When will it be the year of actually being able to read articles?
Linux has been great for me for over 20 years, but the damn internet continues to get worse.
this post was submitted on 19 Nov 2025
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Are there instructions for the laymen? How difficult is it to install and actually use it?
The ONLY thing that has given me trouble has been managing an array of external drives as a media server running on my main PC. I know that isn’t an ideal setup- but just saying.
Remember to do this on a machine you don’t care about, or are prepared for Windows to no longer work. Windows doesn’t play nice with other operating systems.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/you-can-try-linux-without-ditching-windows-first-heres-how/
Play with this first if you want
One could try a Live version for the distros that have that feature. For those unaware, the Live version is merely the bootable cd image (or USB image). Does no harm to the underlying OS. If you like it you can then install it.
Edit to add: If you use bitlocker (copy your keys), it can have hooks in the TPM/bios settings as well. Disable bitlocker prior to attempting a live boot.
https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=9145
Beware of BitLocker though - I had no idea it was enabled on my wife's windows tablet and when I came back from a Linux live image her windows drive was locked. The keys were not in her Microsoft account and we couldn't find them anywhere else so I ended up having to erase the device. Luckily she didn't use it for much but find and copy your keys before attempting a live Linux boot.
Good to know and thanks for mentioning it, but it is odd that this happens if nothing is done to the host's hardware. Did you ever discover the why of it?
find and copy your keys
A good piece of advice regardless of what one is doing. This isn't the first time I've heard that keys weren't found in someone's account.
Edit to add: It appears bitlocker has hooks in the TPM/bios settings as well. Disable bitlocker prior to attempting a live boot.
https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=9145
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- Download the .iso file of your favorite distro from their website
- Download Fedora Media Writer
- Plug in external media (flash/thumb drive, etc.)
- Select .iso and thumb drive in Fedora Media Writer and let her rip.
- Restart PC.
- While PC is booting, press whatever your BIOS button is (do a web search for "[laptop/motherboard] BIOS button" or watch the display while booting)
- Look for boot priority in the BIOS and set the thumb drive to the highest.
- Restart
- After booting, test WiFi, BT and audio functionality.
- Follow on-screen instructions to install
- Remove install media and reboot
- Install any and all available updates using your package manager (Software, Discover, Pop Shop, etc.)
- Restart one more time
The end.
You need to backup any data you want to keep to another drive before installing.
Make sure there's nothing important on the flash drive too. Writing the iso will erase everything on it.
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People have given you good resources, so I'll just speak to the second part: I switched a few months ago, and it has been surprisingly easy. I'm just... doing normal computer things like I used to on windows. Even gaming.
Easier than windows. Most people don't actually install that, though. It's just there when they buy their computer.
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Whoa, surprised this is coming from The Verge. Is it really the year of the Linux desktop now??
With Linux being better for gaming and Mac still the place for creative software, Windows really is only for business users.
Come on in a few weeks? I thought it'd be the whole process and not just the planning stages...
I've been mostly Windows free for 6 months now. I use Win 11 for work and I bought an old Surface Pro 4 with Win 11 installed to learn Nomad Sculpt. I am just too afraid of testing Linux on a machine tailor made around Windows.
https://github.com/linux-surface/linux-surface?tab=readme-ov-file
There's a dedicated community just for Linux on the Surface
Dabbled with Linux on a Raspberry Pi and a laptop that I only used from time to time; it wasn't until the imminent Windows 10 support drop announcement that I finally installed it in my main rig. The words "fuck it" were uttered in my mind too.