I've been trying to breathe new life into some old laptops with lightweight Linux distros, but I've faced a lot of challenges. Recently, I picked up an HP Stream for travel, but it struggles with Windows 11 and has performance issues. I ended up installing ChromeOS on it, but that came with its own set of glitches. Now, I'm considering trying something like Linux Mint or Ubuntu, but I'm wondering if my laptop's specs—an Intel Celeron N4020, 1.1 GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64 GB eMMC storage—are enough to handle these distros. Any advice on what might work for me?
4 Answers
Have you looked into antiX Linux? It’s designed specifically for low-spec laptops and could be a good fit.
Honestly, that 'barely has enough power' comment was spot on. You might have better luck with Linux Mint XFCE or something lightweight like that, given your specs.
You might also want to check out FydeOS. It's another lightweight option you could try.
I'd recommend trying Debian or maybe Peppermint OS. They're lightweight and run well on lower-spec machines. Peppermint has a nice XFCE setup which is user-friendly.
Totally agree! I use D12 with LXDE myself, but Peppermint or D12 with XFCE should work just fine as well. Just be mindful of your expectations, especially with that kind of hardware.
Yeah, I found that out the hard way too. I cheaped out and got a low-spec laptop for some trips, and while it worked, it definitely wasn't ideal. You get what you pay for!