I'm new to Linux and the tech world in general. My laptop specs include 14GB of RAM and an AMD Ryzen 5 3500u with 8 cores, but no dedicated GPU. I also have about 105GB available on my SSD. I'm hoping to learn Linux now so I can switch completely in a couple of years when more games support Proton.
I'm looking for a beginner-friendly, lightweight Linux operating system that can run on VirtualBox without too much strain on my RAM, ideally under 4 to 6GB usage. I'm not too concerned about the user interface, but having a dark mode would be a huge bonus.
I previously tried Mint Cinnamon and it was laggy, so I'm looking for other options. I'm also curious if installing Linux in VirtualBox will take up actual space on my laptop since I've heard about something called virtual space. Any help or suggestions for learning materials would also be appreciated, although that part is optional. Thanks for your time!
5 Answers
I recommend checking out Q4OS or simply going with Debian using the XFCE desktop environment. Both options are quite lightweight and should run smoothly on your setup, especially in a VM. Debian’s a great starting point too for getting familiar with Linux concepts!
If you want something lightweight but don’t mind challenging yourself a bit, go for CachyOS with the KDE Plasma interface. It’s pretty customizable and allows you to tweak things to your liking, although it might be a bit more complex for beginners. But hey, you’ll learn a lot by diving in!
You might want to check out a site called Distrosea where you can test out tons of Linux distributions in a virtual cloud environment. No downloads required, so it’s a great way to explore various options without committing space on your SSD right away!
Honestly, your hardware should handle most lightweight distros without issue. It’s surprising that Mint was lagging for you. Just remember, it’s often the desktop environment that impacts performance rather than the distro itself. A good lightweight option could be something like MX Linux with XFCE or even LXQt. They're generally pretty responsive and efficient!
I've had decent experiences running Linux VMs with around 4GB of memory and 2 cores, so you should be fine! If Mint’s lagging, consider trying LMDE, which is based on Debian and generally feels more responsive. Other good candidates are MX Linux XFCE and SparkyLinux XFCE. You might find those to be snappier!
Did you have Guest Additions installed with your Mint setup? That can really help with performance.