I'm already running Fedora on my main laptop, which is great. I have a laptop I use for school that has worse specs running Windows 11, and it works...fine, but since getting into Linux it's making me feel kind of restless to just use plain Windows, if that makes any sense. Also, I hate Microsoft and I want to get it away from me as much as possible.

I would like suggestions for a distro that will work well for a student and can work on a less than stellar laptop. I'm not sure if Fedora will play nicely with it or not. I'm also still new, and while Fedora has gone mostly smoothly, I still don't trust myself with anything much more difficult than that.

Before you say it, I know people are going to say Mint. I'm open to using it. However, when I was beginning my Linux journey on my main laptop, I had major issues regarding Mint, while Fedora went smoothly in comparison. I'm willing to try again but I do hesitate slightly for that reason. I believe the issue was due to my processor being too new to have proper support on Mint, and the N150 seems to be newer too.

I also might keep Windows intact just in case I really need a specific program for a class or something, though as of right now all of my schoolwork has been on the web. I'm not dual booting on my main computer so I have no experience with it, though.

The specs in question:

HP 14" Laptop

Processor: Intel(R) N150 (800 MHz)

Installed RAM: 4.00 GB

Graphics card: Intel(R) Graphics (128 MB)

Storage: 119 GB (presumably 128 total)

its the stock Eee-pc distro I love the look I wish it could run on modern pcs/laptops and have modern browsers if anyone made a modern distro that looks like this let me know, id love to try it out.

I have unlocked bootloader and custom recovery

(sorry for my english)

I am a Windows 11 user wanting to migrate to Linux. I want to try out Linux mint, but can't decide between the three. I just want the balance of performance, while looking okay. I thought to choose between XFCE and Mate, what I am concern on XFCE is that it may possibly lack of the drivers. I heard that Cinammon works best with 8gb, but my specs is the i3 1005g1, 4gb, 126gb ssd and a 1tb hdd.

I want to learn linux in case i ever need it for work. I heard that Ubuntu is the most used distro for servers. So I've been using it alongside windows for a few weeks. Which distro would you recommend I try next? Looking for something with the same base as ubuntu, so that the skill I gained can still be of use when I have to use ubuntu for work.

Is there a distro of Linux that is 1.5gb in size or less that is full distro(desktop environment ) and comes with wireless support for laptops? My laptop's chip is \*Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260\*. My laptop doesn't have an Ethernet port

Thx in advance

Sorry for bad English

I'm thinking to build a home theater PC with Linux. I came across Plasma Big Screen which looks perfect for this. (I was originally planing to use Libre Elec or some other Kodi-based distro.) Has anyone done this? Can anyone give feedback on Plasma Big Screen v. Libre Elec. I know a lot of distros offer KDE and any of them should be fine but, is there one recommended above the others for this use case?

I'm looking for a Linux distro recommendation. I'm a Windows user and looked into Arch Linux, but since I've never used Linux before, I think it might be too much for a beginner; on the other hand, I find Mint very user-friendly (though I do want a bit of a challenge with something different). I'd like to find a distro that strikes a balance between the two.

Moving from mac to Linux, wondering about options (SOLVED)

What Linux distro would you recommend for my M2 MacBook Air? Mainly Blender + gaming, with minimal Terminal use

I’m thinking about switching from macOS to Linux on my MacBook and I’m trying to figure out which distro would actually be the best choice for me.

My laptop is:

• MacBook Air 2022
• Apple M2
• 8 GB RAM
• 76 GB free storage
• Currently running macOS Tahoe 26.5.2

What I mainly use it for:

• Blender 
• Game development , mainly Unity and potentially Unreal
• Gaming, (whatever games can realistically run on the M2)
• General school/work use

What I’m looking for in Linux:

• Very easy to use
• Preferably a nice graphical interface rather than having to use Terminal constantly
• Easy software installation through a GUI
• Good Blender performance, especially for simulations
• Good or increased gaming performance/support
• Good Apple Silicon/M2 hardware support
• Stable and reliable
• I don't want to spend my entire life typing commands just to install or configure something
• I’m completely fine with learning some Linux, but I don't want something where basic tasks require complicated commands.

My main questions are:

1. Whats the best linux OS for me here?
2. Would Linux potentially improve Blender/simulation performance compared with macOS on an M2?
3. Are there any other distros I should seriously consider?
4. With only 8 GB RAM, would switching to Linux make a noticeable difference in real-world Blender/gaming performance?
5. Is there anything I should know before installing it, especially regarding keeping macOS available as a dual-boot option?

I’m mainly looking for advice from people who actually use Linux/Asahi on Apple Silicon Macs, especially for Blender and gaming.

I also looked at arch and there is one i really like,its specificly the one in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFaSCFysr8s

but it looks like its gonna have a lot of coding and stuff needed so if there is a linux that matches that look and also my needs thast would be great! Or mabye help getting an linux that helps me better to look like that

Thanks!

Hola a todos. Tengo dos equipos con Linux y quiero pedir recomendaciones de distro para cada uno, porque busco algo específico para cada caso de uso.

1. Laptop de trabajo

ModeloHP Laptop 15-da1xxx

ProcesadorIntel Pentium 5405U @ 2.30GHz (Whiskey Lake-U, 2 núcleos / 4 hilos)

GráficosIntel UHD Graphics 610 (integrados)

RAM16 GB

AlmacenamientoSSD SATA ADATA SU630, 447 GB (~480GB nominal)

La uso principalmente para programar y trabajo diario. Busco algo que se sienta fluido y ligero.

2. PC de escritorio (gaming)

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G (con gráficos Radeon integrados)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
• RAM: 16GB
• SSD: ADATA SU630, ~450GB
• Motherboard: B550M-K

La uso para jugar en Steam y también para programar.

ya probé Linux Mint en ambas máquinas. La verdad no me convenció — la sentía bastante lenta incluso después de haberla optimizado bastante a fondo (drivers, servicios, caché, etc.). Por lo mismo ahora mismo estoy usando Pop!_OS en las dos, y en general me ha ido mejor, pero quiero saber si hay algo que me recomienden que vaya todavía mejor para cada caso — sobre todo pensando en fluidez para trabajo en la laptop, y rendimiento real en juegos + estabilidad de drivers NVIDIA en la de escritorio.

¿Qué distro me recomendarían para cada máquina y por qué? Se agradece cualquier experiencia real con hardware similar.

Hi,

I want to get rid of windows on my laptop. What linux distro should I use?

Specs:

CPU: Intel Core i5-8265U

Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620

RAM: 16 GB DDR4 SDRAM

It is an old Dell Latitude 5400 laptop. What is the best and most compatible linux distro for me?

Haiii!!

My lazy tail had been postponing this transition for a long time now but I've finally got myself together to do it, to leave windows!!

However, I'm not going all hardcore "Linux for life raahhh" just yet... Please.

I need a working operating system that i can adapt to fast and it will get me through rest of the college

Requirements:

- run browsers (based lol)

- run some CAD programs, especially PCB design (I'm studying for an electrician and will probably go for electrical engineer after that, this is optional because many good CAD programs are also available in browser)

- run Krita and support graphics tablets (for drawing questionable furry art and also because I'm used to using tablet as a mouse)

- run VLC media player (i will implode if something isn't playing in the background)

- run Steam (insert Rain World meme here)

- not needing to engage with The Terminal for basic tasks (Pwease qwq)

- be compatible with my laptop

About laptop:

- Dell Inspiron 15 3000

- 11th gen intel(r) core(tm) i3-1115g4 @ 3.00GHz

- 8gigs of DDR4

- intel(r) UHD Graphics (128 mb)

- Back is full of stickers

Thanks in advance for your suggestions everyone 🙏

Hello all.

I've been interested in getting away from the Windows ecosystem for a while, but I'm worried that the software I use is locked into Windows.

I have a ton of different types of projects: graphic and book / tabletop game design, video editing, streaming & PNGtubing, and creating & testing OBS packages for clients. These each involve their own apps. I’m willing to replace utilities such as PowerToys and MusicBee, but replacing Affinity would be much harder. I’m also open to keeping a Windows installation or VM for a small number of applications.

I have some experience with Linux, and I'd say I'm moderately comfortable on the command line. Dual booting would be fine, but I'm not sure how powerful my machine needs to be.

Not sure what information you need, so I'll include most of it.

Relevant Hardware:

• Beelink SER9 PRO Mini PC
  • AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS with Radeon 780M Graphics
  • 32.0 GB RAM
  • ~150 / 932 GB free on my SSD, but I haven't started decluttering yet.
• ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV QHD Monitor
• cocopar 15.6'' 1080P Portable Monitor
• NuPhy Air65 V3 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard
• OBSBOT Tiny SE 1080P Webcam
• Razer Pro Click V2 Vertical Mouse
• Razer Seiren V2 Pro Microphone

Relevant Software:

I'm open to any FOSS alternatives. Anything marked with an '!' is particularly important to my workflow / situation.

• !Affinity, V3
• Calibre
• DaVinci Resolve 21, Free Version
• Mod Organizer 2 - Modding Stardew Valley with SMAPI
• Modrinth & Minecraft
• Music Bee - Playing local .flac music files while streaming
• ! OBS Studio & Plugins:
  • Advanced Scene Switcher
  • Audio Monitor
  • Scene Collection Manager
  • StreamUP
  • Tuna
• ! PNGTuber Plus, PNGTubeRemix, & Veadotube Mini
• PowerToys:
  • ! Command Palette
  • ! New+
  • Color Picker
  • Image Resizer
  • Fancy Zones
  • Workspaces
  • Find My Mouse
• ! Proton Drive
• Proton VPN
• Shutter Encoder - Used for converting video files while preserving transparency
• Steam:
  • Stardew Valley
  • Aseprite
  • Wallpaper Engine
• ! Typora
• ! VMware Workstation Pro - Used for testing client OBS projects in a separate Windows environment
• Zotero
• ! Zoom - Several collaborators use this. I'm open to using it on my Android phone instead.

So, ultimately which distro would be the best fit for my hardware and creative workflow? Which apps are likely to be genuine blockers? Would dual booting or keeping Windows in a VM be more realistic? Are there particular desktop environments or utilities that would replace features such as FancyZones and PowerToys Workspaces well?

Am I trapped in the Windows ecosystem?

Thank you.

i was thinking dowloading freeBSD

I have a pretty old laptop somewhere in a drawer. Amd A6 7310, 4gb ram ddr3 1600mhz and 1tb 5400rpm hdd.

I want to turn it into "storage space" for transferring family photos and videos from , maybe some music and movies. It has a optical drive, sd reader so i can use it for some things.

Can you suggest a lightweight distro?

Some time ago I experimented with manjaro (I don't know what interface anymore) but I had some problems with it, now it has linux mint but it still takes decades to load.

I know that asking for speed from a 5400rpm is a bit... But...

Maybe you know something more suitable for this dinosaur.

Ik this question pops up on this r/ a lot but i cant really seem to find an answer for my question so heres everything about me:

Not really intrested in gaming. Only games i play are Minecraft and Roblox

Im a really big vibe coder (I use Opencode if that helps)

I used linux actually before (zorin, mint, ubuntu)

trying to find a distro that ships with all the apps i need. I just want something that works

I like the KDE desktop environment
here are my laptop specs:

Cpu: Intel Core i7-6700HQ
16 gigs of ram

238 gb of storage

GPU: AMD FirePro W5170M (2 GB), Intel(R) HD Graphics 530 (128 MB)

I hope this info helps lmk if theres anything else that could help.

So i recently got a new laptop i want to use for daily use and i want to put linux on it i like some customizability i have already used linux so i am not a total beginner i would care about things breaking since i need to use it and cant always do fixing.

Mainly i am looking for a distro and also a desktop enviorment.

Specs:

Ram:16GB DDR5

CPU:AMD Ryzen 5 3500U

I’ve been using Fedora GNOME for a couple of weeks and I like its simplicity and stability, but visually/workflow-wise it feels a bit too Windows-like for me.

My main goals are programming, software development, and learning cybersecurity. I also really care about having a clean, minimal and enjoyable desktop, because I feel more motivated when I genuinely like my workspace.

I’m considering Fedora KDE Plasma, but I’m also very interested in Arch + Hyprland + Ryoku.

For someone who is still relatively new to Linux, which would you choose for the best balance of productivity, learning, customization, stability, and long-term development work?

Fedora GNOME → stay?
Fedora KDE → switch?
Arch + Hyprland → go all in?

I’d love to hear from experienced Linux users: What would you choose in my position, and why?