Original Toot: https://strangeobject.space/@silvermoon82/110969122337810598
this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2023
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i tried installing linux but i don't have enough memory for it. my storage is small (32 gigs).
How much memory do you have?
Less than 10 gigs free. Ram is 4gigs.
4 gigs should be enough for a distro. depending on how far you are willing to go you can even end up with 1 GB or less ram usage at idle. and storage shloudnt be a problem either. i had some distros that take up like 4 gig (storage, not memory)
the linux that i downloaded was over 10 gigs storage. how were you able to find something for 4 gigs?
Well that's the thing, i gave up on convenience. Basically you have to use a distro with less stuff included and add only the stuff you need.
You can google/bing/[whatever search engine you use] something like "lightweight/small distro".
I for example am running arch. In arch you only have a terminal and have to install almost everything yourself. Like your desktop, apps, etc.
Now this can be a hassle but also a great learning opportunity.
If you want to go this route i recommend you use arch with the archinstall script at first (search youtube for arch install with script or something like that) and learn try the system. Now if you want you can try to install it the "arch way" (without script) using the arch wiki as reference (even i struggle with that even tho i've already done so)
wow... well - if my career path doesn't work out and i'm curious about computer science? (idk what this is), i'll look into it.
If you've relatively new to Linux installation or you're not well versed to, or would rather not, compile from source or mess with config files often, I wouldn't recommend you start with Arch. Once you're ready to learn on a more manual system, Arch is your frienenemy.
I usually recommend Linux Mint (Cinnamon) for those coming from Windows or Ubuntu Budgie for those coming from Mac, but those two may be too hardware intensive for the Chromebook.
Look here to get started with lightweight distros. I've used all of them, and they all have their pros and cons, but are all worth checking out as daily drivers. To put it in perspective, I have antiX running on an IBM ThinkPad T20 with 256mb of RAM, and it's running as smooth as butter. The other day, I even ran a modern USB mouse with 0 issues and 0 wait (whereas Win10 spent a good minute or two installing drivers before I could use the mouse).
Another great starting point is Distro Chooser.