[c22]

So the author complains that there are linuxes that run on vintage hardware, but they're not usable by novice linux users. The problem, I guess, is that linux on vintage hardware is too inaccessible to people coming from windows, but all the accessible distros are bloated from too much "Microsoft disease?"

Perhaps the features you want are a byproduct of this "disease" then? If you don't want bloated software you may need to get off the bloated software express train and learn how to use something a little more esoteric.

I'm running Sparkylinux on literally that exact model and vintage of Dell laptop and it works fine. It came with an installer and booted fine off of USB, I'm not sure what the problem is. How many vintage hardware aficionados are there who are also unwilling to learn anything new about computers?

[soneil]

The irony for me is that they're not being asked to learn something new, they're being asked to learn something vintage.

A full modern gnome/KDE desktop environment might be a lot more user-friendly than, eg, blackbox - but they also price you out of the 20-year-old laptop. OP wants to have their cake and eat it - and they can, but it will require a bigger plate.

[TLM275]

I just tried booting my Dell Inspiron 5100 from a Sparkylinux USB stick, and it had a kernel panic. How were you able to install it?

[c22]

I apologize, I may have commented a little rashly. I just double checked and it is actually an Inspiron 600m (which I believe is even more vintage than the 5100?)

It wasn't originally in my plans for this weekend, but your comment got me concerned I may have misremembered other details. I just tried installing (32 bit) 5.14 off a USB stick and it did, indeed, work just fine. Sorry you had trouble with your config :(