I want to turn an old laptop into a distraction-free machine for writing and syncing notes. Is there a distro made for that, or is it better to set up a lightweight one myself?
What Linux distro would turn an old laptop into a writing machine?
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3q~fusebox_718
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I'd start with a lightweight distro and add FocusWriter. You don't need a special writing distro to get a full-screen, distraction-free editor, and you can leave out the apps you don't want.
For an older machine, antiX is one option to look at. Check the laptop's processor architecture and the current download options before choosing an image, especially if it's a 32-bit machine.
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Skip the desktop entirely if you're comfortable in a terminal. A minimal Linux install with nano, Vim, Emacs, or Neovim can be a very simple writing setup. You could even configure the editor to launch automatically after login.
Alpine is worth considering for a minimal system, though expect more setup work than with a ready-made desktop. Check current hardware support before installing.
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TypeWriterOS is a project aimed at this kind of setup, but take a look at its installer before deciding. It appears to be an installation script that sets up a desktop environment, not necessarily a standalone distro image. That might still be useful if you want a more prepared starting point.
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For syncing, decide how the notes should get to your other devices before you pick the distro. Plain text files are easy to move around, and you can keep writing locally when the network is off. Whatever sync method you choose, keep a separate backup too.
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k73+spindle_406:
That also lets you choose a separate way to sync notes rather than tying the whole setup to one writing app.