You can try out most linux distributions without even installing them. Just plug in the usb, boot from it and choose not to install and you can play around with it. You can try multiple linux oses this way before considering an installation. I’d recommend trying Mint, Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Bazzite (if you’re a gamer).
There are some extra steps you’ll need to take in the BIOS, as in my experience modern computers tend to not have usb booting as the first priority at start up, so it just boots straight into windows no matter what.
FauxLiving@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I’d be happy to help (and if you run into problems going forward, just message me directly).
Linux Mint is probably the most often recommended for new people coming from Windows. But EndeavourOS will let you tell everyone that you use Arch without having to install your system via the terminal (EOS uses a graphical installer also).
Choose the Cinnamon version (this can be changed later but this is a good default choice)
I linked the install guide above. TLDR - copy iso to usb stick, reboot, click through the graphical install process. If you’ve ever installed Windows, this will be very familiar (where do you want to install it, what username, where in the world are you, and login to wifi)
It is much less complicated if you can have a Linux-only machine. But if you want to keep Windows around for a bit, you can dual boot: Mint
All of the software is installed with the package manager from the official repos. Everyone is familiar with this method of installing software because smartphones use them but call them App Stores/Play Store. You don’t download executables from the Internet and just run them 😒
There’s a lot of new terms and concepts so it’ll be overwhelming. Lean on the official Mint communitues, they’re generally helpful (there are assholes, like everywhere else of course), be prepared to read documentation and don’t be afraid to ask an LLM to explain concepts if you can’t get a community answer fast enough but don’t trust the commands that it gives you (you’ll learn how to do this safely but not at the start).
If you game, Steam can be installed from the repos and Heroic Games Launcher for GoG, Epic Games Store and(???, there are more but you get the idea) make the process as simple as pressing Play.
You’ll probably use different software to do the same tasks so don’t try to find ms-paint or notepad, but Krita and Kate do the same thing and there are many alternatives to those. If you can’t figure it out, dm me.
Good luck. It’s a lot at first but it is 1000% a better experience once you become comfortable with the software.
Sierk@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Wow, thanks for this elaborate explanation. This really takes a lot of doubt away. I’m not going to do this tomorrow or anytime soon. But chances of me actually going there have improved significantly!
FauxLiving@lemmy.world 1 day ago
You’re welcome. It is way easier than you’re expecting I promise.
Not that you won’t run into problems, every OS including Windows has problems that require reading, troubleshooting and jumping through hoops. An example I love is that trying to create a local user account on Windows 11 has more steps than the entire Linux Mint install.
The problem in Linux often come with logs, error messages and debug information which can make it a lot easier to diagnose correctly (instead of just changing random shit as dictated by assorted Googled Reddit posts from 5 years ago). It may look like heiroglyphics at first, but you’ll be able to see the matrix soon enough.
If my account still exists, you can reach out if you have problems and I’ll point you in the right direction at least. Enjoy :)