Re: [PLUG] Recommendation: distro for an Athalon X2 CPU from 2010

On Sat, Dec 27, 2025 at 6:03 PM Frank via plug <plug@lists.phillylinux.org> wrote:

Firefox relies on the desktop environment. I know I had Firefox crashing repeatedly when I was using an older video card that apparently didn't have modern enough. I'd suggest using a more mainstream, better supported, desktop, like Mint XFCE. I run this on computers older than what what you're using, and it works great.

I might. I haven't done a whole lot with this, as I say, it will all be browser based. So it's a few bookmarks ...

Thanks!

- Frank

On 12/27/25 5:56 PM, Mike Leone via plug wrote:
I'll look. But as I say, I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time to fix this, it's not worth it to me to fight with it, when I can just go back to using my iPad. Yes, it's aggravating when I want to do many things, but it's better than digging into why this obsolete crap is responding like obsolete crap. LOL

On Sat, Dec 27, 2025 at 5:39 PM K.S. Bhaskar via plug <plug@lists.phillylinux.org> wrote:

That could have something to do with swapping. Try playing with zram / zswap and swappiness.

Regards

- Bhaskar

On Sat, Dec 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM Mike Leone <turgon@mike-leone.com> wrote:

On Sat, Dec 27, 2025 at 4:27 PM K.S. Bhaskar via plug <plug@lists.phillylinux.org> wrote:

Damn Small Linux (https://www.damnsmalllinux.org/).

Thanks. For me, it's Firefox that is freezing up. I've had yo force close it at least once a session, everything else becomes non-responsive until I do.

Regards

- Bhaskar

On Sat, Dec 27, 2025 at 3:30 PM Mike Leone via plug <plug@lists.phillylinux.org> wrote:

So I "inherited" an old Dell Zino HD, a micro PC from 2010. It's got an AMD Athalon X2, and it's got all of 3G RAM. It had been running Win 7.

Now, I'm hoping to use this as a living room PC, mostly so I can access apps running in my NAS in a web browser, and ready my Gmail, also in a browser. In other words, all I really need is to run Firefox (so I can use my 1Password password app).

At first, I put Lubuntu on it, and that works. But Firefox is really sluggish, and eventually it locked up. And while I can get all sorted of reviews for lightweight distros from searching, I figured I'd ask you guys for any experiences you might have had using such obsolete computers. I'm not going to do much on it. And I don't want to spend a huge amount of time configuring and fighting with it. I could (and have been) doing this on my couch with my iPad. But with the PC I get to use a much bigger screen (my TV) and a decent Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse.

So, if this was you, what would you install on it, so it would be effectively turnkey for what I'm hoping to do with it?

Thanks. Happy Holidays!

Mike. Leone, <mailto:turgon@mike-leone.com>

PGP Fingerprint: 0AA8 DC47 CB63 AE3F C739 6BF9 9AB4 1EF6 5AA5 BCDF
Photo Gallery: <http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeleonephotos>

___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug

___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug

--

Mike. Leone, <mailto:turgon@mike-leone.com>

PGP Fingerprint: 0AA8 DC47 CB63 AE3F C739 6BF9 9AB4 1EF6 5AA5 BCDF
Photo Gallery: <http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeleonephotos>

___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group         --        http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion  --   http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug