I don't know anything about Linux and the idea of installing it frightens me. Where do I start?

I bought a laptop yesterday, it came pre-installed with Windows 11. I hate win 11 so I switched it down to Windows 10, but then started considering using Linux for total control over the laptop, but here's the thing: I keep seeing memes about how complicated or fucky wucky Linux is to install and run. I love the idea of open source software and an operating system without any of the bullshit that comes with Windows, but most of the open source stuff I have is on my android and fairly easy to install. Installing and using Linux just feels like it'll be a whole different beast that'll eat up most of my time and I'm kind of intimidated by it.

TL;DR Linux scawy, how does a barely computer literate scrub like me who's used nothing but windows since the dawn of their life get started with Linux?

tkk13909 ,
@tkk13909@sopuli.xyz avatar

Like others have said, definitely try a few distributions out via USB before committing. Also, you can dm me if you need help beyond what you find online.

Good luck, and have fun!

steventrouble ,

Hello and welcome to the club! It depends on your skill level. For some it can be very difficult an OS, Linux or no.

I'd recommend practicing on a VM first to verify your technical chops.

Step 1: Download virtualbox and create a new Linux virtual machine with 30 GB of disk space.
Step 2: Download a Linux ISO and mount it in the VM.
Step 3: Maximize the VM window and install Linux.
Step 4: Play around with your new Linux installation as though it were your real OS.

jjlinux , (edited )

This will be the closest to bare metal install when compared to running it from USB. USB live tend to feel laggy, because of the bus, but in a VM, it's just like bare metal (almost) minus the "going all our" part.

Try many different distros and DEs before you make your choice.

Try atomic distros too, they may or may not be your cup of tea.

Go crazy on a VM. If you don't like it, nuke it, try again with something else.

The only problem is the insane amount of options, which is also what makes this so much fun.

BaalInvoker ,

Well, looks like you know how to format a PC. Then you already did 90% of the dirty work of installing and using a Linux.

Choose a friendly-linux distro and you'll be fine. I suggest you to try Arch (I'm joking!) Linux Mint, Fedora, PopOS or Zorin OS.

I think PopOs would be really easy!

boredsquirrel ,

I really like System76s work so even though never used PopOS it is very likely fine.

But Zorin, hell no. It is a randomly patched outdated GNOME and their installer is Buggy.

Just use Fedora with Dash to panel and you have a better experience.

snekerpimp ,

Don’t install on your main rig over your main hard drive. Don’t obliterate your windows drive, that will ease a lot of the intimidation, knowing you can always go back. Getting a cheep laptop or thin client to try distros out on will elevate that intimidation as well.

Start with what you have heard of and have been recommended repeatedly, Mint, popOS, Ubuntu, all great distros to learn on, have great documentation.

Also, read the docs. They are dry and long, but will always have the solution.

tabular ,
@tabular@lemmy.world avatar

In my experience it being easy to just switch back to Windows wasn't always a good thing. When there was an issue or I had something new to learn sometimes I would just take the easier option of switching out the Linux drive for the Windows one, even though I really wanted to stop using Windows.

Not saying OP should go cold turkey, but something perhaps worth considering at some point.

swooosh ,

It does not matter much which distro you choose, as long as you choose a bigger distro. They are all well supported linux systems. Use a live USB. You do not have to install it, you can plug it in and use it. Or, install via a virtual machine.

SendMePhotos ,

If you can install windows, you can install Linux. Easy distro are Ubuntu or maybe Mint. Medium may be fedora or something.

I might get hate but Fuck gnome and debian. Debian is solid af don't get me wrong but Holy hell it feels like the Apple of Linux.

ArcaneSlime ,

Tbh Fedora can be harder, or you can click "automatic" and let it fly lol.

Actually I was trying to set it up the way I was used to with the custom-blivet option like 2 days ago to upgrade to 40 and it wouldn't let me install because of some firmware or kernel bug (the error was unhelpful), so I tried auto and it worked! Not sure if it's because this laptop is dying though, and I have a framework coming in the next few weeks so who cares, but auto worked when custom wouldn't!

Adanisi ,
@Adanisi@lemmy.zip avatar

The Apple of Linux? Is that not Ubuntu?

SendMePhotos ,

Ubuntu allows users to do things. Debian GNOME made me feel locked up and restricted.

Adanisi ,
@Adanisi@lemmy.zip avatar

I think that's GNOME's fault. Debian allows you to do more than Ubuntu, for example by not ramming proprietary snaps down your throat when you try to use apt.

toynbee ,

Alongside many of the useful comments here, I'd like to add one great thing about installing Linux on a new computer: you can't accidentally anything on the new computer! There's presumably no data to be lost, you can even install Linux without ever booting into the Windows environment. If you don't have it connected to your network, there's nearly no risk; even if you do, that risk is minimal. I always feel a distinct comfort imaging a system that's never been used.

As for the how, others have covered it, but just identify your distribution of choice (Fedora and Linux Mint are great starters), download the ISO from their website, plug a thumb drive into any running system, and download a USB imaging tool. Balena Etcher is a popular one and the one I use, but many others are available and popular as well if you have a preference.

ko4fzg ,

Check out Linux Mint or Fedora, ez pz

GolfNovemberUniform ,
@GolfNovemberUniform@lemmy.ml avatar

Fedora's installer can be confusing for new users and you need to know some technical terms (3rd party repos, Flathub etc) to set it up

boredsquirrel ,

The installer is actually pretty easy, even though a bit strange in some parts, really stable.

Like, better than Calamares in my eyes.

But yes, on Fedora you basically need

flatpak remote-delete -y fedora
flatpak remote-add flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

And on NVIDIA good luck, I would honestly just use uBlue there.

shigutso ,
@shigutso@lemmy.world avatar

You are not "barely computer literate". Most people have no idea how to put a OS installer on a flash drive and boot from it. If you know how to format your laptop and reinstall Windows, you know how to install Linux. Install any beginner distro (Ubuntu, Linux Mint, etc) and have fun. Google is your friend if you find any issues. There are a lot of resources online to help you.

If you want to play games or use any specific Windows-only software you may have to do some research, but if just for browsing the web you will most probably have a good time. Don't be afraid to try and learn.

spicytuna62 ,
@spicytuna62@lemmy.world avatar

Mint and Kubuntu are great for newbies. Ubuntu is also great, but the community hates Ubuntu these days so be ready to get replies criticizing Ubuntu or your choice to use it. It still makes a lot of shit really easy.

groche ,

In my opinion the hardest thing in linux is leave to use propietary or exclusive software for windows, the first think you must do is leave to use propietary software in windows, and when you can live without windows exclusive programs, switch to linux.
You can start for ubuntu or other linux friendly distribution, doesn't care, afther the migration you can try other for curiosity without risk

demoman ,

Installing linux is actually very easy and painless depending on your distro choice. What do you need your computer to do? Your choice of distro would depend on the answer to that question so we cant advise any further.

DaddleDew , (edited )

I was hesitant for a long while and ended up installing Linux Mint on an old SSD I had laying around this way there was no commitment.

Now I'm realizing I haven't booted up my regular windows 10 drive ever since and am considering getting rid of it altogether.

On a side note I created a virtual machine on the Linux side that runs Windows 10 LTSC on it for a few other programs I sometimes need that would be very difficult or impossible to make work on Linux like Inventor, Office and Photoshop. It lives trapped in the box and isn't allowed to connect to the internet. If I need to download something for it I download it on Linux and drag and drop it into the box. It's like having a little pet Windows that you keep locked in a pen, so it works for you and only for you and it can't escape to go into your house to spy on you and shit bloatware all over your carpet.

bloodfart ,

Distro choice doesn’t matter. Alternately, just use Debian.

It’s hard to use a different computer and nothing will make that easier. If you’ve ever been plopped down in front of a Mac you probably already know this.

Pay attention during the install process and ask questions when you don’t understand something. Don’t be afraid to bail out if you’re worried about messing something up. Make a backup so you can’t lose anything when you do mess something up.

Dual booting is what you’ll do to start with, but windows updates tend to break the system that allows you to choose Linux or windows at boot time. The first time it happens you’ll have to figure out a way to fix it.

boredsquirrel ,

just use Debian.

If you only get your stuff from homebrew, Distrobox of Flatpak, yes.

Debian has severely outdated packages, like 2 years old on Bookworm. I would never recommend anyone to run outdated software.

Not every software vendor publishes LTS releases. Firefox, Thunderbird all fine. But the rest is randomly frozen, and this will result in unfixed errors for years.

bloodfart ,

I get what you’re saying, but that’s bad advice for a new user. They’re already gonna be having to relearn how the computer works and how to fix stuff that breaks/make it do what they want.

It’s more important to have a broadly supported and used system with ample documentation in that situation than it is to have the most recent packages.

boredsquirrel ,

It is important that you get fixes to packages that occured in the last like 2 years.

It is generally not really nice to run outdated software, even though it works kinda well.

If you use Debian you really need to use Flatpaks, and Mozillas PPA for regular Firefox. Then yes, probably a good OS.

I started on MX Linux because some strange Distrowatch bump. My IT support told me my Nextcloud version was outdated, and I didnt know Flatpak back then.

eyeon ,

It depends on the package really. Sometimes you're better off without the fixes that occurred in the last 2 years if it means avoiding the new bugs in the last 2 years.

IMO the more you try to stick to the latest releases, the more important it is to continue to stay updated. but every upgrade is a chance for new bugs or just breaking changes, so for new users starting with a stable distro is a good choice.

.. except for browsers, where you both need the newest features but REALLY need the newest fixes.

boredsquirrel ,

Browsers are just bundles of lots of internetfacing software. Not the only one by far, but for sure a big part.

bloodfart ,

I agree that some stuff has gotta stay up to date, I guess I see that more as part of learning how the system works and how to break it/weld shit onto it problem instead of starting from a rolling release.

boredsquirrel ,

Dont know if I understood that sentence.

Testing packages is fine. But randomly stopping updates from upstream maintainers makes no sense. If you develop the software you can freeze packages. Or if upstream has dedicated LTS/ESR variants. But not if you dont.

bloodfart ,

Now I’m not sure I’m the one who understands!

I was saying that it’s better for a new user to come to the understanding that their system has its own version of everything and learn how to work around that when they need to rather than start from a rolling release where everything is as new as possible.

boredsquirrel ,

I mean software devs release software when it is ready. Fedora also is semi-rolling and especially the older release has some form of held back packages.

But knowing "my distro ships packages with some random frozen number and these issues will simply not be fixed in a long time" is not really helpful.

Also, people dont know this from anywhere. Android, macOS, Windows all have separated software that is officially maintained and uses the latest stable version. Only Linux distros use this strange packaging form.

So I think using Flatpaks is way better, as they are often officially maintained. A lot of them are not, but they manage the separation from the system very well, so you actually run the latest versions without any chance to break the system.

bloodfart ,

I guess if you think flat packs and snaps and rolling releases are gonna replace the usual way Linux distributions have done things then that would be good advice for a new person.

No matter the merits of either position, I think the better advice for a new user is to learn how things are now rather than learning the rolling way.

It’s worth noting that neither way is directly analogous to how windows or macOS handle software updates because… they generally don’t! Aside from software out of either systems store, user downloaded software is now expected to run its own update when it’s launched.

Maybe that’s more like snaps because doesn’t snapd periodically run and check for stuff?

boredsquirrel ,

Only Appimages are that messy, and Flatpaks are way better. Not managing software at all is pretty horrible.

I think macOS has a store though, but not much software is there. Same as on Windows.

bloodfart ,

I didn’t even consider appimages. What a nightmare this all must be.

Blisterexe ,
@Blisterexe@lemmy.zip avatar

For me to give better recommendations or help than what other people are saying, I'd need more info, I can help you here, but id rather help you on a chat app, I'm available on matrix, signal and discord.

The extra info I'd need is stuff like whats the model of your PC, what do you use it for, what are your preferences, ect.

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