For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose.
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For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose. But working with the Computer Upcycle Project, I've seen the real choice is often Linux vs no computer at all.
~95% of donated computers are "too old" for Windows 11 or macOS. Linux installs on them anyway, adding 10+ years of life to machines #Microsoft and #Apple called trash.
This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste.
@codemonkeymike , after I retired a few years ago I switched my personal computers to Linux. I do still have one with Win 11 for a couple of programs that only work on it. I wish FreeBSD would get better laptop support, I've always been more comfortable in BSD, HP-UX, AIX, etc. than System V stuff.
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@codemonkeymike My 2015 machine is still running Win11 with ease and gets all the updates without issues. Yes, i had to tweak the installation process, but there are dozens of tools for dummies out there to guide you through it.
I don't want to win an argument, but please tell the full story. You are hurting only yourself.@m1rk0 @codemonkeymike you are full of bloat and AI knows everything you do. That is the argument. -
R relay@relay.mycrowd.ca shared this topic
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@codemonkeymike What’s a good Linux distro for someone new to Linux?
@thegardendude @codemonkeymike I work in research and a lot of new converts use either Ubuntu or Linux Mint. Personally, I use Fedora/Budgie, before that Fedora Gnome. As another has already mentioned, check and see if the distro has a “Live” version, meaning you can burn the ISO to portable storage and try the O.S. before committing.
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@codemonkeymike ... unless it has a shitty wifi chip... or an unsupported sound chip... then good luck :p. It's a paperweight at that point, unless you run an ancient OS.
@Elizafox true but that's few and far between in my experience. But yes this does happen.
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@codemonkeymike
A fine conclusion: "This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste."@nukleos exactly! I've felt this for a while, but finally put words to it
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@codemonkeymike try finding a 32-bit distribution that works. For some reason, distributions have abandonded 32-bit Linux, while many old PC's and laptops will only run that. I have a HP Notebook (formerly 32-bit 32 XP) and I still fail to find a working Linux distro.
@candela I did a 32 bir challenge a couple years ago and did Debian 12 32bit and it was okay. But yeah. Now adays it's pretty much just antix
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@codemonkeymike My 2015 machine is still running Win11 with ease and gets all the updates without issues. Yes, i had to tweak the installation process, but there are dozens of tools for dummies out there to guide you through it.
I don't want to win an argument, but please tell the full story. You are hurting only yourself.@m1rk0 the full story makes windows look even worse. Trust me. I've worked with thousands of people over decades.
But if you're happy with windows. Awesome. I'm not here to convince people to switch.
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@candela I did a 32 bir challenge a couple years ago and did Debian 12 32bit and it was okay. But yeah. Now adays it's pretty much just antix
@codemonkeymike it's how it goes, even for Linux, that I think should be all around available for all old hardware. That is the point, to breathe new life in old hardware.
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@codemonkeymike You are generally right, of course, i also hate that Microsoft / Apple is doing this.
But there are still easy and not forbidden ways to install Win11 on older Machines and there is also a (kinda costy) Windows 10 LTSC version that is supported till 2032.
Also i have strong feelings against people who say that Linux makes an old system fast. That is often not the case, and after hearing this everywhere people keep posting frustated on our unix-board about their core2duo & co
@Zeddiria I have similar concerns. I went from MX21.3 to MX25, and noticed more RAM usage. It makes a difference on an 8th gen laptop.
The zram option upon install for MX25, helped tho. More should know about this, because of RAM/hard drive gouging going on now, and more recent distros like MX25, have updated drivers that help even 8th gen puters.
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@codemonkeymike try finding a 32-bit distribution that works. For some reason, distributions have abandonded 32-bit Linux, while many old PC's and laptops will only run that. I have a HP Notebook (formerly 32-bit 32 XP) and I still fail to find a working Linux distro.
@candela I played arround with bunsenlabs, which is a lightweight distro based on Debian. @codemonkeymike
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@candela I played arround with bunsenlabs, which is a lightweight distro based on Debian. @codemonkeymike
@jakob_thoboell @codemonkeymike i’ll take a look at that. I never heard of bunsenlabs though
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@Zeddiria I have similar concerns. I went from MX21.3 to MX25, and noticed more RAM usage. It makes a difference on an 8th gen laptop.
The zram option upon install for MX25, helped tho. More should know about this, because of RAM/hard drive gouging going on now, and more recent distros like MX25, have updated drivers that help even 8th gen puters.
@numodular 8gen = intel i5 8. gen?
That is around 8-9 years old, how much RAM they have is very different, there were a wide range from 2 up to 16G common when they were new, they might be upgraded up to 64GB depending a bit, which is a lot more than the current entry-level class so "it depends"
But people here are advertising that linux is bloody fast on 15-20 year old System like fist gen i5 or even Core2Duo system which are the predecessor to i5, often with 1-2 GB of RAM
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@jakob_thoboell @codemonkeymike i’ll take a look at that. I never heard of bunsenlabs though
@candela it is a very oldschool debian based distro, focussing on lightweight setup. THere are also Systems like Q4os, which are very light.
@codemonkeymike -
@candela it is a very oldschool debian based distro, focussing on lightweight setup. THere are also Systems like Q4os, which are very light.
@codemonkeymike@candela there are tons of lightweight distros of similar type, which have been build based on debian. @codemonkeymike
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For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose. But working with the Computer Upcycle Project, I've seen the real choice is often Linux vs no computer at all.
~95% of donated computers are "too old" for Windows 11 or macOS. Linux installs on them anyway, adding 10+ years of life to machines #Microsoft and #Apple called trash.
This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste.
@codemonkeymike In a just world Microsoft executives and shareholders would be punished for the e-waste they are responsible for.
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@candela there are tons of lightweight distros of similar type, which have been build based on debian. @codemonkeymike
@jakob_thoboell @codemonkeymike I just found a 32-bit openSuse release that made an HP Notebook (2002, with XP) fly. Then I realized that I have no purpose for it. OpenSuse 11.2 installed like crazy but would it work on the internet? I have my doubts.
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@jakob_thoboell @codemonkeymike I just found a 32-bit openSuse release that made an HP Notebook (2002, with XP) fly. Then I realized that I have no purpose for it. OpenSuse 11.2 installed like crazy but would it work on the internet? I have my doubts.
@candela For Server Purposes, one can try Dietpi to.
@codemonkeymike -
@m1rk0 the full story makes windows look even worse. Trust me. I've worked with thousands of people over decades.
But if you're happy with windows. Awesome. I'm not here to convince people to switch.
@codemonkeymike No need to convince me. I have 2 current laptops with Linux/Windows and Linux/BSD, a Macbook with macOS and the 2015 laptop with Linux/Windows.
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@codemonkeymike What’s a good Linux distro for someone new to Linux?
@thegardendude @codemonkeymike
If you are used to Windows, #ZorinOS is really easy to use (https://zorin.com/os/).
It won't necessarily work on all computers though (like all Linix distributions I guess) so make sure to test it by running it from a USB stick before installing it! -
For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose. But working with the Computer Upcycle Project, I've seen the real choice is often Linux vs no computer at all.
~95% of donated computers are "too old" for Windows 11 or macOS. Linux installs on them anyway, adding 10+ years of life to machines #Microsoft and #Apple called trash.
This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste.
@codemonkeymike Typing this on an early 2006 macbook running LinuxMint 21 XFCE.
This macbook is so old that it does not run a full implementation UEFI and needed rEFIt to allow the computer to boot into Linux.
We have two 2008 macbooks also running the same OS that didn't need this workaround.
