Many of us have laptops or netbooks that have been around for a long time. They worked without problems with Windows XP or Vista, but new versions of the OS from Microsoft are already beyond their teeth. If you try to start Windows 10, your laptop starts to squeak violently, and the trendy flat-panel flat windows turn into a slideshow, do not rush to throw it away. Linux will help reanimate it.
Install the system is easy, just follow the instructions. Just download the distribution from the official site, write it to a USB flash drive or a disk and boot the computer from this disk. Having installed Linux, you will forget about the slowness of the old computer and the problems with the viruses and get an updated and supported system on the old hardware.
A couple of words about the environments, or shells, the desktop. Roughly speaking, this is an interface that allows us to interact with Linux. The most popular shells are KDE, GNOME and Cinnamon, but for those who have seen laptops and desktops, it’s better to choose something easier. These can be either Xfce or LXDE environments, or frame window managers such as Awesome and i3. They are more difficult to configure than full-fledged shells, but they can work on such hardware, where even LXDE passes.
1. Xubuntu
Xubuntu is the official flavors of popular Ubuntu. With the difference that instead of not too agile Unity, Xfce is used here. This is a fast, yet functional and flexible custom desktop environment. Xubuntu is compatible with all Ubuntu applications and repositories.
Minimum system requirements: processor with a frequency of 500 MHz, 512 MB of RAM, 7.5 GB of free space on the hard disk.
Download Xubuntu →
2. Lubuntu
Another flavors of Ubuntu, this time with Lxde. It is designed for use on even older computers. Lxde is not as functional as Xfce, but it is unpretentious and can run on almost any configuration.
Minimum system requirements: processor – from 266 MHz, 128 MB of RAM, 3 GB of free space on the hard disk.
Download Lubuntu →
3. Bodhi Linux
A simple and fast distro based on Ubuntu. Uses a lightweight Moksha windowed environment containing Enlightenment 17.
Minimum system requirements: processor – from 500 MHz, 128 MB of RAM, 4 GB of free space on the hard disk.
Download Bodhi Linux →
4. Debian
Debian is known for its stability and conservatism. What else does an old computer need? This is one of the oldest and most popular distributions – Ubuntu is based on it. Debian, unlike the next in the distribution list, has a convenient .NET installer. With an easy desktop environment, Debian will take root on any hardware.
Minimum system requirements: processor – 1 GHz, 256 MB of RAM, 10 GB of free space on the hard disk.
Download Debian →
5. Arch
Arch is not the best choice for those who previously did not deal with Linux and just want to install the system. “Naked” Arch is installed on the Web, through the command line – this will get everyone out of themselves.
Still, Arch is good and damn fast. In combination with Xfce, Lxde or, better yet, tiled window managers like Awesome or i3, Arch will be cheered by any old computer or laptop. And its extensive AUR repository will give access to the entire wealth of Linux applications installed with a single click.
Minimum system requirements: any processor i686 or x86_64, 128 MB of RAM, 800 MB of free space on the hard disk.
Download Arch →
6. Manjaro
If you do not want to mess with installing the Arch, try Manjaro. This Arch fork with a convenient installer and a lot of its features. Comes with Xfce for older computers and with KDE for modern computers. In addition, Manjaro flavors with other environments are supported by the community.
If it seems to you that a lot of unnecessary things are installed in Manjaro, you can use Manjaro-Architect and build the system for your needs. Arch shirts like Rolling release and AUR are included.
Minimum system requirements: processor 1 GHz, 384 MB of RAM, 10 GB of free space on the hard disk.
Download Manjaro →
7. Puppy Linux
10 GB on disk, 5 GB, 3 GB … If you think this is too much for Linux, try Puppy. This distribution will take only 200 MB. At the same time, Puppy Linux is a complete system with its own programs and repositories.
Minimum system requirements: processor – 333 MHz, 64 MB of RAM, 200 MB of free space on the hard disk.
Download Puppy Linux →
8. SliTaz
Even more compact distribution, aimed at working entirely from RAM. In the expanded state it takes about 100 MB, the Live CD image is less than 40 MB.
Minimum system requirements: any processor i686 or x86_64, 128 MB of RAM, 100 MB of free space on the hard disk.
Download SliTaz →
9. Damn Small Linux
A devilish little Linux, as its name suggests. Despite the fact that the distribution can fit into 50 MB, the developers managed to shove the XMMS player, Dillo browser, Ted text editor, Xpaint graphics editor, Xpdf viewer, emelFM file manager and much more.
Minimum system requirements: processor 486DX, 16 MB of RAM, 50 MB of free space on the hard disk.
Download Damn Small Linux →
At last
Installing any lightweight Linux distribution, you will get an updated and modern system on the old device. You can comfortably listen to music, view video files and edit documents.
However, this does not solve the memory problem, for example, when working with heavy web pages in the browser. So here are a couple of recommendations.
On very old computers you can use light browsers like Midori or Dillo. Either turn off the flash animation and scripts in Firefox or Chrome.
Use lightweight applications instead of web services in the browser. To save memory, you can watch YouTube videos in VLC or Mpv. You can connect to Spotify through Clementine. Connect your social network accounts to Pidgin, and instead of the Gmail web interface, you should try the Geary email client.
By following these recommendations, you will turn an old laptop or computer into a workhorse capable of performing the basic tasks.
