Download Linux to a thumb drive to install laptop

SuperBee

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Hi all,
I am new to Linux, would appreciate if anyone could guide me how to download Linux to thumbdrive and install into an old laptop. Currently this laptop can't access internet.

Type: Laptop
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo CPU [email protected]
Memory : 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Hard disk : 160 GB HDD

Thanks a lot.
 


G'day again SuperBee.

Do you have any idea how long the laptop will be without internet.

The reason I ask is because as soon as the Linux is installed it will want to update. It will run ok without the updates for a while, but considering the updates will consist of Security updates as well as some software updates etc, it would be a good thing to be able to connect to the internet periodically.

If the location the internet is in makes connecting hard/impossible, then a 'Personal Hotspot' can be set up in order to connect to internet via a mobile phone.

2GB of Ram will be a slightly limiting factor, but there are some distros that will handle that ok.

Have you looked at any particular Linux distros ?
 
There are many guides, and I'd likely pick one and follow it.

Lubuntu is a distribution of GNU/Linux that I'm involved with, so I'll provide their manual; which has a section in it that maybe helpful


The link I provided is for the latest stable release, ie. 21.10 (the 2021-October release), which is not a LTS or long-term-support release, so you'll need to release-upgrade it middle of next year, then you'll be using the LTS release (ie. 22.04 which gets released in 2022-April).

I use a device I tag in QA-testing (QA=Quality Assurance) as

`lenovo thinkpad sl510 (c2d-t6570, 2gb ram, i915)`

which is somewhat like yours in specs. It's been used to test all recent Ubuntu family products (esp. Lubuntu, but also Xubuntu & others too).

I've also used the device in QA-testing Debian releases too (eg. Debian Buster(10), Bullseye(11); I can't recall if I had it for prior releases.. It actually has installed Lubuntu 20.04 LTS (ie. the latest LTS release), but also has Xubuntu/Xfce on it too (so I can decide which I'll use when I login).

How to download & install - I'll refer back to the Lubuntu Manual I already provided. Even if you don't use Lubuntu, I'd hope the manual is a guide that would apply to any; but other distributions have their own manual (some are better than others of course) - so give it a try.

Lubuntu uses LXQt and the Qt5 toolkit; so it'll be best with Qt5 apps. With 2GB I do consider the applications with regards what desktop is best; why my box has Xubuntu installed on it too (it's GTK3 based; so if I want to use GTK3 apps - I can login using Xfce which may give better performance).

Beyond resources - there are always our tastes that influence what's best for us; but with 2GB of RAM I'd really consider the RAM. I have to use the sl510 differently to how I use my primary desktop due to the small RAM it has.

I'm typing this on a 2009 dell desktop; but I don't worry about the libraries/toolkits etc. on this box - as it's got 8GB of RAM; but it's a real consideration when you've got <4GB in my opinion (esp. 3GB or less!). This is complexity that will likely turn you off (sorry), but the same applies in the windows or apple mac world; they just tell you need more RAM (avoiding the why).
 
only one point, the age of your laptop ...it may not be usb bootable [check in the bios] if not and it has an optical drive then you will need to install using a DVD-r
 
Thanks all for the advice and guidance. Let me explore more for the link provided.
1. Yes, my old laptop have the USB boot option. Model is Dell Latitude E6400.
2. The wifi some how can't activate through the window Xp currently. I am trying to see if change to Linux could help.
3. Understood the 2G Ram should be a concern, but would it be sufficient for normal online checking, youtube etc?

Thanks all..
 
I am trying to see if change to Linux could help.
you will be able to test that out by using a distribution that loads a live session [to ram not direct to the drive]

2G Ram should be a concern
this will restrict you choice of distribution to a medium [MX or Lubuntu for example] or lightweight [ puppy, or Antix for example] distribution they will be fine for daily home use

bwiz
 
I don't know your device, but another box I used in QA (Quality Assurance) is

`dell inspiron 6400 (cduo-t2450, 2gb, intel 945gm)`

your mention of 6400 made me think of that box; but that box was x86 (32-bit only) so was recycled 9-12 months ago. Your cpu is closer to another

`dell [optiplex] 755 (c2d-e8300, 8gb, amd/ati radeon rv610/radeon hd2400 pro/xt)`

except mine is a desktop version of your mobile/laptop device. It was also used in QA-testing until I recently had a box die, and had to return that to service.

I have always used streaming of youtube as part of my QA testing; and until late Aug-2020 that included devices that included only 1GB of RAM (for x86/32-bit), 2GB for x86_64/64-bit).

When I put the mentioned dell 755 back into service; I noticed less than ideal video performance for some of my usage (when I have multiple videos being played; or I pause one because I need to watch something else briefly so it's not closed; I don't recall the issue but it annoyed me somewhat). To fix it I replaced the video card with another (that had identical specs actually) & the issue went away). Incidentally if you only watched a single video the issue never showed itself (in QA I only have one video playing), and on 2GB of RAM I'd only be watching a single video.

In QA-testing x86 releases of Xubuntu/Lubuntu/Debian etc, some laptops were terrific at streaming youtube & would be left running all day as background noise.. yet others (with more RAM but different video cards) were not as good as the GPUs weren't as well handled) and I noticed clearly some kernel stacks performed better than others.

ie. of the ~25 boxes I've used in QA-testing some performed better with some kernel stacks than others due to GPU cards; or integrated graphics on the motherboard (for laptops). ie. if one GNU/Linux isn't perfect, another (even a different release may work, or switching stacks if the system allows it; Ubuntu LTS releases offer that capability)

But video streaming worked in 1GB of RAM for me.
ps: I still use old IBM Thinkpads with 1GB & 1.5GB of RAM; one being a laptop I purchased the lenovo sl510 mention in my prior comment to replace; but the form factor of the older IBM was much nicer so the newer thinkpad with faster cpu & more RAM was dropped to QA-testing instead.
 
but that box was x86 (32-bit only
Morning friends
The dell E6400 came out late 2008 using the 64 bit architecture along with the insperon of the same year [like mine] and were among the first 64 bit lappies produced by Del

@SuperBee

If you can get a couple of 2gb reclaimed ram and swap out [or you could go to 2x 4gb this is the max for that motherboard] it would widen your choices, I have several harddrives I can swap out on my lappy, and with 4gb of ram it will run even the heavy linux Mint with Cinnamon desktop without problems
Del +Linux make good bed fellows
 

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