Hey everyone! I'm looking to switch my super cheap HP laptop from Windows 11 Home to a Linux distro, but I'm pretty new to all of this. My laptop has an Intel Celeron N4120 processor (1.10 GHz, 4 cores) and just 4 GB of RAM. I'm mainly going to use it for light entertainment, streaming some videos, and maybe editing memes. It's also going to connect to the mandatory Wi-Fi in my apartment complex and run some old indie games. I've got a 1TB external SSD ready for the installation. I want to know which Linux OS would be a good fit for this setup and what security measures I might need to take to protect against potential threats.
4 Answers
How did you even get Windows 11 on that machine though? 😂 You should definitely try Linux Mint XFCE; it should run smoothly on your hardware.
Starting off with Linux Mint is a great idea! Once you get the hang of things, feel free to explore other distros that fit your needs, like Ubuntu or Pop!_OS. It mostly depends on what desktop environment you prefer. I really enjoy Mint because it reminds me of Windows 7, which is my favorite!
I also recommend Linux Mint, especially the XFCE version! Also, check if you can upgrade your RAM to 8GB—it'll really help with performance. And if Mint doesn’t cut it for you, there are smaller distros out there that might work better, and you'll be more comfortable since you'll have some experience with Mint.
Linux Mint is a solid choice for newcomers transitioning from Windows. The desktop environment feels quite familiar and it's user-friendly. As for security on Linux, you're generally in good shape; most hackers don't target Linux systems, so keeping it safe is mostly about common sense—using a firewall and not clicking on sketchy links will go a long way!
I've had good luck with EndeavourOS too! It worked great for me on a shared wifi setup.