Searching for a suitable distribution platform.
Searching for a suitable distribution platform.
leowolfdu13
02-15-2020, 02:34 PM #1Consider giving Linux another shot. You're looking for strong performance, privacy focus, a modern interface, and something easy to grasp. I plan to start with the Latitude 3189 running a Pentium N4200 and 4GB RAM. If it becomes essential, I might move it to an extra drive on my PC—my 120GB BX500 is mostly sitting idle.
PhoeniXFR_PvP
02-24-2020, 10:27 PM #2I had no experience with Linux before and liked PopOS. The sole reason for returning to Windows was game compatibility.
I’m suggesting a second opportunity, so I’ll assume you’ve already tried Ubuntu. As noted earlier, PopOS is widely used. You might also look into distros such as Mint, Kubuntu, and Manjaro—the last one isn’t based on Ubuntu. If you have very limited RAM, consider alternatives like SparkyLinux, Peppermint, and Puppy Linux.
I've used PopOS and Ubuntu before; Ubuntu didn't perform well with my hardware. PopOS worked okay but Bluetooth headphones kept refusing to connect. I was using an older laptop (2530M, GT 520MX), so I'm giving Ubuntu another shot, though it seems demanding. Linux Mint might be a better fit—it feels more familiar for Windows users and is lighter.
Epicbunny3
03-06-2020, 03:34 PM #6This setup offers limited flexibility. A browser can quickly consume all available resources on a relatively modern site. It’s best to start with an 8GB storage drive for your laptop. This configuration usually performs well with "latitude 3189 memory upgrade." Keep in mind that 8GB is the upper limit for your CPU, so avoid ordering more unless necessary. Based on your hardware, Fedora LXDE or Manjaro XFCE would be ideal choices. Fedora is suitable if you only need a functional Linux environment with Windows compatibility, while Manjaro excels as a versatile all-in-one system thanks to its robust package manager, pacman. Avoid Ubuntu, PopOS, and Mint mainly due to memory constraints; their default interfaces consume more RAM than LXDE, XFCE, or LXQt.
Upgrading the memory isn't possible since it's permanently attached and there are no extra ports. I mostly rely on it for streaming videos and basic web browsing, so LXDE seems suitable even though it feels a bit outdated. The Windows performance is terrible right now—it feels like I'm struggling with an old hard drive. It was quick before, but each update made it slower.
Frankette44
03-07-2020, 02:44 AM #8Consider trying Manjaro KDE. It performed well on a laptop with similar specs, and the appearance was impressive. With only 4GB RAM, it shouldn’t be an issue unless you have a lot of apps open. I recommend choosing the LTS release since you won’t be gaming much.
Barry_Thawne_
03-09-2020, 03:45 PM #9A minimal desktop setup offers much better performance than Windows. Distros like Xubuntu with XFCE or Kubuntu with KDE are quite lightweight and come with a reliable Ubuntu foundation that’s easy to manage and understand. If you’re interested in Arch, EndevourOS is a strong choice. It includes a nearly pure Arch installation along with a few useful tools from the developers. Vanilla Arch runs smoothly and offers a wide range of DE options during installation. LXDE works well on older hardware and uses the least resources I’ve seen. I believe any lightweight distro can meet your needs, but I’ve had very good experiences with all three, so you should too :3
The distro is really up to you to choose. Ones I can suggest if you want something similar to the Windows look are, Kubuntu (KDE Plasma desktop is very customizable), Zorin OS (Gnome/XFCE; very simplistic desktop with simple themes) or Linux Mint (With Mate, Cinnamon or XFCE desktop). Really though, the only thing that is different, is the desktop environment. Underneath, the Ubuntu base is basically the same. For the laptop, since the CPU is low powered (1.1 GHz from what I read), I would recommend any XFCE distro. I use Zorin OS Lite on a netbook (Atom CPU and 2 GB ram) that I use for reading and writing. For that purpose, it suits me well. Any computer that has 2.0 GHZ and higher, a heavier desktop would work fine (KDE Plasma being my all time favorite). For lower powered machines, I recommend a distro with XFCE as the desktop. Just to note, to make any future Linux experience better, avoid all Nvidia GPUs. Go with AMD or Intel; especially if you use the KDE desktop. It's just next to no hassle if you don't use Nvidia. As a former Nvidia user who started out on Linux over 5 years ago, I can vouch for this. FYI, I had to replace an old Thinkpad recently that had a Nvidia GPU. The reason why is because Nvidia was no longer developing drivers for the GPU the laptop had. Therefore, I couldn't upgrade the kernel; also the performance wasn't that smooth (courtesy of Nvidia and their poor support). So, the older the Nvidia GPU, the harder it will be to use with Linux. Since I got my mom a used AMD laptop, everything has been smooth. To the point of being fluid. No messing with drivers either. Just plug and play; which is what happened when I put the hard drive in the new laptop. I didn't have to do a thing. Here's an image of Zorin OS Lite: And this is what my reading and writing netbook's desktop looks like: As you can see, you can still change up the style a bit. Especially if you don't like blinding white.