Right. I do have some nostalgia for installing Linux on a brand new PC which had less total RAM than my computer today has cache, but we need to be clear eyed about what makes sense for a maintained piece of software. I also have feelings about steam trains, but burning coal is not a sensible way to power a train in 2025.

A nostalgia-fuelled Linux distro, maybe using a deliberately slimmed down or retro kernel, and chosen software could make a lot more sense than keep trying to squeeze Debian onto hardware that was already obsolete at the turn of the century while also promoting Debian as a viable choice for a brand new laptop.