I'm finally ready to convert my WinXP Desktop to Linux (yes, I know it's about time!). So I plan to checkout some live (lightweight) distros to see which are more 'Windows-user-friendly'. Would it be correct to assume that if any such live distro performs reasonably well from a USB 2.0 flash drive it will perform even more responsively when installed to HDD?
99% or more ime you are correct. But I have had wireless & keyboard work in the Live environment & after install not. This is after dozens & dozens of installs. I suggest Distrowatch dot com.
I had the more wireless problems with Debian. I suggest Xubuntu. I've installed 17.10.1 two days ago and it works great. Installation of the Nvidia driver was a breeze. (I just needed to downgrade from the current driver to an older one because my video card is using an older GPU) As a Windows XP user, the switch to the XFCE desktop is easy and intuitive. Xubuntu places the panel at the top by default, but you can easily move it to the bottom if you wish. (or to the side as well) Good luck!
Thanks guys. Since my WinXP desktop has a wired connection to the router, I'm not concerned (at this time) with potential wireless issues. @fblais, Xubuntu 17.10 is one of the lightweight distros on my list (btw, on what platform did you install it?). I also plan to checkout Bodhi 4.4, Linux Lite 3.6, LXLE 16.04.3, Peppermint 8, and Zorin Lite 12.2
If you switch to XFCE or MATE on a Windows XP machine, you can upgrade to the latest browsers and software. You don't have to put up with an increasingly obsolescent Windows OS for which software makers have dropped support. And it will be secure and malware isn't a worry.
That's really an excellent point. Based on that consideration, which distros of the those I'm considering (post #4) should I dismiss?
All are good candidates. You can look at MATE if you want more of a Windows feel. Elementary OS or Enso OS are alternatives if you like Mac OSX. Good luck.
Thanks for the update. It will be interesting to see if Xubuntu runs decently on an even older PC with a Pentium 4 and 2 gigs of RAM.
Lubuntu is even lighter, with its openbox window manager, but Xubuntu feels very light on old machines IMO.
It seems that Mint XFCE 17.1 is recommended (over 18.3) to replace XP on older PCs! Unfortunately, 17.1 will only receive security updates until 2019.
That doesn't mean 18.3 wouldn't run well on *your* machine. You can try it with a live session. If you have unsupported hardware, you should be able to find out fast.
Right. As fblais said try a live session to check hardware compatibility. Mint 18.3 or the recent MX-17, if these are overweight for your PC then it's time for the dust bin.
Over the years I have had customers with meager finances who preferred not to buy a new machine when Microsoft ended support for XP or Vista. To be able to offer them something more affordable I have tested most of the lightweight Linux distributions that are commonly recommended. I found that the few that are (slightly) lighter than Mint XFCE -- like, say, Puppy -- are also too wonky for non-geeks. So I agree with Joxx: if Mint XFCE 18.3 won't run acceptably on your machine, it's probably time to retire it. You can get a refurbished Core 2 Duo-based box that will perform all everyday tasks quite well for very little money.
In my case it's not that clear-cut. My XP desktop has several working peripherals (2 printers, film-scanner, external speakers, etc.) all of which are in fine physical condition (as is the XP desktop itself). Every one of those devices are from the 'XP era' and therefore came with XP drivers. So a major factor when I'm checking out Linux distros is to determine whether or not they can support those devices. Retiring my XP desktop would likely mean having to also retire all of those (working) peripherals!
It's difficult, frustrating & very time consuming. But if you can't for whatever reason pickup a cheap $30-$75 C2D tower or complete system. Odds are good of the hundreds of Linux Distros (some older versions as well) that some will support obsolete XP peripheral hardware like printers etc. Once a particular Distro is found that works with one or more peripherals. Then these can be multi-booted to a specific Distro when a working piece of hardware is needed.
I second it - you can find a refurbished dual core Intel or AMD PC on eBay for between $60-$200. It won't be the latest and greatest but an x64 PC should be able to run Windows 10 or any modern Linux distro you want. You're not just confined to an x86 OS. Something to think about for the future.
