> Ubuntu can barely run with 2 GB of RAM
That's probably if you're running Gnome. I've found that Ubuntu is pretty fast on very old (> 10 years old) equipment if you use i3wm or Openbox. AFAICT the only reason old hardware is a problem with recent distros is graphics. Lighter desktops don't make the same demands. I bought a cheap Dell laptop in 2018 for $300. It came with Windows 10, but there's honestly no way to use it. A default Ubuntu install is no better. Installed Openbox and it flies.