to Arch using i3-gaps. It ran smoothly and felt much more responsive than Windows did before. Some users report problems with Pop OS!, which seems unusual considering its beginner-friendly reputation.