I'm giving my old laptop (which has an Intel 4th gen processor and an Nvidia gtx 850m) to my mom who lives in a different country. She's not really into technology and just needs it for basic web browsing and light photo editing. Since it's an older laptop and doesn't support Windows 11, I'm trying to find a Linux distribution that won't require much technical support from me. Is there a specific distro that would be user-friendly for her? Also, since it has an Nvidia GPU, are there any potential issues I should be aware of to make sure she has a smooth experience?
5 Answers
You could set up Tailscale on her laptop to manage it remotely. Just schedule some time to SSH into her machine to run updates or help with any issues she might have, which could cut down on support needed.
I'd recommend sticking with Linux Mint. It's designed for users switching from Windows, and it tends to be familiar to new users. Plus, the support community is great if you encounter any issues!
For someone who's new to computers, Linux Mint or Kubuntu would be your best bet. They have a friendly interface that's pretty similar to Windows, so she should find it easier to navigate. Just keep in mind that with the Nvidia GPU, if the default nouveau driver doesn't work well, you might need to stick with an older LTS version like Ubuntu 24.04. It's not very likely that updates will cause major issues, but if you're worried, you could disable automatic system updates and just handle those yourself occasionally. Overall, though, any basic Linux distro should work fine for her needs!
You might also consider Debian with KDE Plasma. It's a stable option and works well with older hardware, plus KDE is relatively user-friendly compared to other desktop environments.
Honestly, I'm not convinced Linux is the best choice for your mom. She might run into Windows-only software issues that could frustrate her. If she gets stuck, it might end up reflecting poorly on you for giving her a 'Linux thing'. But if you do decide on Linux, I'd suggest something like Mint since it's user-friendly, but be prepared for the occasional hiccup if she needs something specific.
Yeah, it's a fine balance. My mom is tech-savvy enough to handle some things, but I still worry about all those little issues cropping up that I might not be able to help with quickly.
That's good to hear! I haven't had issues with the nouveau driver either, but I wasn't sure if that was just for gaming setups. Sounds like Mint could really work out for her.