My brother is 12 and just like other people of his age he can’t use a computer properly because he is only familiar with mobile devices and dumbed-down computers
I recently dual-booted Fedora KDE and Windows 10 on his laptop. Showed him Discovery and told him, “This is the app store. Everything you’ll ever need is here, and if you can’t find something just tell me and I’ll add it there”. I also set up bottles telling him “Your non-steam games are here”. He installed Steam and other apps himself
I guess he is a better Linux user than Linus Sebastian since he installed Steam without breaking his OS…
The tech support questions and stuff like “Can you install this for me?” or “Is this a virus?” dropped to zero. He only asks me things like “What was the name of PowerPoint for Linux” once in a while
After a week I have hardly ever seen my brother use Windows. He says Fedora is “like iOS” and he absolutely loved it
I use Arch and he keeps telling me “Why are you doing that nerdy terminal stuff just use Fedora”. He also keeps explaining to me why Fedora better than my “nerd OS”
I will write a guide for you via editing so others don’t need to after they see this message.
Yes. 1 hard drive is enough. 2 provides you few steps less (as in manual partitioning), but the end result is exactly the same in both scenarions.
I hope your storage drive(s) is ssd and not hdd. If not, I highly recommend to buy at least used ssd (my oldest ssd is from 2010 and still works).
Manual partitioning varies a bit between Linux distros, so google the guide for the distro you want ro install.
Windows overrides and formats the Linux boot partition, so install Windows first and at the partitioning “window” write the amount of storage you want to give for Windows and it handles everything else automaticly. If your Windows is already installed, then shrink your drive with the amount you want to use in Linux. Windows has a tool named Disk Management for shrinking the drive.
In Linux you need at least two partitions; boot (In Linux terms: /boot/uefi) and root (in Linux terms: / ). But like I said, Google/Youtube a guide for your distro of choice.
Have you chosen which distro you’ll use? If not, format your biggest usb stick with Ventoy2Disk and it’ll be the last time you ever format your usb stick. Just drag and drop any Linux .iso and try them in Live mode without the need to format or install anything before you’ve chosen which distro you like the most. Linus Tech Tips showed Ventoy2Disk in his latest video.
Try at least Pop_OS! and Linux Mint since they are very beginner friendly distros.
Dual boot isn’t the easiest way to start your Linux journey, but I hope you have fun while learning new skills. If you have anything to ask, don’t hesitate, just ask.
awesome, thanks so much! I really appreciate it
Oh, I forgot to ask. Do you have Nvidia gpu in your computer?
I do in my desktop, not on my laptop.
Do you have a gpu in your pcie slot or do you use integrated gpu?
Because you have a desktop, I’d recommend to use 2 separate disks. Because if you manage to break the Linux system (it might happen if you heavily tinker/customize your Linux and manage do some mistake) then you can just re-install the Linux and start again.
If you have 2 storage drivers, then unplug the Windows drive when you (put tape and write Windows onto it) are installing the Linux. Then the computer will manage the partitioning automatically, so less work for you.
Don’t fear the tinkering/customizing. That’s one big joy in Linux, lol. Remember to backup at least your personal files.
My desktop does have a dedicated gpu in my pcie slot. I just assume my laptop has integrated graphics with the board, its an average/below average hp pavilion from around 2018.
I have 2 SSDs in my desktop, with one containing gaming storage and the other being the boot drive. I would prefer to experiment with linux on my laptop though, and I’m pretty sure it only has the 1 TB HDD. However, all sensitive data should be moved from that shortly so that I may have room to tinker/play around with it.
I recommend that you install Linux on the laptop alone! Linux will work on that hdd, but will be slower. If you can, buy an used ssd for it. 256 GB should be enough for a lot. That 1 TB hdd could serve you as a backup disk.
I also recommend to overhaul your laptop. Remove the dust with compressed air and reolace thermal paste (should be done every 2-3 years anyway).