What lightweight Linux setup is best for a dedicated music player?

Most USB DACs are class-compliant, so Linux normally recognizes them automatically as an audio device without a separate driver. The older processor is the bigger concern, so a lightweight distribution such as antiX or MX Linux should be a better fit than a full modern desktop environment. Once installed, you can usually launch the player automatically by placing a desktop entry in ~/.config/autostart, or by using the startup settings provided by the desktop environment.

For automatic launching, the easiest approach is usually the desktop environment’s startup application tool. Add the player’s command—for example, audacious or deadbeef—so it runs after you log in. On lightweight desktops that do not provide a graphical tool, you can add the command to the session startup file instead. Keep the setup simple, disable services you do not need, and turn off sleep or screen blanking if you want playback to continue uninterrupted. Test the DAC and gapless playback manually before making the player start automatically.

Before replacing Windows, back up the music collection and make sure you have the correct 32-bit or 64-bit installer for the laptop. Create a bootable USB installer with a tool such as Rufus, boot from it using the laptop’s boot-menu key, and test whether the internal audio and USB DAC work in the live environment. If everything is detected, the guided installer can use the whole internal drive. Afterward, copy the music into your home folder, select the DAC as the default output device, and install a lightweight player such as Audacious or DeaDBeeF. Strawberry is another option if you want a more library-focused interface, though it may be heavier.