Having explored the Ubuntu live environment from the DVD you’ll want to get it installed without delay. So follow the guide just over yonder, and we’ll get started kitting out your new OS.
Your older systems could benefit from a refresh too. Maybe you still have a dusty Windows 7 machine, or a part-fossilised XP device, that you can breathe new life into. We’ve got Bodhi Linux on the DVD which is an excellent choice for older systems. Bodhi is based on Ubuntu 18.04, the last release to support 32-bit x86 systems, and will continue seeing security updates until 2023.
If you followed our Pi tutorial, or otherwise have access to a Nextcloud instance, then you can set that up from the Online Accounts screen that greets you on first boot. You can also connect Google and Microsoft accounts, if you want to sync your calendars, contacts or cloud storage. The latter being useful as a target for backups in what follows. You probably don’t want the live kernel patching service proffered in the next screen, and if you’re not okay with sending system info to
Bodhi is unusual in that it has its own custom desktop, Moksha, which is based on the venerable Enlightenment window manager. It manages to look stylish, retro and minimal all at the same time, and it’s highly customisable. It’ll also run on machines without a PAE kernel. Debian still supports 32-bit architectures (at least until 2024), and there are a few Debian-based distros (particularly antiX) out there that are worth checking out.
For really old hardware, like Jonni’s EeePC 700, you’ll want something small such as the community-powered Arch Linux 32. Such machines don’t do well at graphical tools, so you’ll want a lightweight window manager such as i3. If you have an older, 64-bit, system, or just want to enjoy a leaner, meaner desktop experience, then there are plenty of options. The MATE desktop (forked from good ol’ Gnome 2), as well as Xfce and LXQt are much lighter than Gnome and at least equally usable. There are Ubuntu flavours featuring all of these awaiting your download.