Linux distro for cheap/starter-spec desktop PC

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I am trying to figure out about moving to Linux from Windows, I have a cheap PC that only does basic stuff, with obsolete "starting" specs with under 2GB useable memory card with 1.6Ghz AMD CPU. Any select distros worth checking out?

For a lightweight newbie distro, I used to recommend Linux Mint LXDE, except that it hasn't had an x86_64 release, and is apparently a dead project for what I can tell; you could give the XFCE edition of Mint a try. I just stopped using (the MATE edition of) Mint myself, but it's still a great distro for general use.

Recently I've been using Lubuntu 12.10 and Crunchbang 11. Lubuntu's great for newbies and boots lightning-fast on my machine, though Crunchbang's a little more minimalist and much cleaner in its interface in my opinion. Crunchbang's default color scheme is also easy on the senses.

Crunchbang
Lubuntu
Linux Mint

I recommend SolusOS 1.3, which is Debian Stable with a newer kernel, and up to date software. SolusOS as usable as LinuxMint, minus the spyware-ish LinuxMint search. The Head developer for SolusOS used to be one of the bigger developers for LinuxMint Debian Edition until he had a falling out with the Mint Staff. --

SolusOS uses GNOME 2.30 as a Desktop environment, and if you use it, you will find that the desktop layout and default installed apps are much the same as LinuxMint.

As far as lightweight goes, SolusOS can be trimmed down much more than LinuxMint, and according to the GkrellM system monitor, my system and desktop only use up 70MB Ram. Unlike LinuxMint, desktop compositing and Compiz can be turned completely off and uninstalled without creating dependancy issues. Broadcom and Atheros driver modules are present in the kernel though Nvdia and ATI/AMD 3D graphics driver modules still require a download like most other Linux Distros.

I've been using SolusOS since May of last year and have had no issues with it.

My current system is a Panasonic Toughbook CF-T5 (MkII), spec'ed :

Intel Core Duo U2400 @1.06Ghz
1.5 GB RAM
Intel GPU
IDE HDD.

With Linux, my system actually runs faster than it did with the WinXP Pro that came with it.

FWIW, I like Crunchbang Linux a lot, and have Crunchbang 11 installed on another drive, but I wouldn't call it a 'newbie' distribution due to the fact that to configure it, you need to use a text editor to edit configuration files and scripts. --If you feel up to this, and are familiar enough with reading code, then you might like Crunchbang as well, but I wouldn't recommend it for a complete Noob.

My concern now is if I want to restore Windows 7 in the future. I did a whole HDD image on Win7 a month back, but if I want to reinstall, how will it work, because the files are stretched accross 4 seperate discs.

You're actually running Win7 on the computer that you spec'ed above?

you could get out that windows 95 pc and run almost any type of liunx a part from ubouto because its unoptmised

Yes. Everyone tells me it's crazy but yes.

Good ol' WinXP would still run very well on that PC.

I need software once the OS is loaded... I can't do what I want in Linux/Unix/whatever.

I have a netbook I just switched over to Xubuntu and so far it seems fast and stable. I'm now trying it out on an old Desktop PC. So far no problems. It loads so fast it skips past the splash screen.


If you want to approach this more slowly checkout a program called Universal USB Installer. It can make a Linux Bootable USB with pretty much any distro you can think of. Then you can try it out before actually putting it on the hard drive.

EDIT: I previously tried regular Ubuntu and I think I like Xubuntu better. It's leaner and I like the Xfce desktop better.

Last edited by VIDEODROME on 09 Apr 2013, 9:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If you plan on having the computer for more than a year, you're better off transitioning to Linux and becoming comfortable with it in the long term, as XP reaches end-of-life (no more support, updates, bug fixes, or security upgrades) in April 2014.

^^^ Maybe... but it's perfectly stable as-is... who needs further updates?

Anyone who doesn't believe that a given operating system is perfectly stable and absolutely bug-free, especially with respect to security concerns. For a closed-source black-box OS like Windows, that especially counts double. I suppose you could get away with it if you have no mission-critical tasks to use it for, and don't plan on networking it at all. I wouldn't risk it.

I'm going to try Crunch Bang Linux: Waldorf.

I tried a LIVE USB session and it seemed like a really lean OS and should be fast even on my NetBook.

I just installed it no problem. I'm waiting for updates to finish before I really try it out. I'm pleased to say my Broadcom Wireless worked right away. I didn't need to connect a cable to grab any drivers.

Xubuntu is pretty good on lower spec machines. I had it set up on my son's old machine (P4 2.4MHz, 512MB RAM) and it was lightning fast compared to XP and relatively bugless as Linux goes.

From what I can tell, Crunch Bang seems to be even faster than Xubuntu.

It is, due to the fact that it has lighter rescources, but the trade off for this as I mentioned above is the fact that configuring a lot of the desktop stuff requires at least some rudimentary knowlege of scripting and the use of a text editor.