Best distro for two old computers

[chinchilla]

Hi, I'd like to get to work a couple of old computers. One is a Macbook 2006 (Running Snow Leopard 10.6.8, 2.0 GHz, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB HD), and the other one a Mini netbook Dell inspiron 10 (Running Windows XP, Intel Atom Z530 1.6 GHz; RAM 1 GB; 160 GB HD). I once tried to install Ubuntu in the netbook, but WIFI didn't work. I'd like to try running an OS from a bootable USB drive. Can you suggest the best distros for both? Thanks in advance.

 

[Vrai]

Hi, I'd like to get to work a couple of old computers. One is a Macbook 2006 (Running Snow Leopard 10.6.8, 2.0 GHz, Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB HD), and the other one a Mini netbook Dell inspiron 10 (Running Windows XP, Intel Atom Z530 1.6 GHz; RAM 1 GB; 160 GB HD). I once tried to install Ubuntu in the netbook, but WIFI didn't work. I'd like to try running an OS from a bootable USB drive. Can you suggest the best distros for both? Thanks in advance.

I installed Linux Lite on a MacBook very similar to that. It may have been a 2009 but the hardware specs look about the same. Linux Lite runs very well on it. (I couldn't get the OS updated from Apple so I wiped the drive and installed Linux.)

The last time I installed a Linux distro on my Acer Aspire One D250-1085 netbook it was Manjaro.
Worked quite well actually.
That was quite some time ago. I don't know how well it would run on such a low powered machine these days. When I reinstall a distro on it I will most likely look for one of the Linux distros optimized for older low power machines. Perhaps Linux Lite 32 bit or AntiX.
Acer Aspire One
D250-1085
Intel Atom N270 / 1.6 GHz
Mobile Intel 945GSE Express
667 MHz 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Graphics Processor Intel GMA 950
5400 rpm HDD

 

[LorenDB]

Puppy Linux is really lightweight.

16 Best Lightweight Linux Distributions for Older Computers

Don’t throw your old computer just yet. Use a lightweight Linux distro and revive that decades-old system.

itsfoss.com

 

[chinchilla]

I just read a tutorial that states Linux Mint Mate 19 can run on both machines (64 bit for the old Mac, 32 bit for the Mini Dell). I tried to make a bootable USB for both via my current Mac using Disk Utility, erase with Fat 32, then make the bootable disc with Etcher and I keep getting error messages that the disc (the USB) is not mountable or is unreadable. I tried with two USBs. Will my experience with Linux always be like this? Lol.

 

[LorenDB]

Try Unetbootin, Diskmaker X, Rosa image writer, Deepin boot maker, or dd.

 

[chinchilla]

Try Unetbootin, Diskmaker X, Rosa image writer, Deepin boot maker, or dd.

Ok. Will post if I'm successful.

 

[LorenDB]

There are a few other similar programs, but one of those should work.