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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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x86/32bit to try on an old Acer one nettop intel atom CPU N270 @ 1.60GHz 2GB ram (lemmy.ml)

submitted 2 months ago by Babalugats@lemmy.ml to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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I was just given an old nettop from I think around 2010 - An old Acer one nettop intel atom CPU N270 @ 1.60GHz 2GB ram, it has Windows XP on it and it seems fairly smooth/quick, but I haven't done anything other than boot it up and check the spec. I was wondering what would be best to install on it and found that choices are very limited. Linux Lite nor Lubuntu seem to be an option anymore, and almost all of the options I tried under x86_x64 on Distrowatch no longer provide an x86 or 32 bit version. These are the main ones I have seen:

Damn Small Linux (DSL) - https://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

Puppy Linux - https://puppylinux-woof-ce.github.io/

AntiX Linux - https://antixlinux.com/

CachyOS - https://cachyos.org/

Tiny Core Linux - http://www.tinycorelinux.net/

Maybe a couple of others, but could anyone recommend the best option or maybe a couple that would be best and any ideas as to what may be the best use for it? Practicing coding? Just browsing? Etc. I think it may be between DSL and Puppy, but I am hoping to hear any others and will happily try them all. Linux Mint and Debian keep coming up in searches but unless I am missing something, I don't see anything about x86/32bit versions in the latest versions.

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[–] st3ph3n@midwest.social 3 points 2 months ago

x64-compatible CPUs have been the norm for a very long time now, which is why most modern distros have dropped support for older 32-bit x86-only CPUs. Debian dropped it with Debian 13, so anything based on that - think Ubuntu, Mint, and others, would be in the same boat. 2GB of RAM would be pretty performance-limiting on most modern distros too.

That's one of the reasons why things like Tiny Core and Puppy exist, though. Specifically for old/slow-by-today's-standards systems. I haven't used any of them because I'm not running anything that old, and I quite like modern KDE. I saw an Action Retro video on youtube the other day where he got Tiny Core running on a Pentium 133 with 128MB of RAM, lol.