Thursday, July 2, 2026

Ten (12) Linux Distributions on an Old Laptop

20 Partitions

First 10 partitions for 2 instances of DEBIAN Forky (7.0.13+ 14 Debian ).

Then partition, 
11. for ARCH Ultimate Linux Gamer.

12. BlueStar Linux 
Most beautiful KDE desktop

13. Debian again 
This was a partition I found empty

14.MANJARO Linux

15. Mageia is here now.
It is Redhat and RPM based and couldn't work out my GRUB.
Got wrong did not boot.
Similar to Bodhi Linux UBUNTU based and couldn't recognize EFI and therefore no GRUB. 
Twice I got not paniky message.
No Boot Device as the hard disk gone bust.

Booting OK after AVL Me installation on partition 16.

16. Emmabanruts was here. It is gone.
AV Linux Moksha ( Enlightenment Desktop) is installed.
WiFi was configured during installation.
Brief installation and is based on Bodhi.
Very difficult to locate its image. I cannot from where I got it.
Beautiful and light weight distribution with synaptic package manager.
Thankfully, I had a copy in one of my 16USBs. I was about to erase it.

17. AVL Me is here.
Another Enlightenment Desktop.
Able configure panel size to 1, x1.5 and x2.
Size 1 very small, it is very difficult to read.

REBORN OS failed due to Errors in Keyboard Configuration. PeppermintOS has similar problems with the keyboard
Endeavor OS failed. It cannot run parallel with other distributions.
I miss REBORN OS.

18.
What is on 18?
Not boiting.
Probably a copy of AVL me. 
On this one, I tried to Install GNOME on top of Enlightenment Desktop but tailed.

19. BIG Linux 
Not Booting.
Root account locked.
Reinstall BIG Linux

20. This is the last had Debian but not booting.
It was reserve for CachyOS but I am yet to install it. It was there in partition 13 but erased it with Debian.

 
Bodhi Linux failed with both EFI and GRUB.
Peppermint failed .
Again due to faulty configuration of the keyboard.

By the way, I am Testing these distributions.
Not Live Sessions.
Not on a Virtual Machine.
I have GNOME Boxes but do not fancy Virtual Sessions.
Even the word virtual is in a sense offensive to me.
I am a real guy.
I am a Buddhist and a not a Virtual Guy but a functioning, retired doctor and a Universty Teacher until 66. 
Not any more.

If you count, there are 12 distributions in 500GB Hard Disk.

I am a Practical Man.

Let me also dish out;
Disadvantage of a Single Partition.
If the OP go bust no RECOVERY of DATA.

I do not recommended single partition.

I have two big /home partitions totaling 100GB for DATA. 
I do not format these two partitions and Linux Iso images are there in additions to my books not yet finshed. 

I took 2 months off from my books.It time consuming and boring until they are finished.

Linux Mint Installation - Now 14 Distributions in my Old Laptop

For completeness sake, I decided to install UBUNTU based distribution on my Laptop.
Bodhi Linux which is UBUNTU based failed.
EFI and GRUB problems.
I have the latest UBUNTU image and I have dissociated from UBUNTU so long revisiting it serves no purpose.
I had to increase the partitions to 22 to avoid unlucky 13 and there going to be 14 in total. I had to install Emmabantus which destroyed my GRUB BootLoader and adding Linux MINT fortuitous but appropriate.
Both take nearly one hour to install and is a bit of a PAIN apart from non Free or Proprietary software added to the pool.
I am revisting Linux Mint after, 32 bit Era.
I do not know what changes have come during the last decade.
It is all due to Language packs and LibreOffice which I do not use.
I use AbiWord which I am going to install using Synaptic Package Manager.

Total Failure.
Says no Boot Device.
EFI and GRUB not configureed.