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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Best lesser-known distribution/DE for low-end machines? (lemdro.id)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by mfat@lemdro.id to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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I know Debian and others can breathe life into older machines. But i wonder if there are any distros with serious optimizations that I haven't heard of. I've already tried MX Linux on an old Thinkpad SL400, and didn't see any difference from plain Debian.

Update: thanks for the great suggestions. Forgot to say many distros feel zippy and fast until you open a web browser. Appreciate your thoughts on which web browser to use too. So far I've had a positive experience with Thorium and Chromium.

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[–] ares35@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

c2d era laptop. first step if you haven't yet, swap the hdd for a low-cost sata ssd if you can. if you have some homeless sodimms, up the ram, too, if it won't cost anything to do it.

if you're going with mx, you want the fluxbox spin; or opt for antix with icewm instead.

otherwise start with a debian base install (no de or extra sw at install), then add only what you need. peppermint is another option--a basic debian with xfce out-of-the-box and little else. it's what i've been using lately on similar hardware.

for something 'different', you could look at slax.

[–] mfat@lemdro.id 1 points 1 year ago

Thanks. I've already added an ssd drive and upgraded tge ram from 3 to 4gb. Another comment mentioned Icewm so I'm definitely giving it a try.