I have an older laptop with an Intel Pentium B950 processor and 4GB of RAM. Right now, I'm using Linux Mint, but it's using about 1.5GB of RAM while idle, so I'm considering switching distributions. I was thinking about Lubuntu, but their statement about not being optimized for low-end hardware gave me pause. I'm looking for suggestions on a better alternative that would run smoothly on my setup.
4 Answers
A great way to figure out what works best for your laptop is to test a few distributions using a Live USB or a Virtual Machine. You can easily boot into different Linux environments without making any permanent changes to your system. Give it a try with options like Debian or others.
If you're set on Lubuntu, I’d actually recommend considering Debian instead. It’s a better choice since Lubuntu doesn't offer many advantages over Ubuntu while still requiring similar system resources. You might find Debian to be a more lightweight option.
Xfce is generally the lightest desktop environment. Arch can also be lightweight if you're comfortable with a longer installation process. If ease of installation is a priority, sticking with Mint is still a solid option. Just be aware it might be heavier than others.
Lubuntu uses the LXQt desktop, but if you're looking for alternatives, both Debian with LXQt and Fedora with LXQt might perform better. If you want something really lightweight, consider Puppy Linux or Debian with LXDE. Debian 13 is on the way soon, so it might be worth waiting for that release!
That’s a great point! You can start with Debian now and then just upgrade to the stable version when it’s released. It’s a smooth process.