I have an old Acer laptop sitting next to my electronics workbench. I mainly use it for viewing .pdf and .jpg schematic files while I work on my projects. Currently, it's running Windows Vista, which is okay for my needs, but I'm curious if there's an older version of Linux that would run better and cleaner on it. I don't have the specs on hand, but since it originally came with Vista, I guess it might support 32-bit or possibly even 64-bit. Are there any recommendations for good 32-bit Linux distros that would work well for this purpose?
5 Answers
If it's 32-bit, MXLinux and OpenSUSE still have supported versions. If it’s 64-bit, check your RAM. If it’s minimal, OpenSUSE 64-bit with a lightweight desktop could be a good fit. An SSD might speed things up too if you feel like upgrading!
You can try Q4OS, it's been recently updated and runs well. Also, Knoppix has a lot of pre-installed apps but finding a good download can be tricky since it hasn't updated in a while, so make sure to see if it fits your needs.
You might want to check out Debian or Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE). They both have solid performance and good community support.
Avoid using unsupported distros if possible, as they can expose you to security risks. However, if you’re looking for options, Slackware, Void Linux, and Alpine Linux still support 32-bit for now. Debian's dropping 32-bit in the next version but the current one will be around for years. Since your laptop came with Vista, check if it’s actually 64-bit which gives you way more options!
I rarely take this computer online, so I'm not too concerned about security.
Consider checking if your laptop needs a 32-bit version at all. The first AMD64 processors were out by 2003, and many computers from the Vista era, including lower-end models, still had 32-bit options available up to around 2008-2009.
I want to keep costs low since I don't use this old laptop that often.