I'm looking for a lightweight Linux distribution for an older Acer laptop with an i3 processor, 12 GB of DDR3 memory, legacy boot firmware, and a GeForce 920M. Fedora runs, but getting the NVIDIA driver working has been difficult, and the GPU isn't detected properly. I'm not primarily using the laptop for gaming, although I might occasionally run an indie game or use Dolphin or PPSSPP. I'd prefer a distribution that makes proprietary NVIDIA drivers reasonably easy to install and lets me choose from several desktop environments.
4 Answers
MX Linux with Xfce is worth considering, especially if you want something lightweight with convenient configuration tools. Lubuntu and Linux Mint with Xfce are also good choices. Mint may be the easiest starting point, while MX tends to give you more control over an older system.
Before changing distributions solely for the driver, check whether you actually need the proprietary NVIDIA driver. The GeForce 920M is old enough that compatibility can depend on the exact chip and driver branch. Nouveau may be adequate for normal desktop use, while disabling the NVIDIA GPU and using the integrated graphics can improve battery life and avoid driver problems. If you want gaming or emulation performance, then testing the appropriate legacy NVIDIA driver is worthwhile.
Fedora itself may not be the real problem. The 920M can require an older NVIDIA driver, and kernel-module tools such as akmods may fall back to Nouveau when the driver does not support the kernel or the system's legacy boot setup. If you retry Fedora, use the official third-party driver instructions exactly and verify the card model and supported driver version first. Otherwise, Debian or an Ubuntu-based lightweight distribution may involve less troubleshooting.
Debian would be a solid option. It runs well on older hardware and provides proprietary firmware and NVIDIA packages through its repositories. You can install a lightweight desktop such as Xfce, LXQt, or MATE, and the installer should work fine with legacy boot on most systems. Just make sure the non-free firmware and package sections are enabled.
Thanks, those are the kinds of options I was looking for. I’ll probably test MX and Mint first, then compare how well the graphics hardware works.