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Picking a Linux Distro in 2021

Gear Review

Evaluating New Linux Distros for My Revived Rig

Navigating the transition from legacy Lubuntu to modern Linux environments

~3
Months Usage
8
GB RAM
3
Distros Tested
Section I

Out with the Old: Lubuntu 17.10

I’m evaluating new Linux distros for my revived Linux rig. The old Lubuntu 17.10 was fantastic but has become obsolete. I was unimpressed with Lubuntu 20.04 LTS, as it seems the mindset of Linux has evolved to accommodate increasingly more powerful computers. Now, a minimum of a dual-core CPU and 2 GB of RAM is required. The HP i3-4010u with 8 GB of RAM is just slightly above those minimum standards.

 

The Testing Process
  • →Lubuntu 20.04 LTS — A longtime favorite that unfortunately felt bloated and laggy, with 15-second Firefox load times on capable hardware.
  • →Linux Mint 20 Cinnamon — A pleasant surprise that offers a familiar, Windows-like interface and superior performance compared to my experience with Lubuntu 20.04.
  • →Elementary OS — A clean and aesthetically pleasing option I intend to test in a multi-OS configuration alongside Mint.
Tip: If you are transitioning from Windows to Linux, Mint 20 Cinnamon offers the most seamless user experience and interface familiarity available today.
DistroExperienceStatus
Lubuntu 20.04Laggy/BloatedDiscarded
Mint 20 CinnamonWindows-likePrimary OS
ElementaryClean/PrettyFuture Test
Section II

Update: Going on 3 Months on Linux Mint

I’ve been using Linux Mint for almost three months now since my laptop rebuild in February. Overall, I’m quite pleased with it. While I miss the old Lubuntu, Linux Mint is a decent approximation in terms of performance.

Linux Mint 20 is remarkably close to the Windows experience, probably the closest I have seen in a Linux distro. Many Windows users would feel comfortable migrating over to this platform, albeit with some caveats. While I use Mint exclusively on most days, I still rely on my Windows laptop for filling out my tax return or performing other online transactions, as some websites are not always optimized for Linux. This is understandable, given that the majority of PC users are still Windows-based, with a smattering of macOS users and the rare Linux user like me.

Stay tuned for my upcoming experiment with dual-booting Elementary OS on the revived rig.
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Comments

  1. El LinceSagradoMarch 13, 2021 at 9:03 PM

    I have a HP Stream 14, and after several tries of different Linux mint distros, which were my favourites, I've been using manjaro xfce the last 3 months. Fast. Really fast.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LKMarch 13, 2021 at 9:09 PM

    Thank you. I’ll take a look into manjaro.

    ReplyDelete

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