Lightest Linux distros, easy for noob, with virtual winOS?

[f33dm3bits]

thank you, this is what I am attempting to say but tech people like to argue about anything and ignore the actual question. Lets not do that.

I have come across quite a few Reddit topics were new Linux users were having trouble with Fedora, plenty of reason for a beginner to start with something like Mint or Ubuntu since. Also because the community around Debian based distributions have more people so more people that will be able to help you if you run into a problem, for example the Ubuntu sub-reddit has more than double the mount of members than the Fedora sub-reddit.

I want to install a light-weigth distro (RAM, not iso), to be able to run not-so lightweight Windows as Virtual OS.

Linux Mint or Ubuntu will be fine for the hardware you mentioned.

 

[pamojja]

..Engineering at Red Hat.

Harmless in my eye, considering the real monopolist etc. Microsoft.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Harmless in my eye, considering the real monopolist etc. Microsoft.

I was asked by a friendly person not get into that topic so I won't start again. But here's some advice, download Ubuntu, Mint and Fedora.

Install Ventoy on a big enough usb flash drive.

Ventoy

Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO files. With ventoy, you don't need to format the disk again and again, you just need to copy the iso file to the USB drive and boot it.

www.ventoy.net

The copy over Ubuntu, Mint and Fedora, boot from the live usb and try all three of them in a live environment and see which of the three you like best. After that you can decide which one you want to install on your laptop.

 

[APTI]

I have come across quite a few Reddit topics were new Linux users were having trouble with Fedora, plenty of reason for a beginner to start with something like Mint or Ubuntu since. Also because the community around Debian based distributions have more people so more people that will be able to help you if you run into a problem, for example the Ubuntu sub-reddit has more than double the mount of members than the Fedora sub-reddit.


Linux Mint or Ubuntu will be fine for the hardware you mentioned.

again, I will not participate in this argument. Just answer the people's questions

 

[pamojja]

you are just going to continue to make us look like petty children

Its the same with most serene Buddhists: my bodhisattwa vow, those egoist Theravadins..

 

[APTI]

I was asked by a friendly person not get into that topic so I won't start again. But here's some advice, download Ubuntu, Mint and Fedora.

Install Ventoy on a big enough usb flash drive.

Ventoy

Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO files. With ventoy, you don't need to format the disk again and again, you just need to copy the iso file to the USB drive and boot it.

www.ventoy.net

The copy over Ubuntu, Mint and Fedora, boot from the live usb and try all three of them in a live environment and see which of the three you like best. After that you can decide which one you want to install on your laptop.

very sound advice finally.

 

[pamojja]

No 3d graphics

Thanks, I never played games on computers.

Ubuntu and fedora work out of box.

Yes it would. I did run Ubuntu flavor some years ago on a stick. But after some time there is one of the 5% use-cases, I had to resort to the terminal. I prefer Windows as virtualization for such a rare case.

My PC specs don't allow to run Windows as host. Therefore I need as light-weight as possible still convinent linux, with which I will work the vast mojority of time.

at that point will be running 2 machines even if one is virtual

That point will be the most rare, most of the time virtual Windows is off.

 

[f33dm3bits]

again, I will not participate in this argument. Just answer the people's questions

The amount of community resources someone will have available to them can make a difference when someone runs into a problem or have a question that they want answered. That's why I would even recommend a Debian-based distribution over OpenSuse or Bodhi.

virtualize Windows.

What would you want to do in your in a virtual system running Windows?

 

[pamojja]

Linux Mint or Ubuntu will be fine for the hardware you mentioned

Thanks. But not to run virtualized Windows on top. Even if that would be rare, my major objective is to reduce Watt hours used up even on Linux.

 

[f33dm3bits]

@pamojja
A useful website if you want to do some reading and learning about Linux.

Home | Linux Journey

linuxjourney.com

 

[pamojja]

Ubuntu, Mint and Fedora, boot from the live usb and try all three of them in a live environment and see which of the three you like best.

As said from the beginning, I don't want any of the full-fledged OSes. I want something small in its energy-footprint.

 

[The Duck]

My PC specs don't allow to run Windows as host. Therefore I need as light-weight as possible still convinent linux, with which I will work the vast mojority of time.

Choose a Linux distro with XFCE desktop enviroment.

Linux Lite - Help Manual

Description to go here.

www.linuxliteos.com

Linux Download | Download Linux Lite Free Linux Operating System

Linux Download, download Linux Lite a FREE operating system for everyone that is easy to use. A fast, secure and enjoyable operating system for your PC.

www.linuxliteos.com

Linux Mint 21.2 "Victoria" - Linux Mint

Linux Mint is an elegant, easy to use, up to date and comfortable desktop operating system.

www.linuxmint.com

Linux Mint Installation Guide — Linux Mint Installation Guide documentation

linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io

 

[pamojja]

What would you want to do in your in a virtual system running Windows?

Everything I run into where I had to learn machine language, which I absolutely don't want. It is to rare.

 

[f33dm3bits]

As said from the beginning, I don't want any of the full-fledged OSes. I want something small in its energy-footprint.

About antiX – antiX Linux

antixlinux.com

About Us – MX Linux

mxlinux.org

 

[KGIII]

Alright...

Puts on Mod Hat

I'm not going to go through and clean this up, but you can go through and clean it up - and this applies to multiple people.

Let's stick to demonstrable facts. Let's avoid calling names - and that includes calling other OSes names. Let's keep the thread on topic.

If you can't do this, don't participate in the thread.

If I have to go through and clean the thread up or lock the thread, I'm gonna be kinda disappointed.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Everything I run into where I had to learn machine language, which I absolutely don't want. It is to rare.

I don't understand what you mean with that?

 

[APTI]

Thanks. But not to run virtualized Windows on top. Even if that would be rare, my major objective is to reduce Watt hours used up even on Linux.

I looked back at your original post. with 8G ram I would not try a VM. You need some room for the host OS to run and enough left over for the VM. you only have 8G RAM and dividing that out will not be easy. At best you will have 2 very sluggish systems running.
My recommendation for VM
1.. have at least 6G ram for your host.
2.. Give windows VM at least 8G ram.

If you attempt to run linux with a graphical environment with 4 or less RAM it will be slow. If you attempt to run windows with less than 8 it will be slow. If you see the math I am pointing out to you, your system you described will be fine running either of the OS's but attempting to run one in a VM you will not be happy. You also have to watch your cores. for what you are doing I suggest nothing less than 4 core (virtual is counted). I find it very comfortable with 12G ram on fedora with gnome with windows in a VM taking 8G RAM. 8 core system. I have tried it on 8G and giving windows 4G it was unbearably slow all around.

 

[APTI]

Alright...

Puts on Mod Hat

I'm not going to go through and clean this up, but you can go through and clean it up - and this applies to multiple people.

Let's stick to demonstrable facts. Let's avoid calling names - and that includes calling other OSes names. Let's keep the thread on topic.

If you can't do this, don't participate in the thread.

If I have to go through and clean the thread up or lock the thread, I'm gonna be kinda disappointed.

happy to delete non responsive posts

 

[pamojja]

A useful website if you want to do some reading and learning about Linux.

Thanks. But it doesn't answer my very specific question I asked first in this thread:

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 similiar region of system-requirements - almost nought 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?

 

[darry1966]

Getting back to what this thread originally said with its bullet points.

1. No such thing as a this is the best distro
2. Details of your machine (So we don't have to guess) - All machines are different so distros work differently on each machine.

I will add we should be careful not to fall into the my distro is the best and push that - we can make some recommendations to many threads get into arguments over which is best with fanboyism about a particular distro - not helpful.

My advice try different ones live - run dual boot with windows if you are running that and do that until you get used to Linux - see what works best for your hardware.