I'm using a persistent USB on another computer with an MT7902 wireless adapter, but the distributions I've tried currently ship with kernel 7.0. Updating the kernel on persistent storage is difficult, and I'd like to test Linux on that machine without buying another USB drive for a full installation. I'm not particular about the distribution, though I'd prefer something that uses less than about 2 GB of RAM when idle.
4 Answers
A current Fedora image, including the KDE edition, may already contain a relatively recent kernel. Still, verify the exact version from the live environment because the kernel shipped on an ISO can differ from the version available through updates.
If the main goal is testing different systems, consider putting Ventoy on the USB. Then you can copy several ISO files onto it and boot whichever one you want without repeatedly reformatting the drive.
Kernel 7.1 may be too new to be included in most installation images yet. You may need to boot an ISO with networking enabled, update the kernel afterward, or build a customized ISO yourself. MX Linux has tools that can help create a remastered image with a selected kernel.
A rolling-release distribution is probably your best option. Arch, CachyOS, EndeavourOS, Garuda, openSUSE Tumbleweed, and Fedora’s development branch generally receive newer kernels sooner than stable releases. Check the ISO’s actual kernel version before downloading, since it can change frequently.
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