What Linux Distro do you use? I'll take suggestions

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  • HugoVirtuoso
    Veteran
    • Jan 2012
    • 1237

    What Linux Distro do you use? I'll take suggestions

    I have this 2009 laptop rig that I'm planning to install Linux sometime in the future. My goals are: full screen angband.live OBS recording with music, be able to use VLC, and retro gaming AND strong Windows programs emulation support i.e. ?Wine

    My exact laptop model is the Toshbia Satellite L505D-GS6000 Laptop. It has a 1366x768 max screen resolution, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 Series graphics card, wi-fi, 8GB RAM, and ~500GB Samsung PRO 860 SSD.

    I have probable plans make that 500GB SSD exclusively for non-Windows operating systems. I might do an UbuntuLinux and OpenMandriva dual-boot along with another Linux distro or something really awesome.

    I'll take any suggestions on what Linux / BSD / Unix I add to this particular SSD rig for good measure
    Last edited by HugoVirtuoso; November 26, 2019, 02:37.
    My best try at PosChengband 7.0.0's nightmare-mode on Angband.live:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwAR0WOphUA

    If I'm offline I'm probably in the middle of maintaining Gentoo or something-Linux or other.

    As of February 18th, 2022, my YouTube username is MidgardVirtuoso
  • Therem Harth
    Knight
    • Jan 2008
    • 926

    #2
    Depends on your experience. If relatively new to Linux, any desktop distribution with Xfce is probably a good bet. I tend to prefer Xubuntu because of the sheer amount of software the *buntus have available.

    Comment

    • HugoVirtuoso
      Veteran
      • Jan 2012
      • 1237

      #3
      I'm not totally new to Linux. I used a fair amount of it in 2004-05, primarily the KDE-based MandrakeLinux 9.2 - 10.0. From this, I learned some ./compile, make, and install commands. During that time, I compiled FCEU, ZSNES, and certain CD burner programs. OpenOffice was a good alternative. With the now much newer distros out there in 2018-19, re-learning the Linux kernel is going to be quite interesting. My primary goal: I want to see how much I can do away with Microsoft Windows. UbuntuLinux's strong support for VLC, OBS, and of course Firefox will make that a reality. I am utilizing my Samsung 500GB SSD as intended for that very reason.
      My best try at PosChengband 7.0.0's nightmare-mode on Angband.live:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwAR0WOphUA

      If I'm offline I'm probably in the middle of maintaining Gentoo or something-Linux or other.

      As of February 18th, 2022, my YouTube username is MidgardVirtuoso

      Comment

      • fph
        Veteran
        • Apr 2009
        • 1030

        #4
        Seconded for Xubuntu. You may even be able to use the "normal" Ubuntu, since your setup is actually pretty good for a 2009 laptop. The only weak point may be your processor.
        --
        Dive fast, die young, leave a high-CHA corpse.

        Comment

        • Nick
          Vanilla maintainer
          • Apr 2007
          • 9639

          #5
          I use OpenSUSE - started because it did KDE better than Ubuntu, and have not seen a reason to change. It's well supported and seems to just stay out of the way.

          I do second the fact that Xfce is now a good alternative to KDE.
          One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
          In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

          Comment

          • HugoVirtuoso
            Veteran
            • Jan 2012
            • 1237

            #6
            My 2009 rig's processor is a dual core AMD Turion II. Given the age, I might be able to use MandrakeLinux 9.2-10.0 and the CD backups of software I compiled for this in 2004-05.
            My best try at PosChengband 7.0.0's nightmare-mode on Angband.live:
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwAR0WOphUA

            If I'm offline I'm probably in the middle of maintaining Gentoo or something-Linux or other.

            As of February 18th, 2022, my YouTube username is MidgardVirtuoso

            Comment

            • Gauss
              Adept
              • Aug 2018
              • 110

              #7
              Due to the low spec processor, i would use something very light like Lubuntu for example.
              I use Arch btw.

              Comment

              • Therem Harth
                Knight
                • Jan 2008
                • 926

                #8
                Hi, please don't use outdated distro versions on Internet-connected machines! That's a security hazard for everyone, not just you.

                Re desktops. Last I checked, LXqt and Xfce were pretty similar in terms of memory and CPU usage. They're both reasonable options for an older laptop IMO, though I lean towards Xfce for usability and UI consistency reasons. Also the fast modern SSD can cover for an awful lot of weaknesses. The only computers I've found underwhelming despite SSDs have been netbooks with processors designed for the embedded market.

                Re experience, the Linux desktop has changed a lot in the last 10 years, but mostly much for the better IMO. You'll probably be able to figure stuff out very fast.

                Comment

                • HugoVirtuoso
                  Veteran
                  • Jan 2012
                  • 1237

                  #9
                  I've wiped out my Samsung SSD as planned. Anyone know the difference between Ubuntu 18.04 LTS vs. 19.10? Which one is more preferable in functionality?
                  Last edited by HugoVirtuoso; November 27, 2019, 02:07.
                  My best try at PosChengband 7.0.0's nightmare-mode on Angband.live:
                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwAR0WOphUA

                  If I'm offline I'm probably in the middle of maintaining Gentoo or something-Linux or other.

                  As of February 18th, 2022, my YouTube username is MidgardVirtuoso

                  Comment

                  • Derakon
                    Prophet
                    • Dec 2009
                    • 9022

                    #10
                    LTS means "long-term support", it's for people that want minimal changes in functionality and don't care about getting access to the latest and greatest features. Generally-speaking it means that the devs will push out bugfixes (including security updates), but won't change the behavior of the product otherwise.

                    Comment

                    • HugoVirtuoso
                      Veteran
                      • Jan 2012
                      • 1237

                      #11
                      I followed up on the differences. LTS is more stable. On the other hand, the latest non-LTS version can be buggy.
                      My best try at PosChengband 7.0.0's nightmare-mode on Angband.live:
                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwAR0WOphUA

                      If I'm offline I'm probably in the middle of maintaining Gentoo or something-Linux or other.

                      As of February 18th, 2022, my YouTube username is MidgardVirtuoso

                      Comment

                      • Gauss
                        Adept
                        • Aug 2018
                        • 110

                        #12
                        LTS releases are always the best option. Other than stability they provide also security updates/support and major compatibilty for existing installed software. Some non LTS releases provide interesting features. Ubuntu 19.04 included native support for nvidia based drivers for example. IMO it's only worth upgrading when next LTS releases like Ubuntu 20.04 on spring next year.

                        Comment

                        • HugoVirtuoso
                          Veteran
                          • Jan 2012
                          • 1237

                          #13
                          I'm on the Ubuntu bandwagon aboard. Most recently, I've been playing some FCPB and Sil-Q games on angband.live while on Ubuntu 18.0.4 LTS. I encountered a problem. Maybe this affects some more than others. Specifically, the keypress repeat rate is not nearly as fast on Ubuntu than on Windows 10. This kind of slows down my gameplay, makes it feel laggy. Still playable, though.
                          My best try at PosChengband 7.0.0's nightmare-mode on Angband.live:
                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwAR0WOphUA

                          If I'm offline I'm probably in the middle of maintaining Gentoo or something-Linux or other.

                          As of February 18th, 2022, my YouTube username is MidgardVirtuoso

                          Comment

                          • arch
                            Rookie
                            • Aug 2020
                            • 5

                            #14
                            Check repeat rate with xset q.

                            Comment

                            • invisibletroll
                              Apprentice
                              • Jul 2020
                              • 50

                              #15
                              Lubuntu is great.

                              Comment

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