this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2023
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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For the 32-bit machine, Debian 12 with XFCE or LXQt. There's lighter desktops but those get outside of noob territory.
I did this with an old server at work recently, it's an old 2GB DDR2 single-core 32-bit VIA CPU. It's maxes out at 2GB because it only has a single RAM slot, but despite this it's ok with Debian 12. You get to have modern software on "e-waste".
For the others, try to bump them up to at least 4GB of RAM, 8 preferably, and throw Linux Mint on them. Either the XFCE edition or the flagship Cinnamon desktop, it's very performance even on older hardware I've found.
And if you really want to make them feel faster. Ditch those hard drives and get some cheap SATA SSD's. It makes all the difference in the world.
EDIT: spelling mistakes