I got an old Windows 7 laptop that was going to be thrown out and decided to put Linux on it (see previous thread here). Most people suggested I go with the latest stable version of Debian, so that’s what I installed. I’ve mostly used Windows, but I do have some experience with Ubuntu.

The installation went smoothly, but I’ve had a few problems getting it set up to my liking:

  1. I can’t figure out how to setup flatpak. Everything seems to be working fine until I enter the last line in the terminal:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

I hit enter and nothing happens. No error message or anything. I restarted the computer but flatpak doesn’t work, either through the software center or the flatpak website. I found a few forum posts with the same problem, but no solutions.

  1. I somehow set it up so that my username is not the super user, so I have to type a password in the terminal every time I want to use sudo. Is there a way to fix this without a clean install?

  2. I somehow set up the hard drive partitions so that the OS is on an encrypted partition, so I have to put in a password for the BIOS to boot up. Is there a way to fix this without a clean install?

  3. I’m used to a desktop interface with a toolbar/start menu that I can pin frequently-used programs to, but with Debian it seems like I need to click “Activities” to do anything. Is there a way to set up the interface so it’s more like Windows in that regard?

  4. If I need to do a clean install, I’m thinking of switching to Ubuntu, since I’m more familiar with the interface. Is there any reason why I should stick with Debian? I’ve heard some people trashing Ubuntu but I’m not sure why. Is Debian better for older hardware?

Edit: Thanks for all the knowledgeable replies. For reference, this is a Dell XPS M1530 running the 32 bit version of Debian 12 and Gnome.

  • WFH@lemm.eeEnglish
    6·
    1 year ago

    I can’t figure out how to setup flatpak. Everything seems to be working fine until I enter the last line in the terminal:

    Assuming you’ve installed flatpak correctly (sudo apt install flatpak gnome-software-plugin-flatpak)

    in a terminal, type flatpak remotes. If it lists flathub, you’re good.

    Try installing a random app like flatpak install flathub de.haeckerfelix.Shortwave

    It shoud work. If it doesn’t, post your logs.

    I have to type a password in the terminal every time I want to use sudo

    This is the intended behavior and should not be changed, it’s a basic security feature. Once you’ve finished setting up you system, you shouldn’t need sudo everyday anyway, except for updating/upgrading the system.

    I’m used to a desktop interface with a toolbar/start menu that I can pin frequently-used programs to, but with Debian it seems like I need to click “Activities” to do anything. Is there a way to set up the interface so it’s more like Windows in that regard?

    Assuming you’re using Gnome, this is easy to solve using Extensions. First if it’s not installed already on Firefox, install Gnome Shell Integration. It’ll let you manage Gnome Extensions directly from https://extensions.gnome.org/

    Then, install dash-to-panel for a “windows-style” experience, or dash-to-dock for a “macos-style” experience.

    After that, you can go wild on the extensions you want to use ;)

    If I need to do a clean install, I’m thinking of switching to Ubuntu, since I’m more familiar with the interface.

    Don’t. Ubuntu will teach you nothing but the Ubuntu way. Debian is as Standard Linux as conceivable. If your only concern is the Ubuntu-style interface, configuring dash to panel to appear on the left side is all you need.

    • Bobson_Dugnutt [he/him]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I tried “flatpak remotes” and it listed flathub. I also tried “echo $?” after installation and it returns 0. So it should be working.

      But when I try to install Shortwave in the terminal it says:

      error: Nothing matches de.haeckerfelix.Shortwave in remote flathub

      I also can’t find Shortwave in the software center.

      • WFH@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Oh yes that’s probably it, flathub doesn’t support 32 bits architectures anymore.

        Why did you choose this architecture? Almost all x86 CPU architectures from the last 20 years are 64 bits, you should reinstall using the AMD64 image. This will solve a lot of issues and insure you get the most of your hardware.

        • Bobson_Dugnutt [he/him]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
          0·
          1 year ago

          I was under the impression that it’s old enough to only work with the 32 bit OS. I’ll double check that and try installing the 64 bit version if I can.

          If the 32 bit version is all that will run, am I shit out of luck when it comes to running any modern software?

          • Patch@feddit.uk
            1·
            1 year ago

            I’ve just googled Dell XPS M1530 and it seems like it shipped with a Core 2 Duo CPU, which is 64 bit.

            For reference, the last mainstream 32 bit desktop processors were launched over 20 years ago. As a rule, if you’re trying to run a 32 bit machine in this day and age it is probably an antique, and running modern software on it would not be all that sensible even if you could.

          • WFH@lemm.eeEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            What’s your CPU? 99% sure that w7 era CPUs are all 64 bits.

            • Bobson_Dugnutt [he/him]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
              1·
              1 year ago

              It’s an intel core 2 duo t9300, which I’m pretty sure is 64 bit. I guess I was confused because it was previously running a 32 bit version of windows 7.

              Edit: I’m not sure if it’s amd64 or aarch64 or mips64. I think it’s amd.