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I have an Asus laptop from 2007
(lemmy.world)
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Are you just using this laptop to dip your toes into Linux and see if you like it? I would recommend Debian + XFCE. It's lightweight, it prioritizes stability over new features, and it's a fairly easy UI for a newbie to understand. Alternatively Linux Mint MATE Edition might be worth a try. It's also lightweight but is a bit more "up to date" than Debian feature wise.
My wife is leaning toward Ubuntu "MATE", how would you feel about that versus the Debian and you mentioned. Personally I was thinking about mint
Ubuntu Mate was my first distro and it helped me learn a lot, but I don't really see a point in using Ubuntu over Debian. I never found it easier and you learn apt either way.