Hey everyone! I have an older laptop with a dual-core i7-6700 processor (not an ultrabook, just a basic Dell) and around 8GB of RAM, maybe 16GB if I'm lucky—I can't check right now. I'm looking to upgrade my outdated Firestick Lite to something more user-friendly for a better smart TV experience. I really just need a straightforward interface with big buttons for a few apps, mainly Stremio, a browser for tricky streaming sites, YouTube, and Boosteroid for cloud gaming, all on a 1080p LED TV. It would be awesome if I could use my Firestick remote to control it, but I assume turning it on and off with the remote isn't possible? What Linux distro and software would you recommend for this simple setup? Thanks a lot!
3 Answers
I'd say go with Linux Mint! I set it up for my brother in a similar situation, and it worked great. Instead of just using a Firestick, I suggest you get a wireless keyboard with a trackpad (Logitech has some affordable options). You can connect your laptop to the TV via HDMI and enjoy the full PC experience while treating it like a Firestick. Plus, you can even install adblock on the browser!
I suggest trying AlmaLinux; it rarely requires updates and runs Stremio really well! It could be a solid choice for your setup.
That’s what I did! Just make sure you know that getting YouTube to work can be really tricky—it took a lot of tweaking on my end. I went with Kodi for media streaming, and I personally used Debian since it doesn’t require frequent updates. But honestly, any distro can work for your needs.
I totally agree! I've got a bunch of different keyboard/mouse combos, but I really recommend going for a Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz setup. You can find these easily at places like Target or Walmart.