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Best Linux distros for reviving an old PC
Apr 12, 2025
Installing the right version of Linux can breathe new life into an aging system.
Installing Linux is a great way to breathe life into that decade old laptop that is sitting doing nothing in the corner of the room. Linux is generally lighter than Windows (sure you can slim Windows down) and its open and free nature means that there are a myriad of distros on offer.
But herein lies the problem. Which distro do we try? The answer is subjective. What do you want to do? What is the spec of your machine? These questions dictate the path that you take with Linux. So with that in mind, we will take a look at six different Linux distros. Some are big names in the Linux world, and some are not-so-well known.
Ubuntu
Raspberry Pi Desktop
Fedora
MX Linux
Linux Mint
Manjaro
But the goal of this feature is to give you forward knowledge to try out these distros on your aging machines, with the view to getting them up and running once again. The best thing is that you can try out a Linux distro before committing to installation. All you need is a large enough USB stick and a copy of the distro as an ISO (disc image). Using a tool such as Rufus or Raspberry Pi Imager, the distro can be written to the USB stick and booted from your chosen machine.
So let's take a look at the six distros that we have personally tested.
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