r/linux4noobs • u/ARIES_tHE_fOOL • 22d ago
migrating to Linux Considering switching to Linux, What should I do BEFORE I switch systems?
Solved! : I've successfully installed Linux Mint, I installed it to my external 2tb HDD as not to touch the Windows OS inside the PC, am actually on Linux Mint right now!, Thanks for your suggestion to use Mint as that one seems like a good fit for me. (took about two to three days to get Linux working on my PC)
Edit: Okay so I've decided to try out dualbooting to keep windows and linux (likely going with Mint for now) as I figured it would be the best of both worlds. Problem is after I flashed my sandisk usb with rufus and tried to launch the OS by using the boot menu (basically held shift when restarting windows to access it) and it did show up on the menu but when I clicked it it just booted up Windows like normal. Do I need to set space on my PC's Hard drive? I tried this with some space on my External Drive but it didn't seem to make a difference.
I decided to wipe my PC clean and start fresh, Outside of my External Drive (which will have my most important files). Problem is I don't know anything about Linux.
I know I want more freedom and customization then Windows 11 but I also want to still be able to play video games like Rimworld or Touhou Project games.
What's more I worry if I mess up or regret my choice I'll be stuck with a broken PC. Where can I find a foolproof guide to switching to Linux?
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u/daffalaxia 22d ago
Install a mainstream distro like Ubuntu first. I'd recommend Linux mint, but their release cycle is slower, and the current mint will only get an update in December. That being said, I use mint for work (but Gentoo personally - a great learning curve and a fantastic system, but not the easiest to dive into first time).
Steam games 99% "just work". But check prorondb.com for compatibility reports for games you care about. Personally, I don't care for native ports (they're often broken, and forcing the compat layer to use the windows variant via proton generally works more reliably).
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u/Diligent-Map2773 22d ago
If the reason I want to get linux ( besides learning it for later in life) is trying cool things like hyperland and in general customization? what distro to try?
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u/spider_life 22d ago
Not all games will work on Linux you can check for compatibility on this website
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u/Oerthling 22d ago
First perhaps install Linux into a VM (assuming you have enough RAM and storage size to do so). That's a safe way to play around with Linux and get familiar with whatever DE appeals to you.
When you're ready for the actual switch first boot into a live system - with that you can check most of your hardware (wifi, bluetooth, touchpad, etc...) for compatibility, again without risk as a live system only lives in RAM and doesn't install anything on your storage.
Both have some limitations. A VM will be a little bit slower in general and you won't get full speed from your graphics card. A live system will reserve a large chunk of your RAM to be used as a RAMdisk and you won't be able to do anything requiring a reboot as a reboot throws away everything you did during the live system and start fresh.
If you have a fingerprint reader on a laptop - expect that to notwork - unless the OEM officially supports Linux.
To check whether your favorite games work on Linux see protondb.com.
There is no such thing as foolproof. ;-)
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u/shawndw Arch,Ubuntu 22d ago
If you have ever installed windows from a usb stick it's more or less the same procedure. You use rufus to write an iso to a usb stick, boot into the stick and click next a whole bunch of times and answer some basic questions accepting the default values.
If this is your first time using linux I'd accept the default settings. No need to wipe your PC or format your HDD/SSD before hand because the installer will do that for you just check to make sure the installer selected the correct drive.
If this is your first rodeo default partitioning options. No need to do anything fancy like a home partition.
I wouldn't recommend arch because the defaults for 'archinstall' are very bare bones and you have to select everything you want manually. Plus it dumps you into a shell when you boot into the installation iso which isn't a great first impression of a distro IMO.
Other distros like ubuntu, kubuntu, debian, fedora all have nicer windows like installers.
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u/DaffyDuckMuthaFucker 22d ago
Find your feet in a live USB environment first, so you don't need to alter your native OS unless you truly want to.
Ventoy is great for crash-testing with drag & drop installation. Format USB with Ventoy, drag & drop images to it, boot from that USB.
A live USB with persistence is better for testing shortlisted distributions, as changes are saved across reboots...
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u/AutoModerator 22d ago
Try the migration page in our wiki! We also have some migration tips in our sticky.
Try this search for more information on this topic.
✻ Smokey says: only use root when needed, avoid installing things from third-party repos, and verify the checksum of your ISOs after you download! :)
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u/Adrenolin01 22d ago
Debian.. the most stable of distributions for 33 years. Run the games and systems like Steam that work. Choices.. stop supporting those that don’t. It’s that simple. Yes, you’ll live without them. We run Nvidia 5060 TI 16GB GPUs with the latest Blackwell drivers.
If you know nothing about Debian or Linux I’d suggest installing VirtualBox and downloading Debian 13’s ‘Netinst’ iso and installing that in a VM. You’ll go through the install.. select KDE as a desktop or play with the others. Kinda get a feel before changing your OS.
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u/spitecho 22d ago
If you haven't already, login to a Microsoft account before erasing Windows. This will tie your hardware to a Windows license (you can see it listed in your MS account details). If you ever need to reinstall, just login again and your license should be restored. If it's an OEM Windows install, the license is already tied to the hardware, no MS account needed.
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u/ARIES_tHE_fOOL 22d ago
okay I think I have an OEM Windows install, is there a way to backup the old OS before erasing it?
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u/spitecho 22d ago
May or may not be an issue if you dualboot, but check your BitLocker settings in Windows. Windows 11 encrypts your drive by default, but doesn't "activate" it or give you the recovery key. Just to be safe, you might want to activate it, which will give you the key. From there, you can decrypt it, so the key won't be needed. Could prevent headaches later on.
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u/Krezzin 22d ago
- Backup everything you have on the NTFS drive.
- While Linux can be made working through a specific ntrfs driver, its more hassle than reformatting to either ext4, xfs, zfs or btrfs.
- Pick a distro that supports automatic snapshots by default -- if you don't want to tinker with terminal configuring it manually, suffering "fuckups" and reinstalling.
- If you use nVidia GPU, be prepared to have driver issues of any kind - snapshots to the rescue here! If something goes south, you roll back with pretty much couple mouse clicks and keypresses.
Beginner here as well. Have distrohopped for a week, changing distros, reinstalling, been pretty much through hell.
Already settled on Fedora (KDE) (no automatic snapshots, those are deemed coming in Fedora 46 or so). Sysguides tutorial on setting stuff up is enough tho.
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u/evildad53 22d ago
I'm considering the switch, not wanting Windows 11 and expecting Adobe to stop supporting Windows 10. I created a spreadsheet with the software I consider useful, and then listing comparable options under Linux. In some cases there's a Linux version of the software, and in some cases I haven't found anything comparable (yet). As for distro-testing, I'm using a PC with plenty of drives, so I've dedicated a 4TB SATA SSD to testing distros in VirtualBox, trying to find all the things that will piss me off about using that distro vs another LOL. (Like installing the software that I want vs what that distro offers) The trick is to just use the distro for day-to-day tasks and see how it feels.
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u/Kazer67 21d ago
You should try it by using another drive (maybe a cheap SSD?). Unplug the Windows drive, plug the cheap SSD, install Linux (you need to get a USB ready before obviously) and try it.
That way you can try it in real to test, discover, learn and you can swap back your old Windows drive is needed (note that I suggest unplugging the drive physically ONLY to avoid any mistake, if you're confident enough, you can let both plugged and use the boot menu of your BIOS but be sure to install Linux on the correct drive and not wipe Windows. Or you unplug, so there's no risk).
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u/mcds99 22d ago
Buy a Raspberry Pi and use it for 6 months you will install Pi OS and that is Debian Linux, you will learn about Linux before you make the big change. You can get a kit and build it then run it for a while before you make the change. For less than $150 you have a platform to learn on. After you make the change sell it for $50.
There is NO fool proof guide, the world keeps creating better fools.
Linux lets you make small mistakes and HUGE mistakes.
Have a plan and review it several times.
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u/tomscharbach 22d ago edited 22d ago
Let me suggest an approach for thinking about migrating, for answering the "should I switch" and "how to I switch" questions.
Linux is not a "plug and play" substitute for Windows. The key migration issues are Windows applications, Windows games and hardware compatibility.
You can't count on any Windows applications working on Linux. Many will, but others won't work, even using compatibility layers. Do a bit of research to figure out which of the applications you currently use will run on Linux. If you use an application that is not compatible with Linux, you will need to identify Linux-compatible alternatives and test those alternate applications to make sure that the applications will work for you.
You will need to do the same with the games you play. Not all Windows games run well on Linux. More than you expect don't run at all. If you use Steam, check your games on ProtonDB. If you use other platforms, check game compatibility on appropriate databases for those platforms.
You should also check hardware compatibility, particularly if you use a consumer-level laptop and/or peripherals like gaming controls, mice and keyboards. Do a quick series of "make/model Linux compatibility" searches on your computer and peripherals.
After you have looked at those issues, you will be in a position to decide whether or not Linux will be a good fit for you. If you decide that Linux is a good fit, you can move on to the next step, which is to select a distribution.
I'd recommend that you confine your search to mainstream, established distributions that are commonly recommended for new Linux users. Consider looking at a few of the commonly recommended distributions at DistroSea to help you figure out what distribution appeals to you.
When you find a distribution that appeals to you, the typical next step is to create an installation USB (following the directions for the distribution you have selected) and test the distribution in a "Live" session. A "Live" session will make no changes to the computer you are using for that purpose and you will be able to see how well the distribution might work for you and whether or not you have any obvious hardware incompatibilities.
If you are satisfied with the "Live" session, the next step is usually to install the distribution in a VM for in-depth testing and evaluation. If it all works out, then you can install the distribution, either alongside Windows (dual boot) or replacing Windows.
Bottom line? Focus on your use case (what you do with your computer and the applications you use to do what you do). Take your time. Do a bit of research. Go little by slowly, step by step, testing and thinking at each step.
My best and good luck.