I've been using Mint XFCE on a few old computers, and I really love it! I'm considering switching to Linux on my main machine as well. While I'd be happy sticking with Mint, I think this could be a great chance to explore some different distributions. Are there any other lightweight and user-friendly distros out there that can offer a similar experience to Mint XFCE, especially those that work well right out of the box?
5 Answers
You can check out other distros that use XFCE as a desktop environment, like Debian or Fedora, as they offer the flexibility to test drive them with a LiveUSB without needing to install right away. Don't forget, there are also other lightweight desktop environments you can try, such as MATE, LXDE, and Lxqt!
Debian could be a solid choice since Mint is based on it, so you'll find a similar package manager. Fedora is great too for that out-of-the-box experience. If you're feeling adventurous, Arch is an option but might require some patience and command-line skills.
Have you given CachyOS with XFCE a shot? It's pretty lightweight and runs smoothly. I'm also a fan of Solus Budgie, BunsenLabs, and Manjaro Sway; they all should perform well on systems with at least 1GB to 4GB of RAM.
If you're looking for something else from the Mint family, you might want to check out Mint Cinnamon or Mint MATE. They have that familiar feel but with different interfaces!
For additional ideas, take a look at the distro selection page from our wiki. It's a great resource! Also, remember to back up your data regularly, and consider testing new distros in a virtual machine first to avoid any issues before committing.
And remember, you can always try out different desktop environments! They're not permanently tied to your installation.