I have a laptop from 2014 and I’m thinking of installing Kubuntu or Arch. I don’t know much about linux but the computer is not important and is damaged so I can screw it What would you recommend? I’m thinking of something customizable (Arch) but easy to use (so Kubuntu is a good option)

If the English is not good, blame the translator 😃👍

I have the minimum requirements for both.

Edit: The computer isn’t suposed for be a daily driver. And thanks for the replies.

Edit 2: I use Kubuntu btw

  • Eugenia@lemmy.mlEnglish
    1·
    1 month ago

    If you’re new, you should go with Linux Mint. It works great, and provides sane GUIs and defaults for everything, unlike most other distros. For a newbie, it’s the best decision. I’ve personally have had 5 people on Mint so far, who were originally unhappy that I formatted away their Windows partition when I told them that “I will fix it for ya” (when they came to me with their laptop because I’m a computer person), but they came to all love Mint. They said “why wasn’t I using this before?”.

    I use Linux since 1998, and I still use Mint. Sure, I have other distros installed (Debian-Testing is my default on my desktop, many other distros on my various laptops), but Mint is the one I use the most. It just works. Just because I know how to fix something in the command line doesn’t mean I want to spend time doing it, GUIs are just fine!

    In fact, I’m able to easily deliver both the MacOS and the Windows look, to lure new users in with Mint, haha: https://mastodon.social/@eugenialoli/114653608461737248

  • procapra@lemmy.ml
    1·
    1 month ago

    Anyone suggesting a rolling release distro to you is setting you up for failure, especially on a 2014 laptop that will absolutely not benefit from it.

    Use Linux Mint. It’s still Linux, you can still break it customize it as much as you want.

    edit: Y’all are absolutely insane to downvote this when we are talking about a NEW linux user using a 11 year old laptop.

    • alexei_1917 [mirror/your pronouns]@hexbear.netEnglish
      2·
      1 day ago

      I’d suggest AntiX, as it’s great for crappy hardware and a personal favourite of mine, but seeing as I chose Mint for my first distro that stayed installed more than a day, after I broke AntiX and couldn’t figure out what I even broke or how to fix it… (don’t ask who recommended that as a beginner distro to my clueless self…) yeah. Mint. Maybe go with XFCE or something rather than Cinnamon, modern DEs take up a lot of resources on an already chugging shitbox.

      • procapra@lemmy.ml
        2·
        6 hours ago

        I support the antix project for sure, but non-systemd can be a lil tough. Not that other init systems are inherently more difficult, just systemd is far more standardized/widely used and that helps with troubleshooting.

        In general, following as many standards and defaults as you can is helpful when learning. Debian, Ubuntu LTS, RHEL, SUSE, and anything most things derivative of them. All get a person used to a certain set of commands and software, all have sane defaults, and all are stable.

        • alexei_1917 [mirror/your pronouns]@hexbear.netEnglish
          1·
          4 hours ago

          Yep. Standards are definitely useful. Stick to the standards. If you don’t know enough to know why you’d want something counter to the standard thing, then you don’t need to be messing with that thing.

  • mystic-macaroni@lemmy.ml
    1·
    1 month ago

    I would caution against Arch. I don’t think it breaks as often as people suggest, but you may run into a problem like steam not loading when you want to play something with your friends. That gaming session is shot unless you can fix it on the fly. After a few years you will, but you need to balance those kinds of growing pains against doing something you want to do in the moment. Don’t expect it to work the way you expect every time.

  • roux [they/them, xe/xem]@hexbear.netEnglish
    1·
    1 month ago

    I don’t think regular Arch is the best for new Linux users at all but their are a few Arch based distros with graphical installers.

    I’d you are trfh savvy, the Arch install process should be ok though.

    Of the 2 you suggested, u would go with Kubuntu. KDE is a very popular desktop environment and Ubuntu is solid. I’ve moved distros quite a bit but always go back to Ubuntu-based. I’ve been on Mint for the last 6 or so years.