Best Free Version of Linux for Older Laptop (Pentium M, 1.25 GB RAM) ?

LGroup1
LGroup1 used Ask the Experts™
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What are the best or recommended free versions of Linux for an older Pentium M laptop with 1.25 GB of RAM ?  The version should install to the HDD, have updates including security updates available regularly, and then just be able to run some basic free apps and DVD codecs, be able to work with MP3 files (rip from DVDs, change bit rates, etc...), and be able to encrypt the entire drive (full disk encryption) ...

TIA ...
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Sr. Systems Administrator
Commented:
fedora should work fine for that
performance won't be the best with an older processor and that much memory but it will work
only caveat is that fedora has a fast build cycle which means updates are only available a short time after 2 following releases (which amounts to about 14 months or so)

here is the 32bit iso

https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/22/Workstation/i386/iso/Fedora-Live-Workstation-i686-22-3.iso

you can also try ubuntu 14 which has longer support

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop
zalazar
Commented:
If you would go for Ubuntu then you could choose for a light-weight Window Manager like LXDE.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/LowMemorySystems
You could also look at Lubuntu or Xubuntu.
http://lubuntu.net/
http://xubuntu.org/
LGroup1

Author

Commented:
Great, thanks all,
rindi
Most Valuable Expert 2015

Commented:
I can really recommend the 32 bit XFCE version of Makulu Linux. It is lightning-fast, runs well on older hardware, and has very good looks. It is probably the "nicest" Linux distro available, and very easy to use. It is based on Ubuntu, so you have all the Ubuntu packages available, but it works much better than Ubuntu. If you want the full featured version download the "Normal Edition", not the "Lite Edition":

http://makululinux.com/downloads/
LGroup1

Author

Commented:
Sorry rindi, I just closed the thread just before your post - but I will look into that version as well,

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