Need reccomendations for distro. Old laptop from like '10 (shipped with windows 8, not even 8.1), touchscreen needed so no Mint unfortunately. No linux experience whatsoever beyond using tails and I know what the terminal is but have NO clue how to use it.

Need a daily driver for light tasks (just gimp, handbrake, internet, qbittorrent, and libreoffice type stuff, no games), would prefer security and privacy, but idk if Whonix can run on my old machine and with my nonexistent linux exp idk if it is a good one for me yet, may need exp with something else first? Idk, y’all tell me!

Was reccomended Fedora, has touch support and supposedly good for the light tasks and will run in my old laptop, but figured I’d ask what y’all think because you guys seem knowledgeable.

It is my only computer besides my phone so I can’t afford the time to fuck around lol.

  • ree@lemmy.ml
    9·
    3 years ago

    Boot into VM is probably not the right advice for a newbie like op

    Flashing a live-USB is easy and thé same process than thé install.

    live usb is barremetal and op wanted touchscreen support, not sure a VM will providd a good expérience to maje this work

    • CHEF-KOCH@lemmy.ml
      23·
      3 years ago

      Yeah it is up to a debate + how experienced the user actually is. But there are basically VMs that work in Browser like DistroTester. However I agree that you might need to be aware of this + this might be tricky anyway. Touchscreen support is often critical, even for mentioned distros in this thread, at the end you usually need to do some testing yourself so or so.

      The problem which I have with such threads here in general is that you end-up to test things for yourself anyway because we do not know the exact configuration and how the chosen Distro, or the tested VM reacts. I do not see why we shall support spoon-feeding, when all of those questions are answered many many many many times already and you anyway end-up with testing it yourself.

      • ree@lemmy.ml
        1·
        3 years ago

        It’s worth it to reduce the field of possibility. But I agree nothing beat trying it out yourself and iv’e been distro hopping for several years before understanding what I wanted as a DE and os.