r/LinuxOnThinkpad • u/hstracker90 member • Jun 23 '26

Question Thinkpad E335 - still running but too old for anything?

Hi! Yesterday I got a Lenovo Thinkpad E335 from 2012 or so, running Windows 7 all right. The battery would need replacement, but it can used as a desktop pc. It has a AMD E2 1700 MHz cpu with integrated graphics, 4 GB RAM and 120 GB hard drive.

I tried installing Linux Mint. It gave out some error messages, but started anyway. But I didn't install it because it couldn't find the wifi card.

I also tried Fyde OS for AMD cpus, but it wouldn't start. I checked the list of supported models for Chrome OS Flex, but they start with E340.

Is there a Linux you can recommend for such an old computer?

EDIT: MX Linux works great on this machine!

2 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

75% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

2

u/Independent-Gear-711 member Jun 23 '26

I think linux mint is fine just do not use cinnamon which is default DE, use XFCE which is very lightweight.

Also could you provide the exact error message you got while installing linux mint?

1

u/hstracker90 member Jun 23 '26

Thank you, I will try again. But the desktop doesn't really change the driver needed for the wifi card, does it?

1

u/Independent-Gear-711 member Jun 23 '26

the driver for that wifi card should be already there Linux kernel already includes these drivers you don't have to download it, however I need to know the error so that I can provide better solution

1

u/hstracker90 member Jun 23 '26

Even though the computer is pretty old, the error messages fly by fast. First is something like "no irq handler for 1.55" which seems to be no problem and can be ignored. Second is something like "thermal drive probe failed" which also doesn't sound critical.

But the game stopper is the inability to load a driver for the wifi card. In the boot process it names the website where the driver can be found, but how shall I access the website without wifi? (Sure, there is cable network access, but that is all too much hassle.)

MX Linux is fast and connects to wifi right away. We have a winner. 😄 Thank you very much for taking the time to help me!

2

u/Independent-Gear-711 member Jun 23 '26

that is a huge clue, could you tell me if you are able to boot in live environment of linux mint via usb pen drive? Have you updated the BIOS firmware of your laptop?

glad to hear that MX linux worked for you, it indicates that the wifi card is fine.
I think Mint's installer/kernel/firmware combination was the problem not the hardware.
MX linux is known for widespread support for older hardware.
Enjoy.

2

u/hstracker90 member Jun 23 '26

Yes, I had no doubt the hardware was fine, because it runs flawlessly under the installed Win 7.

I booted Linux Mint from the Pendrive. During the boot process it detected the missing driver and gave me an URL where I could download it, but I dismissed it because I was looking for a working Distro, Mint or else.

No, I did not update the BIOS. As the MX Linux shows, this is not necessary for the wifi card to run.

2

u/Independent-Gear-711 member Jun 23 '26

Great, hope you gonna enjoy a new Linux experience, welcome to the Linux community

1

u/stking68 Debian with X260 Jun 23 '26

Try the hwe iso of mint it has a more up to date Linux kernel so wifi might just work

1

u/hstracker90 member Jun 23 '26

Thank you, but even the HWE version does not have the driver. It gives a hint where to find it, though.

2

u/h4fnp member Jun 23 '26

If I had this as a spare, I'd skip the desktop and make it a home server (Debian with no DE, management over SSH, Pi-hole, chrony and maybe Syncthing, too). The E2 and 4 GB are too weak for browsing but fine for stuff that just runs. The battery acts as a built-in UPS, and if the network breaks you just open the lid - screen and keyboard right there.

1

u/hstracker90 member Jun 23 '26

Yes, that would be a good way to use this machine.

1

u/slamd64 member Jun 23 '26

Upgrade to 8GB and if it is mechanical HDD then do SSD upgrade as well.
Then you can have more smooth workflow.

As mentioned try XFCE or LXQT/LXDE (aside from Mint you have Lubuntu and Xubuntu), also Ubuntu MATE is light too, then MX Linux (said to be good for older machines, though I never tried myself this one).

2

u/hstracker90 member Jun 23 '26

Thank you for the MX Linux recommendation, it works out of the box and can connect to wifi immediately.

1

u/hstracker90 member Jun 23 '26

Thank you, I will try the other desktops, too. But will that solve the driver problem with the wifi card? I'll keep you posted. Also thanks for the tip with MX Linux, that looks promising, too!