It may not look like it’s been that long, but Windows 7 will complete a decade of existence in July 2019. Its release was marked by the delight of many users for its different performance and visuals. Since then, Microsoft has already released Windows 8 and 10 to replace it, and in early 2019, it was announced that Windows 7 will no longer receive updates as of January 14, 2020.
While still being used by many people around the world due to working well on more modest machines, the fact that the system stops receiving updates poses a risk to its users, since new security holes can be discovered but will not receive any fixes. If you’re concerned about this, one solution might be to replace Windows 7 with a Linux distribution. Next, check out five Linux distributions that can stay in place for your Windows 7.
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Selection criteria for distributions
As mentioned above, Windows 7 can still run a little better than Windows 10 on machines with more modest configurations. Although Linux is very light in most cases, some distributions have more complex usability, which can end up scaring new users.
Thus, to elaborate this list of distributions, Tech Khiladi selected some versions of Linux that are friendly and run well on most computers. In addition, other important issues such as accompanying programs and graphical environment used, for example, were also evaluated.
The list of recommended Linux distributions
The selection below has five different options, which are maintained by different communities. See which distributions are chosen:
Linux Deepin
Using Debian as its primary base, this distribution relies on a graphical environment created exclusively for Debian. Inside the system, you’ll notice at various times features that mix Windows with Mac OS, the Apple system.
By choosing to leave a few applications pre-installed, which ensures a lightweight system when installed, the system has its own application store. In this way, if the user misses a program, it will not be necessary to manually search the internet, having a wide range of applications at their disposal.
React OS
The most different distribution of our selection is with React OS, which has its own engine, being different from the other systems that are based on Debian, Red Hat or Arch. The choice for this is because this distribution is compatible with Windows programs, that is, most Microsoft system applications can be run on it without having to configure Wine, a program that can accomplish this task.
Although it is already fully usable and has good compatibility with Windows programs, as you may have noticed in the image above, React OS still has a more outdated look, remembering the classic Windows 2000 or XP with visual options disabled. In contrast, this distribution that is still under development runs well on any computer that has more than 256 MB of RAM, much less than required by Windows 7.
Netrunner
Perhaps the least known distribution of this list because it is relatively recent, but still has great qualities and owes nothing to any of the other options. Netrunner is a Debian-based distribution for both old and new machines.
One of its good points, for example, is the praised KDE Plasma, which manages to leave the system with a good look and performance. In addition, Netrunner is pretty much ready to use when it is installed, with program options for surfing the internet, watching videos, listening to music, editing graphics, and editing documents.
Elementary OS
For those who already have a computer with a more robust configuration, this distribution based on Ubuntu seeks to bring the maximum of features and special functions seen in Mac OS. As you can imagine, having Ubuntu as the base system, the big advantage is for the immense compatibility with applications and a good community behind to solve any problem with ease.
In addition to eye care, Elementary OS’s other appeal is the focus its developers have on maintaining user privacy, something that is increasingly important in everyday life for any task.
Linux Mint
Linux Mint has already been covered in other Digital Look materials, but it’s hard not to list it for any beginner in this type of system. In addition to being extremely light, Mint has 3 different graphics environments, so you will not be disappointed with its look.
Taking Elementary OS example, Linux Mint also uses Ubuntu as its base system but makes less drastic changes in the visual part and in its functionalities. In addition, by eliminating some unnecessary resources from Ubuntu, Linux Mint can also offer a low consumption of RAM.