Older computer and Linux

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mrmagoolew923

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Sep 9, 2014
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Hi, Folks,

This is my first post here, and I have a question about Linux. I have an older computer that has Windows Vista on it. I was thinking about trying Linux for my first time. I'm an old dude that doesn't understand a lot about computers. I was wondering if there was a Linux program that would work on my old computer, and that would work kind of like Windows, be easy to use or learn to use, and use some of my older Windows programs? Suggestions? Thanks, Lew
 
most of the linux distros available will work perfectly.
you would want to look for something like.
http://www.linuxmint.com/
http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop
http://zorin-os.com/
these linux distros are comfortable to use and work out of the box and are aimed for new users.
but as for your windows programs i am afraid you will not be able to run them nativel on linux.
what i mean is that if you pop in your cd and try to install office you might get pissed.
on most distributions there is a software center that contains software.there are a lot of free alternatives to windows aplications like libre office that comes preinstalled on most distributions.and if there is something you want to find you can search depending on what category you want.you want to install skype its just a button away.
before you install the operating system you whould want to check with some way how if preforms and if you like it.and see if everything works before you install it.most distributions can be launched in a live cd enviroment.the operating system is loaded onto the system ram and no changes are made to the operating system installed. you can browse the web and even work as you are installing.and thats if you want to install it.
use can even dual boot have windows and linux on the same laptop.but thats up to you.
hape this helps.
 
Hey Lew, I suggest you download an ISO from one of the links provided by Johnn93 and make a bootable usb thumb drive using Universal USB Installer. Once you make the thumb drive you can boot it and try the distribution without installing over Windows. It won't be as fast as running it off of your computers hard drive but it will allow you to see what it looks like (try before you buy).

I personally prefer Mint KDE. KDE is what they call a desktop environment (which there are many in the Linux world). It might be a little on the heavy side for resources but I've installed it on Vista machines before and it ran just fine. Some other environments that require less resources are LXDE and XFCE. Mint has a XFCE edition.

Good luck and be sure to post back what you are up to. I always like to hear about peoples adventures in Linux land!
 


 
How large of a usb stick would I need for Mint KDE? I was considering it anyway. I was also thinking of Zorin. I read an article here on Tom's Hardware, and it mentioned both of these and Knoppix as good for beginners. It also said that Zorin uses wine to run windows programs. I don't know if I read that wrong, misunderstood, or it's true. I've never seen Linux before, and just don't know what I'm getting myself in to.
 


A 4GB stick will work.

Pretty much any Linux distro can use WINE. But it does take some experience to gt it working.
 
I have a 2gig stick at home that I used to install Mint 17 KDE. I've never used Knoppix but my understanding was that it was not a good beginner distribution. I've always take such advice with a grain of salt though, every user is different.
 
I would second this option. I have used Lubuntu on an Athlon 64 X2 system with 1 gig of ram and it ran fine. LXDE is new to me but appears to to target a those want a light weight graphical environment while at the same time does not sacrifice preinstalled software.




 
Ehh LXDE is on its way out. Based on aging GTK2+, the developers have abandoned it/forked/merged with RazorQT (aka LXQT) instead if porting to GTK3+.

LXQT is really a better option, though its sort of in a beta state, but definitely usable. http://lxqt.org/

I just use openbox+tint2rc+plank+conky.
 
Hey if this is an older computer I highly recommend using xfce as your desktop enviroment as it's a very light DE and works great on all hardware, and if you're so used to Windows then maybe Cinnamon. So in that case I'd recommend Linux Mint as that comes with a lot of necessary software pre packaged and you can choose which DE before you even begin
 
I found mint hard to beat for a nice everyday os and easy to use but it all comes down to personal preference

there free to try if it not to your liking just chunk it and try the next with out that windows price tag sticking you each time
 


KDE might not run great on an older computer. It is known to be the most resource-intensive. I would try Mint-XFCE, Mint-Cinnamon, or Xubuntu.
 
Thanks, Guys, This is going to take a while for me to look at all the different OS that were suggested. I'm sure I'll have many more questions as time goes by. Many thanks to all of you. Lew
 
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