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Modest laptop arriving, what new Linux distribution should I try?
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this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2026
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I have a Lenovo Flex 2 15, which has an i3, 1080p display with intel graphics (although it's a 15" display) and upgraded to 16 GB of RAM
I use AntiX/MX Linux bc they're made with lower spec/older systems in mind. I started with AntiX-core to keep everything as lightweight (not a ton of background processes = low memory usage, low cpu usage) as possible
I use Sway bc 1. It's more lightweight than a full DE, and 2. Keyboard navigation is a must for laptops (trackpads only exist to inflict pain and misery on the world)
A couple great things about this setup is that it rarely overheats (as long as I keep it to a couple tasks at a time), and the battery can last for a 2 hours if I forget to plug it in
Even if you don't end up going with any of these suggestions, please take this to heart: never stop tweaking your system. You end up learning so much about it, and every little change makes it feel all that much more special to you
Added to the list. I've been considering mxlinux, but went with lubuntu's lxqt for experimenting recently. I make a podcast called Linux Prepper, where I've been exploring such setups.