I’m resetting windows 10 on my Thinkpad T580 for work but would like to create a partition for linux. It’s an older laptop and really chugs through games like Minecraft or RuneScape but I enjoy playing relaxing games while I listen to audiobooks at night. I grew up using windows which is why I’ve mostly used Ubuntu and ZorinOS in the past but I’d like to expand my horizons to something like kubuntu. I value good UI/UX design and something lightweight for my old potato. Any recommendations on Linux distros?

** Thanks for all the input! I tried Fedora first but it felt kind of clunky to me. Then I tried out Mint xfce and it’s right up my alley! I can run a separate Firefox profile right off the task bar that runs outside of my VPN which is perfect for Netflix and other sites that have issues. So far loving how customizable it is. Minecraft runs ok off GDLauncher, and lutris is really cool. I forgot I had a boat load of old GOG games that are perfect for this laptop. I really fucking love Linux 😆

  • unix_joe@lemmy.ml
    8·
    2 years ago

    Debian.

    You can install any desktop environment, it is the base for all of the Ubuntu distributions.

    Debian 12 (bookworm) will release in a week, but you can install it now from here:

    https://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/

    For your T580, you will need the amd64 installer: https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/bookworm_di_rc4/amd64/iso-cd/debian-bookworm-DI-rc4-amd64-netinst.iso

    Install Debian, choose a desktop environment, then use flatpaks for anything that you need up to date.

    Your T580 is still a strong laptop. I suggest Debian + KDE Plasma and then set up flatpaks here:

    https://flatpak.org/setup/Debian

    Once you have set up Debian, you can pretty much stick there and install whatever you want. It’s a solid place to learn Linux, and to learn that you don’t need to change distributions for everything. It is a rock solid platform. Some people have been running the same install, just upgrading hardware and then upgrading from one release to the next, for 20+ years.

    • Tretiak@lemmy.ml
      2·
      2 years ago

      To any user that reads this comment, only install Debian if you can understand this quote, else, you may want to consider otherwise!

  • Trash Panda@lemmy.ml
    6·
    2 years ago

    If your laptop is on the potato side I would personally avoid kde, it’s much lighter now than it used to be but still heavier than other options. Mint looks good in my personal opinion and, again in my opinion, is a better alternative if compared to ubuntu, it’s based on it but with some improvements. The default flavor comes with cinnamon, but if your laptop struggles it’s also available with xfce, which even older machines should be able to handle.

    • Rassilonian Legate@mstdn.social
      5·
      2 years ago

      @raccoon @Triage8420@lemmy.ml @linux_gaming
      I put xfce on a garbage laptop for my parents (who are used to much older windows) and they loved it, the laptop ended up breaking eventually but that was a hardware issue and they regularly ask me when I’ll be able to replace it

    • Trash Panda@lemmy.ml
      121·
      2 years ago

      IMO one should never recommend manjaro. To suggest an easy arch endeavouros should be the way to go, why? Because the manjaro devs make way too many mistakes and a mistake or two can happen to anyone, but when it happens often it becomes a pattern, one where I wouldn’t want someone to deal with if it can be avoided.

        • CheshireSnake@lemmy.ml
          1·
          2 years ago

          Definitely try it. I started Linux with Mint since it’s the closest to Windows I could find. Later on I wanted to try bleeding edge but vanilla Arch was too complicated for a noob like me. Until I found EOS. The transition was smooth and painless. I learned more about Linux in a few months with EOS than years on Mint, but that’s a me problem. Now I have vanilla Arch on my VM and EOS on my laptop bare metal. It’s pretty stable, and that one-time Grub issue was the only hiccup I ever experienced that was not due to my stupidity. Lol.

          Now I want to try Gentoo, but man it’s even more complicated.

  • jjsearle@lemmy.ml
    5·
    2 years ago

    One of the Fedora spins, or if you are feeling brave Fedora Silverblue or Fedora Kinoite.

  • GandalfDG@lemmy.ml
    4·
    2 years ago

    If you want to shake things up with an arch derivative you can try EndeavourOS, there are a lot of different DEs you can choose straight from the installer

  • BlinkerFluid@lemmy.ml
    3·
    2 years ago

    MX Linux.

    Imagine Linux Mint Debian edition, but it isn’t green and there are a lot of useful GUI tools. It’s also so near to actually being Debian that you can just install things meant for Debian on it. It also runs a backported kernel for modern graphics driver and chipset support so you get your stability and your performance all in one.

  • UrbenLegend@lemmy.ml
    2·
    2 years ago

    I’d say give a few Arch-based distros a try, or just straight up Arch if you’re feeling adventurous. Arch distros are just slim and speedy, which could be good for your old laptop. The new official archinstall tool makes it relatively easy compared to installing Arch the manual way, but if you’re looking for more ease of use EndeavourOS is a great option.

  • feetongrass@beehaw.org
    2·
    2 years ago

    Regata OS is a gaming oriented customization of Opensuse Tumbleweed. I’ve been using it for a year without issues.

  • sandblast@lemmy.one
    2·
    2 years ago

    As someone who is also new to linux, they’re all pretty simple to use. I honestly struggle to find any major differences in any distros other than the command to get applications not in the repo store. Personally I use pop os on wayland on an old macbook and the battery life had been stupendous. On desktop I’m on fedora 38. Gnome 44.1 has been extremely polished.

  • DaisyLee@lemmy.ml
    1·
    2 years ago

    I have used Linux for awhile and settled on pop!_OS for my home desktop/laptop use.

  • poVoq@slrpnk.netM
    1·
    2 years ago

    KDE is surprisingly lightweight these days. Maybe try the Fedora KDE spin. Or if you need it even more light weight: the LXQt spin is also not bad.

  • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
    1·
    2 years ago

    Stick to the main distros unless you have a specific reason to use a novel one. Despite its drawbacks, KUbuntu is great and I definitely recommend it. Once you find a thing or two you don’t like about it, you can swap to a distro that does those things differently and you’re off to the races :)

    PS Linux can breathe new life into a laptop, but if apps are too intense for your hardware it won’t magically give you more RAM… With the exception of Minecraft Prism Launcher + Fabulously Optimized, then your Linuxtop turns into a NASA supercomputer

  • alienBlues@lemmy.ml
    0·
    2 years ago

    I’m using Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop on a Thinkpad older than yours, and everything works fine for me. I’ve seen somebody saying that the Xfce edition is slow for them, but maybe the MATE one is lightweight enough for you.

      • PeterPoopshit@lemmy.ml
        0·
        2 years ago

        I like XFCE. It feels like a retro early 2000s-like gui and is up to date enough to be reasonably usable. Would be nice if there was a way to get a search bar in the start menu and window snapping (that thing where dragging Windows to the edges of the screen makes them resize to take up half the screen).