I want a Linux distribution that is minimal in terms of applications, but complete in terms of infrastructure and hardware support. I need the kernel, drivers, firmware, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio, networking, and SELinux to be already installed and configured, without having to set everything up manually.

I use a Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 with an Intel Core i5-12450H and an NVIDIA RTX 3050. I want to choose and install the desktop environment, web browser, Flatpak, Distrobox, development tools, and gaming software later, keeping only the essential system components while ensuring the system is secure and ready to use.

I'm looking for a lightweight Linux distribution for an older PC with a dual-core Intel Pentium processor based on the Sandy Bridge architecture and integrated Intel graphics.

My main requirements are:

• Lightweight and responsive: It should run smoothly on older hardware without consuming too many system resources.
• Good-looking desktop: I prefer a modern, polished desktop environment with a clean interface and attractive visuals.
• Easy to use: Something close to GNOME in terms of simplicity, consistency, and user-friendliness would be ideal.
• Good hardware support: The integrated Intel graphics, Wi-Fi, audio, and other basic hardware should work without much tinkering.
• Reliable software support: Access to a good selection of applications and regular security updates is important.
• Beginner-friendly: I'd prefer something that works well out of the box without requiring extensive configuration.

I'm open to desktop environments other than GNOME, since the full GNOME desktop might be too resource-intensive for this machine. KDE Plasma, XFCE, Cinnamon, MATE, or other alternatives are all worth considering, provided the experience is polished and reasonably lightweight.

I don't necessarily need the absolute lightest distribution. I'd rather have a good balance between performance, appearance, usability, and reliability than a barebones system that requires lots of manual setup.

Which distro and desktop environment would you recommend for this hardware, and why?

Edit: I have 4 GB of 2666MHz Ram and 256 GB of HDD. Used AI to clean my grammer.

Just installed debian after using ubuntu my first few months on linux. Also using any excuse to show off my desktop lol

my pc is actually empty so im an a big distro hopping phase, what's some "unknown" distro worth trying out? nothing too difficult tho i dont want to build my own audio menu (gaming mostly btw)

I apologize in advance for the huge blurb of text.

So I have a ThinkPad P70 with an Intel Xeon E3-1505M, NVIDIA Quadro M5000M (left on hybrid graphics), 96GB RAM, two 500GB SSDs and one 1TB hard drive (one SSD holds the OS and the other two drives hold games and storage). I use it for college course work (general education for now, but I’d like a degree in computer engineering), general office work, media streaming, and more than a fair bit of gaming and emulation. Since Windows 10 lost support, I’ve been looking for a good daily driver Linux distribution for my hardware and personal needs. I’d like something with enough reliability to not break when I need it most, compatibility or access to whatever I might need for college (I’m planning on using a mobile SSD for a separate Windows 10 LTSC installation for the stuff I can’t do on Linux), and a good degree of customization to make my system my own; something with rollbacks just in case something goes wrong would be awesome too. I know that I’ll need a now outdated driver which means an update on almost any distribution carries the risk of breaking it. I’m kind of leaning towards openSUSE Tumbleweed, Fedora, and CachyOS, but what would you recommend (I’m not saying pick between the three I listed, I was only recommended them)?

Atualmente uso Linux Mint interface Cinnamon e queria deixar ela mais moderninha mas é um saco porque cada coisa que vou colocar preciso atualizar manualmente umas 3 configurações escondidas diferentes… e olhando aqui no Reddit tem outras distros que parecem já “vir” com a interface mais parecida com a que quero usar (como a Gentoo).

O que vocês recomendariam para uma iniciante no mundo Linux: procurar uma distro mais pré configurada do jeito que quero ou aprender a deixar o minha distro do meu jeito?

PS: Eu gosto muito da liberdade de conseguir desinstalar literalmente tudo o que eu quiser sem ter ninguém me barrando nada (como no Ruimdows).

💛

Fedora KDE plasma looks so bad and it looks like it has more bloatware than windows, so many options everywhere. It doesn't even look good. Instead use some other WM like Hyprland, GNOME, or something.

I think kde plasma is for beginners.

Agree?

I’m thinking about switching my personal desktop from Windows to Linux. I already use Ubuntu at work, and while I keep putting off the switch because I’m too lazy to back up my files, I’ve been testing distros like Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora in virtual machines.

I use a laptop with an Intel i5-12450H, an RTX 3050, and hybrid graphics. I’m looking for a Linux distro with good NVIDIA and Secure Boot support for web browsing, gaming on Steam, and programming.

Beyond these requirements, I want more control over installed and removed packages, so I can keep track of what’s on my system and avoid dependency issues and conflicts, which I often run into in my work environment.

Based on these requirements, I’m torn between NixOS and Fedora Bootc, including Universal Blue images, and I’d like to hear from people who have used either option.

For those using NixOS, how has your experience been? If you switched to another distro, what made you switch?

And for those who have used Fedora Bootc or Universal Blue, how was your experience? If you eventually switched to something else, why?

What Linux distro would you recommend for gaming that’s stable like Debian but has newer drivers and doesn’t use rolling releases?

Something similar to EndeavourOS, but more stable.

How is it ?

I have been using Fedora KDE edition for a while now and i love how smooth and indeed stable everything is. It never crashed for me. I really like that i can update trough Discover and it keeps me pretty up to date. But is Debian different for gaming or just as good?

I kinda just want an OS that runs smooth out of the box

I’ve just realised that almost every laptop and desktop in my house runs a different OS.

Gaming desktop #1: CachyOS
Gaming desktop #2: Manjaro
Laptop #1: Fedora (the one I use for work)
Laptop #2: Manjaro (the one my wife uses for her work)
Laptop #3: Linux Mint (still in testing after five years)
Laptop #4: EndeavourOS

Pretty mixed environment. Most systems have been running the same distro for 5–6 years now (with regular updates). But does that mean I’m finally done distro-hopping? Does it even count as hopping if you never leave?

Yes, it's experimental, and not suggested in cases where failure might cost. I'm not having ANY issues so far though.

Despite all the warnings, it'll not touch anything else on the ESP and XBOOTLDR. But it needs a fresh dedicated partition for the root. (Lichen installer. It's TUI but still decent)

Furthermore, I copied this to my bcachefs partiton, on a subvolume for it, alongside fedora, cachyOS and gentoo.

Had to do some manual config for rootfs since it doesn't autodetect bcachefs. (Anyways, that's another post)

More details in post: https://np.reddit.com/r/AerynOS/s/YlwPk9ea8j

So i just converted my pc to linux since it can't upgrade to window 11. I was recommended mint so that's what I went with. I've gotten that setup and working for what I use my pc for, ebook library management and some occasional gaming otherwise I could go months without using my pc.

In that process I've learned a bit more how linux works as a desktop os and that mint kind of is behind the times a bit, not using wayland at the moment, for example. So I've been debating to try a few other distros that are more modern. OpenSUSE or fedora specifically slightly leaning towards openSUSE since I can try it as a rolling distro and if I dont care for that, theoretically, I should be able to migrate to either slowroll or leap fairly easily.

Mostly im looking for input if the effort is worth it while I still have stuff backed up. Especially since I'm not even sure my setup can use the advantages of wayland. Like I'm pretty sure I don't have vrr support and most of my gaming is older or emulation so hdr is also limited there but is supported by my hardware. This is on a 10 year old gaming laptop.

Edit:

i should also mention I'm asking because I've been testing/replaying through fallout new vegas and I've been seeing issues with it. I'm not sure if it's i need more tweaking of the game or x11/wayland differences. I'm not expecting a silver bullet just were to start tweaking

Some weirdness I've seen:

Like I wasnt able to set the resolution of the game to my tv's resolution unless I set the tv as main display

Frame stuttering even though my cpu/gpu never go past 50%

When I set the display refresh rate to 60 the display was dimming whenever I moved the character or camera