I found an old 2020 MacBook Air with an i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and integrated graphics. I'd like to repurpose it with Linux and use a modern-looking desktop without putting too much strain on the hardware. I'm interested in setups similar to Ryoku or Caelestia, but I've heard that Hyprland might be too demanding for this laptop. What lightweight distros or desktop environments would you recommend? Are there any special driver or compatibility issues I should know about?
4 Answers
MX Linux would be a solid lightweight choice. It should run comfortably on those specifications and gives you a fairly complete system without using too many resources.
Hyprland probably isn’t automatically too demanding for this hardware. The compositor itself can use very few resources, although configuring it from scratch takes work. A distribution such as CachyOS with a preconfigured Hyprland setup could be an option, but check the MacBook’s T2 security chip and required patches before installing.
Lubuntu or Xubuntu are also worth considering if you want something simple and responsive. One thing to check is the MacBook’s Broadcom Wi-Fi, since Linux support can be inconvenient on some models. A compatible USB Wi-Fi adapter or wired Ethernet may make installation easier.
You may not need to limit yourself to only lightweight desktops. Similar-era MacBook Pros with weaker processors and 8GB of RAM can run full desktop environments such as Plasma well. Fedora with KDE Plasma could work nicely, though you’ll likely need to research the specific graphics, Wi-Fi, audio, and T2-related drivers for this MacBook.
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