Anyone have an old Chromebook they're not using?

[Onio]

I have this 10-year-old Chromebook that wasn't being used, and I wanted to give it new life, so I looked into installing Linux on it. Lo-and-behold, it worked, and I'm on it right now!

I think it's pretty neat that you can get a Linux machine for under $50. This isn't the fastest machine, but it's absolutely functional, with a monitor, keyboard, wifi, webcam, USB ports.. running Linux Mint 21.1 Best of all, it's cheap (or free, if you already have an unused Chromebook and a USB drive or SD card you're willing to format.) I even checked Craigslist, and I saw a Chromebook that was 3 years newer and a bit better than the one I'm using, listed for $25. $25 for a potential Linux laptop. Imagine that!

[tarraxahum]

...Now I'm actually curious if my parents have thrown out my mom's old Chromebook after it started being very slow from age.

Do you think installing a new system on it would help the poor thing work better again?

I've been eyeing Linux systems for a while now, but I'm not ready to commit to converting my main PC to it. Some crucial games and software I would really rather not lose do not seem to be doing well on Linux, or so my research have shown.

Now, having a separate little machine to try it out does seem fun, though...

[Onio]

...Now I'm actually curious if my parents have thrown out my mom's old Chromebook after it started being very slow from age.

Do you think installing a new system on it would help the poor thing work better again?

I've been eyeing Linux systems for a while now, but I'm not ready to commit to converting my main PC to it. Some crucial games and software I would really rather not lose do not seem to be doing well on Linux, or so my research have shown.

Now, having a separate little machine to try it out does seem fun, though...

Well, doing a powerwash of the Chromebook might actually make it run better. The keys to initiate this are Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R. It essentially resets the Chromebook, so any local data is wiped from the Chromebook.

Having a separate machine to experiment with Linux is definitely a pro. I didn't want to mess around with installing it and dualbooting on my main machine either. I don't think I would have messed with Linux if it weren't for this Chromebook, and while running it on my specific Chromebook might not seem like the best introduction to Linux, I think it has actually shown me how quick and lightweight Linux is, because Windows 10 definitely wouldn't be running on this machine. I see no cons in trying it, especially since it just wasn't being used beforehand.

Now let me say, Linux definitely doesn't run faster than ChromeOS on a Chromebook. Linux is simply larger and takes more system resources. That being said, there could be multiple reasons why your Chromebook is running slowly with just ChromeOS, such as the number and types of apps and extensions on the machine. So I would recommend just resetting it (if your parents don't mind) and seeing how it performs. If it happens to speed things up, then I would definitely give it a shot with Linux.

I do want to be clear, Linux isn't running "fast" on this Chromebook. I had 4 tabs open, and Discord open at the same time, and it slowed down to a crawl when I decided to browse a new website on a 5th tab. The reason for this is that this Chromebook has a measly 2gb of RAM, so I can't expect much out of it, but it still runs well and lets me play around with this distro, so long as I'm considerate about resources and don't try to treat it like a multitasking workhorse. I'm limited to a couple programs at a time.

If you look up the model of that Chromebook and it has 4gb of memory, you might have a really good time with a light weight distro! I know there are also some Chromebooks with 8gb going for $120-$180 new - I could see those being good options for starting with Linux without investing too much into it. If you think that's an option, try converting the old Chromebook into a Linux machine first just to get a sense for the process. It's not hard, but you still have to go through a few steps, such as opening it up to remove a write-protect screw, flashing a USB/SD card to hold the Linux image for installation, etc. If you can do it on the old one and feel comfortable with it, then a newer Chromebook might be a solid option.

[purelyconstructive]

If the most lightweight form of Linux Mint is still slow (i.e.: the one with Xfce), then you could always go with some form of Puppy Linux. I have gotten it running on an old HP Netbook from the early 2000s before.

If it is okay to ask tarraxahum, what type of Windows software did you want to keep? Most common software programs have a free and open-source equivalent (e.g.: LibreOffice instead of MSOffice, GNU Image Manipulation Program instead of Adobe Photoshop, Kdenlive instead of Adobe Premier, LMMS instead of Avid Pro Tools, etc.). They function in ways that are very similar and should be compatible with many of the file types that you might already have.

I don't really game much any more, but I do know that both Steam and Itch.io allow one to search for games that will run on Linux. Games from multiple sources can be organized and run through a management system (like Lutris or GameHub). A lot of people also use Wine (which allows one to run Windows programs on Linux on-the-fly).

[tarraxahum]

If it is okay to ask tarraxahum, what type of Windows software did you want to keep?

I think at the moment of considering Linux the biggest contender was Clip Studio Paint, which I've heard is possible, but not quite easy to run on Linux, most likely through Wine you've mentioned (and I'm aware there are alternatives available, but CSP's toolset for comic/manga making specifically, as well as the library of assets is fairly benefitial to me

As far as games go, for example the infamous Cyberpunk 2077 is very dear to my heart and every source I've read claims that it runs very clunky on Linux even through Wine (while on Windows my hardware allows it to more or less fly with no bugs even)

[Memory]

As far as games go, for example the infamous Cyberpunk 2077 is very dear to my heart and every source I've read claims that it runs very clunky on Linux even through Wine (while on Windows my hardware allows it to more or less fly with no bugs even)

Hmm, that's strange, it runs without a hitch for me using Proton GE 43.

[purelyconstructive]

I think at the moment of considering Linux the biggest contender was Clip Studio Paint, which I've heard is possible, but not quite easy to run on Linux, most likely through Wine you've mentioned (and I'm aware there are alternatives available, but CSP's toolset for comic/manga making specifically, as well as the library of assets is fairly benefitial to me

Ah yes, Clip Studio Paint has great tools for perspective, layouts, and halftones! Linux installation (even with Wine) seems to be hit-or-miss though, so I can totally understand if that one piece of software is a "dealbreaker" for you. However, if anyone here is willing to try an alternative, many people like Krita. There are tutorials introducing the software specifically for the purpose of making comics, long demonstrations of how to use it to create a comic page from start to finish, and shorter videos on how to do similar processes (like setting up panels and gutters).

[Onio]

For some reason, I felt compelled to make a cheap computer club. If anyone would like to a share photo of a cheap computer they use often, I'll add the image and a link to your site.

[Swiftpaw]

I'm sending this from my Chromebook which I installed Linux on within a year of getting it

Though I have a habit of getting old laptops from people and giving them a new life by installing Linux, I have three I've done that with now I want to say? I should try to do more with them but I'm honestly not sure what to do beyond maybe making a home server.

[Onio]

I'm sending this from my Chromebook which I installed Linux on within a year of getting it

Though I have a habit of getting old laptops from people and giving them a new life by installing Linux, I have three I've done that with now I want to say? I should try to do more with them but I'm honestly not sure what to do beyond maybe making a home server.

You could sell them on eBay, or give them away to people in need? Just make sure they pay shipping or, make them look really cool and funky so I can added them to my website.

[Memory]

For some reason, I felt compelled to make a cheap computer club. If anyone would like to a share photo of a cheap computer they use often, I'll add the image and a link to your site.

By the way, you can post this in Clubs and Cliques I think so more people see it!

[Onio]

By the way, you can post this in Clubs and Cliques I think so more people see it!

Ooh, good idea. I'll try to condense the page a bit, clarify some guidelines and post there to make it more formal. Thank you

[Memory]

Ooh, good idea. I'll try to condense the page a bit, clarify some guidelines and post there to make it more formal. Thank you

I also don't know if you saw but I wrote you a PM. The notification is easily overlooked.