Installing Ubuntu-Mate on an Old/Ageing Laptop

What is Ubuntu-Mate?

It is a free and open source linux distribution system and an official derivative of Ubuntu. The only difference between other Ubuntu OS's is that it uses the MATE desktop environment as its mainframe

Why did I pick this os for this specific project?

Well it is known to have saved old computers and laptops that are slow. It is less intensive on the computer and uses less more ram.

Step 1: The Materials Used

Hardware:

An old laptop that 7 years old

A 4gb usb stick

A computer to download ubuntu mate 16.04 on

Software:

Ubuntu Mate 16.04 32 bit https://ubuntu-mate.org/download/

Etcher https://etcher.io/

Step 2: Insert the Bootable USB Stick In

I am assuming that you have created a bootable USB drive, if not here is a link on how to do it: https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux/create-a-bootable-ubuntu-usb-flash-drive-the-easy-way/

But you will need to change the boot order of your laptop/computer. Here is a tutorial on that

https://www.lifewire.com/change-the-boot-order-in-bios-2624528

Now, I will not go through the whole process but I will show several important steps. First, a step where it will ask you if you want to Download Updates while installing ubuntu mate and to Install Third Party Software. I checked both and clicked continue. You do not have to check both but that is up to you.

Step 3: Installing the Software Onto Your Computer

Now, when you get to this stage it will ask you how you want to install ubuntu mate onto your computer. First it will ask you if you want to erase your entire disk and install ubuntu (DO THIS IF YOU ONLY WANT UBUNTU ON YOUR COMPUTER, OTHERWISE YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE WINDOWS BECAUSE IT WILL BE DELETED). The second option is to Encrypt Ubuntu Mate for security which will require to type in a security key in the next step. The third option is that you will use Ubuntu Mate for LVM (Logical Volume Management) for easier partition resizing of files and for taking snapshots. The final and last option is that if you want to create and resize the partitions yourself. The option I picked was Erase disk and Install Ubuntu Mate because I am gonna use this laptop as my linux device and clicked Install Now. Whichever option you pick is up to you.

Step 4: Creating the User

In this step, you are creating a user for you to log into. So it will ask for your name, name of the computer, a username and a password. You have a choice if you want to log in automatically or to require a password for when you log in. This option is up to you. But I would not recommend to check encrypt your home folder as it has led to some problem. Personally, I picked Require my password to log in and clicked continue.