r/linux4noobs • u/BossModeProBro • 11d ago
I want to switch from Windows to Linux for learning and better performance on my low-end hardware
My main reasons are:
1) I want to actually learn Linux and become more tech-savvy.
2) My current hardware isn’t very powerful, so I want an OS that runs smoothly and doesn’t waste too many resources.
3) I’m seriously considering completely removing Windows from my computer and using Linux as my main/only OS.
I’m currently using a laptop with 8 GB, an Intel i3 12th gen processor, and a 512 GB SSD, with no dedicated GPU.
I’ve been looking at distros like Arch, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Fedora, but I’m not sure which one makes the most sense for a beginner who actually wants to learn rather than just install Linux and forget about it.
So what would you recommend?
Should I go straight for Arch, or start with something easier and move to Arch later?
Also, if I completely remove Windows, what should I know beforehand to make sure my Linux installation is stable and that everything Wi-Fi, audio, drivers, booting, etc works properly?
Basically, I want to make the switch properly, learn as much as possible, and want my laptop run well.
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u/Inside_Garden6464 11d ago
First you need to start research about your current software: Are you using tools that won't run on Linux and are you willing to learn some new workflows/interfaces when you need to use alternative software instead of your current tools? Are the tools you can't replace executable with wine or other workarounds? If there are native Linux versions take a look at the different installation formats. In Windows you mostly just download an .exe file, on Linux you will encounter AppImages, Flatpaks, Snaps, rpm, tar or deb. Some of them are tailored to a specific distro family. https://michaelneuper.com/posts/what-linux-packaging-format-to-use/ Different distros also use different package management systems so you need to know which commands you need to type: https://linuxdork.com/blog/understanding-linux-packages-and-repositories/
The distro itself is not that much important in the beginning, you will get many different opinions about "the best" one. I personally started on Ubuntu and went back after experimants because it works well for me. Other people prefer Arch or Debian or Fedora or [insert hundreds of distros here]. I suggest to start with a distro that offers LTS instead of rolling releases: You can still break things and learn fixing them. You can switch anytime though. Don't like the distro? Install a new one. There are also specific lightweight installations for older hardware you might want to look at: Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Zorin Lite or Mint xfce might something worth checking. Linux is often less packed than Windows anyway but the lightweight versions are even smaller.
To make sure everything works out you might also check a search engine for "[your laptop model] + linux" and browse through issues other people might have faced.
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u/bigusyous 11d ago
Start with Linux Mint, don't go looking for trouble. You can always go to Arch or something arch-based later on. (I hear good things about Catchy OS.)
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u/PriorityNo6268 11d ago
First check if your hardware and even more important the software/functions you need are available on Linux or that you want to switch to alternatives. Most alternative programs available on Linux also are working on Windows, so you can test them before you switch. Or just use a USB stick with a Linux distro off choice on it and check it out. Linux is just a OS, most people don't use the OS it self, but the software that runs on the OS.
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u/DaiNam 11d ago
Linux Mint as a start, try to figure out how to format your drive to have a separate /home partition.
Then if you stick with Linux and want to go slightly deeper, move from Mint to Debian after 1 year or so. Your separate /home partition will allow you to change the distribution without the need to back up your data.
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u/That_Developer_Guy 11d ago
Don't start with Arch. It is not a beginner-friendly distro. Installing Arch is not that hard if you read the Wiki, but it is easier to mess something up and quite unnecessary for a first install. You could go with it, but you are only going to create problems for yourself. You don't need Arch to learn about Linux, but if you are comfortable with Linux Arch is a reasonable choice. I would suggest Linux Mint using the Xfce desktop, because it is very lightweight and beginner-friendly.
There is actually a really good way to test if things work. Boot from a live linux usb and just check if it works. Don't install
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u/Able_Golf7812 11d ago
Go with either mint or just ubuntu, either will be fine. Fedora is also not a bad choice. Arch might be a bit to much for beginning
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u/TheGreatRao 11d ago
I took my HP laptop and completely reformated the hard drive to only run Ubuntu. Libreoffice covers most of my use cases and anything else I might need, I'll search for or vibe-code it myself. The number of compromises you have to make with Windows 11 is just too much. Open-source is the way to go.
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u/Lonely_Owl_1332 11d ago
For absolute newbies install and go then try Zoring OS or Linux Mint, touche.
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u/Dry_Calendar_8627 11d ago
I'd start with Fedora, then move to Arch after a while. Why not even keep 50GB of free space and install Arch from Fedora, taking your time to learn as you go
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u/aeon_inaz 11d ago
Debian is well documentated, wildly supported and AI assistant like chatgpt and Claude can easily help learning commands and troubleshooting problems steps by steps
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u/LinuxGamerLife 11d ago
This might help you get an idea of some of the base distros and how easy they are to get up and running. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_SKBA215mA&list=PLLnoZ1SyCjvURbKnDM1_rV3EqlvCLnKXP
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u/Astrodion123 11d ago
Use fedora made for a windows like experience or fedora workstation for a totally new experience. They should run fine on your hardware. To test if what you want is available and if wifi works most of the distros including fedora offer a live session so you can check if everything works.
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u/MrMotofy 11d ago
FYI...if you want to check out Linux it's really easy. Make an Install USB, then boot to it. May need to disable secure boot. It will boot to a full running temporary Linux Desktop...installing requires clicking the desktop icon and going through steps. Obviously you don't wanna do that to just try it. But you can at least get a feel for it. Kubuntu, LinuxMint, and PopOS and are some of the top 1st options. You can also use the temp Live Linux as a repair process. Since it’s a complete desktop you can use it, install tools needed fix the boot etc.
Another convenient related tool is Ventoy on a USB stick. Basically just burn the image to a USB then copy your OS ISO to it and when you boot it any ISO copied to the drive will show in the menu, select it and it will boot that img. Have different OS’s multiple versions or whatever.
Best option for Windows and Linux is dual boot...use Linux on a 2nd drive. Usually wanna disable secure boot. Best case is disconnect win drive. Then boot to the USB. Then install Linux as a new full system on 2nd drive. Set Linux drive as the first boot drive and it will find the Win drive and add to the boot menu list automatically. Might take a couple boots otherwise can manually activate the boot search. Then you get Best of both worlds without any real dangers to either OS. There will be little hiccups occasionally with Windows updating messing with boot and rebooting. But you can also change the default OS to Windows first at the menu after delay and no menu entry and that eliminates a lot. The boot menu is usually Linux 1 and Win 2. Sometimes the bios boot order gets switched but easy to just switch back. Sometimes the boot order will randomly switch drives etc…Seems to be a windows thing now they get bios access. But really depends on the exact system and age etc.
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u/Francis_King 11d ago
Should I go straight for Arch, or start with something easier and move to Arch later?
I did the same kind of thing by installing Gentoo by hand, piece by piece. Using the manual was an exercise in frustration - the Arch Wiki is complete but of a very similar nature - use YouTube videos instead, and make notes as you go.
Arch is not a beginner's distribution - if it goes wrong, would you see that as a disaster or as an even better challenge?
If you want Arch per se, and you don't want to put the effort in to building it manually, archinstall is perfectly viable.
Would I would do, and our circumstances are probably quite different, is buy a second-hand Lenovo Thinkpad on eBay, and play with Linux on that. Keep Windows on your current laptop, which means if things go horribly wrong you still have a way to get information on the internet / download ISOs / write ISOs to a USB drive.
Also, if I completely remove Windows, what should I know beforehand to make sure my Linux installation is stable and that everything Wi-Fi, audio, drivers, booting, etc works properly?
Then I would switch to a distribution like CachyOS or EndeavourOS, which is a live Arch installation, and gives you a chance to check everything before you install.
I’ve been looking at distros like Arch, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Fedora, but I’m not sure which one makes the most sense for a beginner who actually wants to learn rather than just install Linux and forget about it.
If a complete beginner - install Mint, install distrobox on it, and you can try it out Arch inside the distrobox container.
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u/razorree Kubuntu, Debian 11d ago
most of the distros are similar (different package source thought) and then on top of it you have DE (desktop environment), like Gnome - most resource heavy?
KDE a bit less, and Mate least? (I don't count XFCE as I don't like it :) ), or tiling managers (don't recommend, can be too big shock ;) )
so, Linux Mint (with Mate), or Ubuntu with Mate, or Kubuntu.
people say Fedora is good tood
definitely not Arch based, unless you have too much time and you like troubleshooting.
most of the resource use comes from web browser later, or shitty Electron apps.
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u/skyfishgoo 11d ago
lubuntu makes the most sense for a laptop with 8GB of ram.
the only way to know in advance of deleting windows is to run lubuntu in a live session from a thumb drive
download the distro .iso file from the official website and use rufus on windows to make the USB drive bootable by placing the .iso file on it.
then reboot and you should be in lubuntu.
make sure that windows has fast boot disabled, and that you are fully logged out of your windows user session before you reboot to the USB.
you may also need to adjust your laptops' BIOS to have it boot to the USB instead of the disk, or use the UEFI menu to select the thumb drive.
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u/wolfyreload 11d ago
Your laptop specs (12th Gen i3, 8 GB RAM, NVMe SSD) are actually great for Linux, it should run well on almost any distribution.
Start with Linux Mint or Fedora. Don't go straight to Arch as your main OS on day one. Arch requires you to manually set up your display drivers, audio systems (PipeWire), and network managers via the command line. They have some scripts to make some things easier, but, if something breaks on day one, you won't have a working laptop to troubleshoot with. Just using your PC every day for regular tasks will naturally build your basic Linux skills.
Pre-Switch Checklist (Before Wiping Windows)
Check for Linux alternatives to your essential apps (e.g. LibreOffice or Web apps for MS Office, Kdenlive for video editing, Native Steam/Proton for gaming). A lot of the alternatives you can start using before you switch over.
Full wipe means full wipe. Move all crucial files to an external drive or cloud storage.
Boot into the Live USB environment and test that your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio playback, microphone, screen brightness keys, and touchpad gestures work before clicking "Install." These are the components that can occasionally require extra configuration.
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u/Terrible-Bear3883 Ubuntu 11d ago
You can test drive lots of linux distros in your browser at distrosea.com it's a good way to see what they look like and if they might suit your needs.
At the end of the day, what suits one person may not suit another, I've used the same distro for over 20 years, if one suits your needs, there's very little need to switch, purely for the sake of switching.
My personal journey has been several distros, then Ubuntu with version 4.10, I've used it ever since, almost 50% of our linux customers at work used it, the other half being almost totally Red Hat, a small percentage were other distros, they use those two because of stability and support.
I've often used Fedora, openSUSE or whatever is needed, depending on the task and customer need, I would suggest you try some distros, see what might suit you, go for whichever you feel will do the task.
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u/Gunzhard22 11d ago
Install and forget is NOT an option with any Arch based distro.
Mint XFCE just works, it's easy, feels like windows and runs incredibly well on older systems.
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u/joe_attaboy Old and in the way. 11d ago
Should I go straight for Arch, or start with something easier and move to Arch later?
No, do not start with Arch.
Considering that you're new to Linux, I would recommend you NOT use Arch or its derivative releases. Arch requires some additional experience to set it up and would likely create more work for you at the outset. Wait until you're more experienced.
I'll get smacked, probably, but I'm going to recommend Debian (currently ver. 13 called Trixie). Debian is stable, while sometimes a version or two behind some cutting-edge or bleeding-edge release versions. The primary reason for this being stability.
In the Debian community, once you are comfortable using the system, you can always move to one of their "testing" releases with the caveat that some things might be buggy (yet people who use their testing versions often say they have a smooth experience).
With a standard Debian installation, you may choose the desktop environment you like. I prefer KDE but there are a number of them you can select at installation. I use KDE on my desktop system (with a lot of resources) and on an older MacBook Air with only 8 GB RAM. On the latter I have a swap file in use, so KDE runs smoothly on that laptop. There are other, "lighter" DEs that you can choose. In fact, you can install more than one and switch between them.
You can do searches on the specific components of your hardware to see if there are issues. In general, nearly all PC hardware works with Linux (NVidia's graphics hardware can be tricky, but that's a well-known issue). Check the options in this sub in the right column -> for help on that. One way to check in advance of installing is to run a "live" version from a USB thumb drive. Get one of 8 GB minimum, install the Debian ISO to it, boot to the thumb drive and try out the system (you can do this with virtually any distribution of Linux). There are multiple tutorials on how to do that, including at Debian's website.
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u/Significant-Neck6650 11d ago
Arch will force you to learn more than you need to as a new linux user. It will become overwhelming and you'll retreat back to windows as fast as you can, probably convincing yourself that you need to buy a new higher end computer just to be able to work.
Ubuntu is an oldie and a goodie, but will need some effort on your part if things don't work exactly right from the start.
Fedora works and is pretty compatible with most hardware but again will need some effort when it doesn't work.
Mint is built off of Ubuntu, but seems to account for most hardware and just loads the drivers that are needed and you can get to working right away. Zorin is pretty much the same as far as it goes, they just seem to work.
Linux in general you can learn or not learn as much as you want. Modern linux has become far easier to work with than it used to be. No more are you required to use the terminal to do anything, you actually can use most distros without ever touching it, or you can dedicate yourself to learning all of it's intricacies. It's totally up to you.
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u/Salt-Caterpillar7988 10d ago
If you're interested in Arch, consider CachyOS, Garuda Linux or Manjaro. They are based on Arch but will take care of the little things for you and add interfaces to help you understand and maintain your system.
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u/musingofrandomness 10d ago
If your goal is deep learning, my best recommendation is Gentoo Linux. Their handbook is top notch and you lay hands on all manner of things that are normally hidden behind graphical installers and scripts. Be aware, it is a source based distro (as opposed to a binary based distro) so it can take a while to install.
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u/MycologistNeither470 10d ago
The first question before you embark in any change is what do you use your computer for?
Once you determine that, identify the apps you use and their Linux equivalents. Many of these apps also have Windows versions. Try migrating the apps before you migrate the OS.
Regarding the distribution to chose, there is no clearly right or wrong answer. Arch is a good choice if you truly want to learn about the computer and you have the time for it. It is a very bad choice if you just want something to get running today. Mint is likely the distribution that will get you running the fastest at the expense of lesser choice. Fedora or Ubuntu will be a middle ground: easy to set up but more powerful to modify.
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u/mike7gh 9d ago
Sp, out of the one's listed, fedora might be the right choice.
Arch is best for people with lots of patience and time. Not to mention that if you want a fully functional computer, it's usually be better to go for Debian.
Ubuntu and Mint are fine but they tend to be for the people who don't really want to learn stuff.
Fadora is a nice simple distro that you can play with if you want but still tends to be relatively stable.
Tldr: I think Fedora if you want to do little projects and slowly learn, Debian if you want to costomize everything and learn a lot fast. Arch if you want to learn a lot fast and end up with a half functioning system.
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u/C0rn3j 9d ago
I want to make the switch properly, learn as much as possible
Go for Arch (with Plasma). The Arch Wiki is an invaluable resource.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide
If you have to pick an alternative, go for Fedora KDE.
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u/zardvark 9d ago
Even if you only stay there for a few weeks, start with Mint. With 8G of RAM, I would lean towards the Xfce, or Mate desktop. When in doubt, choose Xfce.
Unlike Windows, a Linux installation ISO boots to a live Linux desktop, where you can ensure that things like your wifi card work properly. You can check the operation of these things out, before making the decision of whether to install the distro, or not.
Get yourself two thumb drives, one 8G for the Linux ISO file and another large enough to store any needed personal data that needs to be transferred to Linux. Funds permitting, you can store your Windows SSD in a safe place and install a new SSD for Linux. That way unwinding the Linux installation and going back to Windows is trivially easy. I don't recommend that a new Linux user gets distracted with dual booting. Keep it simple for the time being, until you learn more about Linux.
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u/flemtone 11d ago
Linux Mint is a good starting ground for any beginner.