Linux for Laptop

[Joom]

I don't understand why all of you are suggesting such an archaic distribution as Arch. Sure it's great for hobbyists that have time to fuck around with it, but for a production box (IE, something reliable for school) Arch is not a good idea due to it being bleeding edge. It's an incredibly volatile system. I'd honestly recommend BunsenOS (formerly Crunchbang). It's built on Debian, which is a sturdy distribution, and it comes with a pre configured Openbox environment which is much less resource intensive than any DE. Also, don't screw around with Ubuntu or the many derivatives of it. I'd go into a long winded rant on that steaming pile but maybe for another day.

Good point but
-Partition editing isn't too risky, shrink the windows one and make a Linux one, simple.
-Live USBs perform slightly differently to a proper install depending on the USB.

They only act differently if you choose not to use a Casper partition, which is what retains data after a reboot. However, this is still really unreliable and a dangerous thing to use for this scenario.

 

[jurassicplayer]

My arch laptop was reliable...and it still is.
It's a set up once, and then never think about it. Unless you do things like install ncmpcpp-git from the AUR and then constantly forget that you need to rebuild it manually because otherwise it doesn't know where your boost libraries are. I haven't had to do shit on my Arch partition in years and I'm a person that updates it whenever I'm just passing time because I can't think of anything better to do.

It's about as volatile as a brick. Plus, when weird freaky dark magic shit like when ncmpcpp-git can't find your boost libraries, you actually might know what the fuck happened.

 

[Joom]

My arch laptop was reliable...and it still is.
It's a set up once, and then never think about it. Unless you do things like install ncmpcpp-git from the AUR and then constantly forget that you need to rebuild it manually because otherwise it doesn't know where your boost libraries are. I haven't had to do shit on my Arch partition in years and I'm a person that updates it whenever I'm just passing time because I can't think of anything better to do.

It's about as volatile as a brick. Plus, when weird freaky dark magic shit like when ncmpcpp-git can't find your boost libraries, you actually might know what the fuck happened.

Bullshit. I guarantee that if you've had the same install for years then you ran into a major headache with the systemd migration, and if you chose to stick with init scripts then you have multiple headaches a day. Arch is designed to change dramatically overnight, and this is where the volatility comes from. Again, this is not optimal for something meant to be productive. You can't compare something that has had multiple kernel updates alone in a week to a brick.

 

[gnmmarechal]

I like Ubuntu, and Ubuntu MATE. It looks good enough for me, and is enough for me. Works fine on my laptop, fans don't even run, as opposed to Windows that makes it overheat in less than 20 minutes...



However, more people know more about this than me.


@Crystal the Glaceon , I summon thee!

 

[Joom]

I like Ubuntu, and Ubuntu MATE. It looks good enough for me, and is enough for me. Works fine on my laptop, fans don't even run, as opposed to Windows that makes it overheat in less than 20 minutes...



However, more people know more about this than me.


@Crystal the Glaceon , I summon thee!

Ubuntu is unnecessary bloat. Actually, any system that uses aptitude installs a lot of unnecessary crap, but the problem with Ubuntu is Canonical and how they add their spin on applications. If you use Ubuntu's package manager to install something, then you decide you want a newer version not yet available in Ubuntu's repositories, then you are going to be greeted with dependency hell. You also should never use their provided drivers. They're a complete clusterfuck and tend to be fairly out of date.

 

[gnmmarechal]

Ubuntu is unnecessary bloat. Actually, any system that uses aptitude installs a lot of unnecessary crap, but the problem with Ubuntu is Canonical and how they add their spin on applications. If you use Ubuntu's package manager to install something, then you decide you want a newer version not yet available in Ubuntu's repositories, then you are going to be greeted with dependency hell. You also should never use their provided drivers. They're a complete clusterfuck and tend to be fairly out of date.

Well, Ubuntu Mate works well enough for me.

Sent from my cave of despair where I collect souls

 

[Enlapse]

Well, if you want another opinion, I tried many Linux distros (mostly for school purpouses) and by far, the best I used was Lubuntu or Debian LXDE. Lubuntu, for example, is running at my dad's desktop that is absolutely rubbish and you know what? It works great. No freezes, no lags... It just uses about a 20-25mb.

Actually, depending on what you're doing at school, you can just use the plain mode (CTRL+F4 if i'm not wrong) and work there, that will absolutely cause no troubles and if you're used to it, you'll find it even better than the graphic mode (unless you need it to work). For example, if you need a text editor, you can use "nano [routeOfTheFile]" and there you go. You can edit it like if you were in graphical mode.

This is just an example that you don't necessarily need graphic mode. Only for graphic purpouses. I use the plain mode most of the time (I only use Linux to work, to be honest, and mostly everything I use is nano for work).

Summarizing:
If you want a graphic mode, Lubuntu or Debian LXDE is by far one of the best options you have (even don't liking ubuntu, to be honest). Otherwise, almost you can use the plain mode in (every?) Linux distro.

 

[vincentx77]

I have another suggestion, and it's probably going to get some hate, but here goes. If you can put a bit of money down, and obviously the amount would depend on what you could afford and what your needs are, but switching out the hdd for an ssd makes a massive difference in the way Windows 10 performs. My mother had a craptastic i3, which was very slow and an absolute nightmare to do anything with under Windows, and when I switched out her hdd for an ssd, it complete felt like a different machine. Everything became almost instant. Nothing froze. Linux will be a bit better, because it's overall lighter, but once you start doing something heavy, you're probably going to feel the weight of that crappy laptop hdd again. Making a $100 investment in a 500gb ssd will make your computer faster than most $1500 laptops that don't have an ssd (at least, in non-gaming tasks). Again, just something to think about before going nuclear and leaving Windows behind. I have nothing against Linux, but I've never felt as though it had enough support and apps for it to ever be my primary OS, especially during my college days.

 

[gnmmarechal]

I have another suggestion, and it's probably going to get some hate, but here goes. If you can put a bit of money down, and obviously the amount would depend on what you could afford and what your needs are, but switching out the hdd for an ssd makes a massive difference in the way Windows 10 performs. My mother had a craptastic i3, which was very slow and an absolute nightmare to do anything with under Windows, and when I switched out her hdd for an ssd, it complete felt like a different machine. Everything became almost instant. Nothing froze. Linux will be a bit better, because it's overall lighter, but once you start doing something heavy, you're probably going to feel the weight of that crappy laptop hdd again. Making a $100 investment in a 500gb ssd will make your computer faster than most $1500 laptops that don't have an ssd (at least, in non-gaming tasks). Again, just something to think about before going nuclear and leaving Windows behind. I have nothing against Linux, but I've never felt as though it had enough support and apps for it to ever be my primary OS, especially during my college days.

Not really needed. My old Pentium M laptop is working just fine without me spending money, because I just installed Lubuntu on it. It's unnecessary to get an SSD, especially when the user's willing to change OS. Not to mention, an SSD will not necessarily make Windows work better. You can't just decide his issue is the HDD. Hell, I've been using HDDs on the majority of my computers, and they all work fine. Sure, SSDs are faster, but not necessary for a smooth Windows experience.
Say, were you to tell me "swap your HDD for an SSD" on my old HP laptop (which is currently running Lubuntu), I'd say that makes no sense. My HDD works perfectly fine as it is, but Windows insists in being laggy and overheating. That laptop has an A4-3300M and 6GB of RAM, by the way.
It'd make no sense for me to buy an SSD if all I want is for the computer not to be laggy and overheating when I'm just navigating the internet. There's no point in wasting money with an SSD when I can try something free first, which will probably affect performance more.

 

[vincentx77]

can't just decide his issue is the HDD. Hell, I've been using HDDs on the majority of my computers, and they all work fine. Sure, SSDs are faster, but not necessary for a smooth Windows experience.

Look, 99% of the time, a fairly new machine that's struggling with web browsing and light tasks has a slow hdd. Compound that with the demands that WIndows 10 places on a machine, and a few poorly chosen pieces of software can make a good computer run horribly. No, I can't say for 100% certain that an ssd will fix all his problems, make all his dreams come true, make him shit rainbows and get him laid. I have seen copied and pasted partions from hdds onto ssds fix exactly what he's describing multiple times. I also suggested that it was one possible solution, and it's definitely a good one for someone who doesn't want to give up on the Windows ecosystem. That's all. If you're not going to use it for much, the Linux people have a point. It's a question of needs and what he, at the end of the day, would rather do.

 

[Seriel]

Look, 99% of the time, a fairly new machine that's struggling with web browsing and light tasks has a slow hdd. Compound that with the demands that WIndows 10 places on a machine, and a few poorly chosen pieces of software can make a good computer run horribly. No, I can't say for 100% certain that an ssd will fix all his problems, make all his dreams come true, make him shit rainbows and get him laid. I have seen copied and pasted partions from hdds onto ssds fix exactly what he's describing multiple times. I also suggested that it was one possible solution, and it's definitely a good one for someone who doesn't want to give up on the Windows ecosystem. That's all. If you're not going to use it for much, the Linux people have a point. It's a question of needs and what he, at the end of the day, would rather do.

If it's anything like my laptop, just replace the shitty old HDD with a £30 one with twice the storage and a semi-decent speed compared to the old one. No need to shell out the cash for an ssd.

 

[The Catboy]

My suggestions really vary best on your level of experience.
If you are new and watch something that looks rather modern and works on pretty much every piece of hardware, then I suggest Linux Mint Cinnamon. Mint has the benefit of being based on Ubuntu, but with most of the bloat removed and better features added. As well installing non-free drivers is extremely easy, which is a plus of AMD computers.
I also suggest checking out Manjaro, which basically Arch Linux meets Linux Mint. You have all the benefits of Arch Linux and AUR, but Manjaro team actually all packages from upstream before releasing them. This means you won't be bothered with nearly as many updates, but the updates you do get are tested and safe.
If you want something that looks really modern, then I suggest checking out Chakra OS or KaOS. Both are KDE focused distros with AMD in mind, coupled with being fast and modern. I personally suggest Chakra OS if you want a little more software since Chakra still ships with 32-Bit applications like Steam and Wine. But KaOS also has the benefit of being a lot faster and lot more up to date without being unstable.

Now of course if your hardware is real dick and has issues with Linux, then I suggest either Sabayon Linux or Chapeau Linux, since both have amazing hardware detection.
And here's other ones I like
openSUSE: I have been using openSUSE Leap for the past month on my AMD laptop. Work amazingly well actually and even when I wasn't using my full GPU power. I had little to no issues with gaming on it. I would only suggest this if you are willing to tinker a bit more to get everything to work perfectly.

elementary OS: Is a rock solid distro, that is both amazing to look at and use.

Zorin OS: Linux for Windows users.

antergos: A shiny pre-made Arch Linux distro with desktop usage in mind.

 

[SAIYAN48]

Ok, my main drive is an SSD. I did redo Windows from what Dell had, when I got the SSD. I don't have lots of programs on it either, so I think its the cpu causing the problems. I might try Mint again, I played around with it in a vm.

Thanks for all your input!

 

[nxwing]

If Windows 10 came pre-installed, do a fresh install of Windows 10. Most pre-installed copies Windows 10 come with bloat from the OEM.

Otherwise, get a good Linux distro recommended by others.

 

[SAIYAN48]

Already did a full install of Windows for anniversary update in August.

 

[XavyrrVaati]

My very bad craptop when nuts when I tried the windows 10 update. So I put Lubuntu on it. Worked great. Replaced the HDD with an SSD. It truly performs read and writes so much faster that the entire OS feels much faster. Though that's from a slow HDD to an SSD meant for servers

 

[hii915]

Arch/Manjaro i have been using for 6+ months and no issues and i love it.
Would recommend manjaro for a new linux user

 

[FaTaL_ErRoR]

For college, I have a Dell Inspiron 15 5000 laptop with an AMD 1-10 processor and 8 GB of ram. Currently, Windows 10 is installed on it. When I use it, sometimes it just freezes up and I have to restart it. Does anyone know of a good Linux distro that won't eat up as many resources but still has nice visuals to it?

Thanks!

Hello OP, so you say it is freezing up? I've been there myself. Before we get carried away here lets fix your windows problem then lets set up dual boot on linux. First, download this and run it as admin. https://sourceforge.net/projects/hjt/
This is a free antimalware. It's also about as good as they get. You will have to check everything to fix/delete. Just check all of it. Pretty straight forward right? Check them all and print copy then post the results here. (this way I can tell you if anything found would cause your freeze issue)
If this solves your problems then great. Lets move on to getting dual boot linux.
If you are new to linux (since you are asking which is best you probably are) then you will do best installing this. https://ubuntu-mate.org/download/
It is probably the best distro for laptops and it's ubuntu so very user friendly. And you get the use of ubuntu forums which has some of the best people over there. And here is the cool thing about linux and a heavily supported distro. If you in turn do not like mate all you have to do is sudo apt-get install xfce-desktop (or lxde-desktop, or gnome-desktop, or kde-desktop) I think with this latest ubuntu you can simply put sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop or whatever your flavor. Then when you are at the login splash screen you can select the icon on the upper right part of your screen and change the desktop environment to whatever you have installed. And everything you have downloaded or have saved on that distro stays.
You just get a different evironment to use. Start with a flavor of ubuntu until you get a good feel for linux and if you so choose you can install a different distro later. (personally I remain on ubuntu becasue lets face it it's all linux and everything made for any linux distro can be fitted for your distro, just may take a little coding)
That all being said I am here and can help you the whole way through this if needed. Just post here and lets get you all fixed up.

 

[Joom]

Actually your comment is complete bullshit. Because I too have ran Arch setups for extremely long periods of time.
If anything, your comment shows that you've never actually used Arch Linux before and are most likely repeating what you've read about it.

Spoiler: Quite

That's from three years ago. Shall I go further back? I've had roughly a decade's worth of experience with Linux and other UNIX like operating systems. I've seen some shit and know what I'm talking about. What I'm saying doesn't come from arrogance though, but rather said experience. Even the Arch developers recommend not to use it for production machines. Again, it's awesome if you're a hobbyist. I think it's an awesome distro (and I think pacman is the best package manager). I also love the AUR and ABS respectively. However, I do not think it should be used for a school laptop unless the OP is highly experienced with Linux systems and doesn't mind fixing issues as they arise, and they will. Also, you should check out CRUX (the distro Arch is based off of) some day if you like it so much.

 

[The Catboy]

Spoiler: Quite

That's from three years ago. Shall I go further back? I've had roughly a decade's worth of experience with Linux and other UNIX like operating systems. I've seen some shit and know what I'm talking about. What I'm saying doesn't come from arrogance though, but rather said experience. Even the Arch developers recommend not to use it for production machines. Again, it's awesome if you're a hobbyist. I think it's an awesome distro (and I think pacman is the best package manager). I also love the AUR and ABS respectively. However, I do not think it should be used for a school laptop unless the OP is highly experienced with Linux systems and doesn't mind fixing issues as they arise, and they will. Also, you should check out CRUX (the distro Arch is based off of) some day if you like it so much.

Fair enough, I was wrong and I take back my comment. I do apologize.
CRUX is one distro I've had on my list to test and yet continue to have hardware that has a hard time supporting it.
My last laptop was an AMD laptop and it would just fail to boot. So I tried everything and it would continued to fail. Even a few months back when the hardware was old and every distro under the sun was supporting it, it continued to fail for me.
Then tests on my Chromebook came back with mixed results. Often times the touchpad would fail on it or it would fail to boot.
I haven't tested it on my current laptop because the continued history of me failing with it has left me pretty burned out.
I had the same issues with Slackware as well.
I may just give it a try on my next day off though.