LTS For Diagnostic Laptop

king72

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I am a sys admin and often end up in locations with network problems. I'm looking for an LTS because it will sit in my car for most of it's life, but will be used if there is a problem or setting up new equipment, etc.

Specs:

i3-3120m 2.5 GHz
6GB RAM
Spinning disk 5400 RPM hard drive. Not even planning to put an SSD in this.

I normally use Manjaro, but don't want to have 500 updates to install every time I turn it on. Best candidate right now is Linux Mint 19.2 because it's supported until 2023. I'd prefer Kubuntu, but the currently LTS is only good for 2 more years.

DE's preferred: KDE, Cinnamon, Gnome

Any other suggestions?
 


I don't know which version it is, but Mint dropped support for KDE. You can still install it, but you can't get is as a standard option anymore. So you have to get something like Cinnamon and then install KDE afterwards (https://computingforgeeks.com/how-to-install-kde-plasma-desktop-on-linux-mint-19/). If that's ok, then go for Mint. Otherwise, go with Kubuntu and upgrade in 2 years. That's a long way off.
 
I don't know which version it is, but Mint dropped support for KDE. You can still install it, but you can't get is as a standard option anymore. So you have to get something like Cinnamon and then install KDE afterwards (https://computingforgeeks.com/how-to-install-kde-plasma-desktop-on-linux-mint-19/). If that's ok, then go for Mint. Otherwise, go with Kubuntu and upgrade in 2 years. That's a long way off.

Thanks for the reply! I'm leaning in that direction (Kubuntu) just haven't made up my mind yet. Probably set it up this weekend sometime when I have a moment of boredom.

I've read that KDE on Mint walkthrough. Tempting, just seems a bit sketchy. Probably better to start with a KDE distro.
 
While I've never done exactly those instructions, I have installed other desktops on distros before. For example I've had Fedora with KDE and installed Enlightenment and on my one of my VMs I have the default Ubuntu desktop, Gnome?, Cinnamon, Mate and XFCE. Now that one is a VM so it's not my daily driver, but it works and has no issues. In case you're wondering why, it's so that can help others out with their desktops (DE). And it helps me to learn the other DEs as well. So give it a shot. Worst case senario, you wipe out the installation and install Kubuntu or some other disto. Since none of the distros charge you like MS does, you've got nothing to lose but a little time.
 
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I myself have never worried about LTSs. If you look at my sig, I use Neon, which is based on Ubuntu 18.04 (I would have chosen another distro to base it on but they didn't ask me), but is cutting edge KDE, so I get updates several times a week for KDE. I just looked up the info on 18.04 LTS and it shows hardware and maintenance up to 20.10, but continued maintenance up to 23.04. So if you don't need new hardware on your old laptop, you should be good with Kubuntu up to 23.04. Right?

Also, Mint is "Linux Mint 19.2 is based on Ubuntu 18.04." So Mint or Kubuntu, you're getting 18.04.
 
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I ended up installing Kubuntu this morning. Detected my wireless driver and seems to work flawlessly like usual.

I am into Linux more as a hobby. I worked on SCO Unix in a programming class in the 90's and later ran a Red Hat 6 web server (also as a hobby).

Now I'm just using it as a desktop for laptops and VM's mostly. I tend to get retired laptops. Linux still supports the hardware and I can run it on pretty slow laptops.

Mostly though, I just get more than enough of Windows at work, would like to see something different when I go home.
 
G'day @king72 and welcome to linux.org :)

Just an FYI to all, regarding

So if you don't need new hardware on your old laptop, you should be good with Kubuntu up to 23.04. Right?

No, 3 years for their LTS.

The Lubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu &c are all Community Spins off Base Ubuntu, whose LTS is 5 years.

So April 2021 for Kubuntu et al, based on 18.04.

You can get a better understanding here, which relates to 16.04 but still applies

https://askubuntu.com/questions/967...lts-support-end-sooner-than-the-official-ubun

Ubuntu are talking about extending LTS to 10 years, and I do not know how that will affect the others, yet. At the time the information began circulating, it was unclear whether this would apply only to commercial installs of Ubuntu or extend to the Home User editions.

FWIW

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 
G'day @king72 and welcome to linux.org :)

Just an FYI to all, regarding



No, 3 years for their LTS.

The Lubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu &c are all Community Spins off Base Ubuntu, whose LTS is 5 years.

So April 2021 for Kubuntu et al, based on 18.04.

You can get a better understanding here, which relates to 16.04 but still applies

https://askubuntu.com/questions/967...lts-support-end-sooner-than-the-official-ubun

Ubuntu are talking about extending LTS to 10 years, and I do not know how that will affect the others, yet. At the time the information began circulating, it was unclear whether this would apply only to commercial installs of Ubuntu or extend to the Home User editions.

FWIW

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

Thanks for the info. At least the official release is Gnome again and not Unity.
 
...Gnome again and not Unity.

It's funny, you know, King - different strokes for different folks? I basically cut my Linux teeth on Ubuntu Unity 6 - 7 years ago, didn't ever like it, and when I blew away Windows 7 in favour of a totally Linux environment around this time in 2014, I was triple-booting within days, using Unity, Linux Mint MATE (17 'Qiana') and Zorin OS9, so straight away I got a good idea of the desktops available.

Someone else today in another Thread was just saying how much they liked Unity.

Fair enough.

Cheers and enjoy your Linux :)

BTW I worked under a SCO Unix box in Queensland's Department of Justice and The Attorney-General in the early to mid-1990s - wish I had got into Unix and Linux then!

Wizard
 


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