Newbe here with first post. I've become increasing annoyed about Window notebooks the last 20 years. Before that no computers, travelling for 10 years before.
Whenever I tried Linuxes on a USB, I always came to the point where I realized, I had to invest too steep in a learning curve, I'm not willing to. Like learning a new language - worth learning a whole culture and interesting people - but for a machine? I still prefer to meditate and communicate with real people for hours every day. Beside work, too few hours left..
What beside the monopoly, etc. annoyed me about Windows machines the most, was that each notebook in those years had minor breakdowns, like usually the battery weakening or dying, the touch display not working or broke, or the keys one by one not functioning anymore. Considered by the manufacturer irreparable, or with the passing of time this technology always cheaper to buy a new one, instead of repair.
3 years ago with the last irreparable one, I quit. Only used an android tablet since, and was surprised by its low-energy footprint: 7 Watts recharging, half that when charged. I considered Shiftbook bundle next, because modularly build and repairable. Sadly too powerful for my humble 95% use of browser, office and multimedia. And right now turned out with horrible battery runtime. And much too expensive for me.
So I had to decide now - tablet starts to pass out too - and bought a mini PC (8GB DDR, 128GB M.2 SSD, J4129, Windows10; for 120,- only), a touch display (11.6 inch), a simple keyport, mouse, and a 20AH powerbank I already had. Therefore, everything cheaply replaceable, without having to dispose a whole notebook each time, due to these 3 parts always broken after some time - but separate now. Duh, took me a long time to realize something so simple
My plan, don't know if it works: Taking a simple light-weight distro for the 95% of time I use the computer, and run windows in a WM whenever at my wits-end. So a light as possible most of the use time. For that task: which tiny Linux is easy on beginners with intuitive use for browser, office, media and has OS virtualization already included?
From an article, these seem from the lightest upward: TinyCore (not for beginners), Slax, Puppy, Elive, wattOZ, Slitaz, Debian.. Does anybody know if any of those could fulfill my requirements?
Or in a similar region of system-requirements - almost naught nowadays - any distro close which would instead?
Reading up on these I found Slitax interesting, because as a server too, could be worked with over the internet. Would it work for me?
Editing for update, 1 month later:
For avoiding the same recommendations already found not to work with my specific hardware - it is certainly not expected to read the whole of such a very long and unresolved thread (with the issues encountered sidetracking too):
I tested most live-distros with Ventoy, due to its easy of use for testing so many. Encountered with many of them lack of audio output, or wlan recognition. Short attempts to solve those, with the experienced help from members here, couldn't resolve them in the live versions, yet.
So I proceeded to test the 2 Linux distros only, which did work for everything (audio and wlan) out of the box, installed too.
First Mageia, which failed nonetheless - even with full online actualization during the installation process - suddenly missing audio again. Its second installation without actualization failed, due to resulting in irresponsiveness and freezing.
Second EasyOS, where its first installation quit to boot after sometime, however, working fine until then. With a second install and a different installation method if failed in saving sessions.
Since now it seemed, that testing live compared to installed can give completely different outcomes, I tested a further with the advantage of having virtualization ready-made on board. The missing audio in this RoboLinux might just be working after installation? However, the common installer didn't allow the choice of where to install its components, which ended with not being bootable, again.
Before those full 5 Linux installation failures - taking a staggering 24 hrs in total - I tested 3 Linux distros, due to their easy Windows installers, intended to under use under Windows partitions. Failing for different reasons.
Below the list of all till now tested distros, mostly with Ventoy. Their ISO size, why - if they failed, idle and under load RAM usage. Click to read.
Though, I'm not giving up on finding one Linux working for me.
Editing for update, 3 further days later:
A third method for EasyOS to install by copying/pasting/editing (limine.cfg) into already existing Linux partitions - in my case RoboLinux on an other USB, did work this time again. With persistence.
My suspicion, that the USB on which the 2nd Mageia and first EasyOS install failed, simply be damaged, might be correct, after all.
Edit, an other 10 days later; a summary of most specific helpful answers for beginners with difficulties due to new hardware here: https://www.linux.org/threads/lightest-linux-distros-easy-for-noob-with-virtual-winos.45998/page-22
Whenever I tried Linuxes on a USB, I always came to the point where I realized, I had to invest too steep in a learning curve, I'm not willing to. Like learning a new language - worth learning a whole culture and interesting people - but for a machine? I still prefer to meditate and communicate with real people for hours every day. Beside work, too few hours left..
What beside the monopoly, etc. annoyed me about Windows machines the most, was that each notebook in those years had minor breakdowns, like usually the battery weakening or dying, the touch display not working or broke, or the keys one by one not functioning anymore. Considered by the manufacturer irreparable, or with the passing of time this technology always cheaper to buy a new one, instead of repair.
3 years ago with the last irreparable one, I quit. Only used an android tablet since, and was surprised by its low-energy footprint: 7 Watts recharging, half that when charged. I considered Shiftbook bundle next, because modularly build and repairable. Sadly too powerful for my humble 95% use of browser, office and multimedia. And right now turned out with horrible battery runtime. And much too expensive for me.
So I had to decide now - tablet starts to pass out too - and bought a mini PC (8GB DDR, 128GB M.2 SSD, J4129, Windows10; for 120,- only), a touch display (11.6 inch), a simple keyport, mouse, and a 20AH powerbank I already had. Therefore, everything cheaply replaceable, without having to dispose a whole notebook each time, due to these 3 parts always broken after some time - but separate now. Duh, took me a long time to realize something so simple
My plan, don't know if it works: Taking a simple light-weight distro for the 95% of time I use the computer, and run windows in a WM whenever at my wits-end. So a light as possible most of the use time. For that task: which tiny Linux is easy on beginners with intuitive use for browser, office, media and has OS virtualization already included?
From an article, these seem from the lightest upward: TinyCore (not for beginners), Slax, Puppy, Elive, wattOZ, Slitaz, Debian.. Does anybody know if any of those could fulfill my requirements?
Or in a similar region of system-requirements - almost naught nowadays - any distro close which would instead?
Reading up on these I found Slitax interesting, because as a server too, could be worked with over the internet. Would it work for me?
Editing for update, 1 month later:
For avoiding the same recommendations already found not to work with my specific hardware - it is certainly not expected to read the whole of such a very long and unresolved thread (with the issues encountered sidetracking too):
I tested most live-distros with Ventoy, due to its easy of use for testing so many. Encountered with many of them lack of audio output, or wlan recognition. Short attempts to solve those, with the experienced help from members here, couldn't resolve them in the live versions, yet.
So I proceeded to test the 2 Linux distros only, which did work for everything (audio and wlan) out of the box, installed too.
First Mageia, which failed nonetheless - even with full online actualization during the installation process - suddenly missing audio again. Its second installation without actualization failed, due to resulting in irresponsiveness and freezing.
Second EasyOS, where its first installation quit to boot after sometime, however, working fine until then. With a second install and a different installation method if failed in saving sessions.
Since now it seemed, that testing live compared to installed can give completely different outcomes, I tested a further with the advantage of having virtualization ready-made on board. The missing audio in this RoboLinux might just be working after installation? However, the common installer didn't allow the choice of where to install its components, which ended with not being bootable, again.
Before those full 5 Linux installation failures - taking a staggering 24 hrs in total - I tested 3 Linux distros, due to their easy Windows installers, intended to under use under Windows partitions. Failing for different reasons.
Below the list of all till now tested distros, mostly with Ventoy. Their ISO size, why - if they failed, idle and under load RAM usage. Click to read.
Though, I'm not giving up on finding one Linux working for me.
Editing for update, 3 further days later:
A third method for EasyOS to install by copying/pasting/editing (limine.cfg) into already existing Linux partitions - in my case RoboLinux on an other USB, did work this time again. With persistence.
My suspicion, that the USB on which the 2nd Mageia and first EasyOS install failed, simply be damaged, might be correct, after all.
Edit, an other 10 days later; a summary of most specific helpful answers for beginners with difficulties due to new hardware here: https://www.linux.org/threads/lightest-linux-distros-easy-for-noob-with-virtual-winos.45998/page-22
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