Linux

antiX I've used this before on an old laptop (also an atom and 2gb RAM) and it's very lightweight. It just doesn't have defaults that I prefer but if you tweak it enough, it should be fine.

Also, I'll just mention that it all means nothing as soon as you open a browser window. Then all your RAM is gonna be used up anyway.

Might be overkill (or underkill), but Tiny Core Linux is the most lightweight I know. While having an up to date kernel (6.1.2) and glibc (2.3.6).

What are the minimum requirements? An absolute minimum of RAM is 46mb. TC won't boot with anything less, no matter how many terabytes of swap you have. Microcore runs with 28mb of ram. The minimum cpu is i486DX (486 with a math processor). A recommended configuration: Pentium 2 or better, 128mb of ram + some swap

As other have already alluded to, any distro with a lightweight desktop environment should work on that laptop. However, we don't know if it would work out for you; simply for the fact that you haven't given any other information.

You can do a really slim install of Debian that should work. For DE I recommend LXQT.

If you're feeling adventurous, Alpine might be slightly lighter. It's a good distro.

Those specs are not going to get you a terribly fast experience, but my laptop runs Debian ok and it's in the same ballpark.

Debian with XFCE or LXDE.

https://distrochooser.de/

A request was made to sticky it

If you want to take it to the extreme, Alpine is probably one of the best options.

Debian stable or testing, with MATE or XFCE or something crazy like WindowMaker (wmaker)!

In my personal experience void linux ran the smoothest on all my old laptops (compared to stuff like arch and antiX, I defo didn't try everything).

It's not worth it. Ram is dirt cheap, you can get 8gb for like $30. For $150-$200, you can find an used Thinkpad that will perform 1000x better.

I would only use such a machine for playing with old software like Windows 2000 or XP, old Linux distros.

You can use whatever distro you want that you can install on it (btw it is a eeepc?), just avoid to install heavy programs and/or DE.

IIRC there should be a Debian derive distro for atoms, I used it on a eeepc, don't know of still a thing

I've heard Puppy Linux is good, never tried it myself however.

I was on the same boat few days ago, I pulled out my 2010 CR48, Atom processor and 2GB ram.

I end up with Archlinux with xcfe DE, a tad slow but completely workable.

If it's 32-bit, your options dwindle somewhat.

Armbian is lightweight, and has an x86 version.

Any modern browser will probably kill your setup anyway.

If you enjoy using older, less powerful computers, it's important to find a Linux distribution that can accommodate the limited resources. While extremely stripped-down distributions like Tinycore might seem appealing, they often lack the functionality and ease of use that come with more comprehensive distributions.

Instead, I would recommend learning how to use a window manager and forgoing a desktop manager. This approach allows you to maintain a lightweight system without sacrificing too much functionality.

When it comes to choosing a distribution, some are more bloated than others, so it's crucial to find one that offers a degree of flexibility during the installation process. In this regard, Debian is a great choice.

You can install Debian as a server, which will provide a minimal base system. From there, you can install a window manager and only the essential packages you need. This way, you can keep your system lean and efficient, perfect for older, low-powered computers.

Arch, with a lightweight desktop environment. If you have time and dedication, obviously.

I've been using Peppermint on my garbage laptop and it made it usable again.

DietPi is always a good option. It's designed for raspberry pi, but you can absolutely run it on a laptop and install your desktop environment (XFCE etc)

With the Atom processor, I had "best" result with Puppy linux whether from USB or actually installed to hard drive. I could run Lubuntu, MX, etc., Tiny core, for me, was a little too little and certainly not "fit and forget". When I bought a new (to me) laptop with more RAM and later chipset, I still stayed with Puppy. There's very little that can't be done with it.

What would you use this laptop for?

I've dealt with similar hardware, using Qtile over a Manjaro base, but had to mostly use CLI/TUI apps. Anything related to web browsing is a pain.

Just toss it.

arch with i3

Surprised Void Linux has not been recommended. I suggest giving it a try.

You know those Acer mini laptops from around 2010 back when tablets weren't really a thing?

Linux Mint runs on those bad boys.

I've heard Debian and Alpine are good lightweight distros

I think most distros will run fine on most hardware though (please correct me if I'm wrong) it's the software you run on it (as in, going with a GNOME desktop environment is going to be much more demanding than xfce for example)

@heehaw Use a lxqt based distro and it will run smoothly

If you're new to Linux, try Lubuntu. If not, then try BunsenLabs.

AntiX or MX, both should work

Fedora MATE or LxQt