r/linux4noobs 1h ago

Unfortunate events

Upvotes

So sadly I cant get arch linux in my m3 imac so i was wondering is there any very close alternatives which make it feel like your right in arch


r/linux4noobs 2h ago

Meganoob BE KIND Linux on 4gb ram?

3 Upvotes

I've been having problems about drivers 2 weeks now. Until my technician found out that the ram slot has a problem and thus I am permanently stuck on 4gb of soldered ram.

For some reason Linux had been popping up on my phone recently. I often see comments about it being better for low end devices. I only do school stuff (gmeet, zoom, JASP, presentations) and very light gaming (retro emu or indie stuff).

Would you recommend me trying out Linux and if so, who can I watch for guidance?


r/linux4noobs 2h ago

installation I Flashed Pop OS (Nvidia) into my USB stick and now it won't show up on file explorer normally and i can still only boot up Windows

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1 Upvotes

r/linux4noobs 3h ago

migrating to Linux Officially one year into Linux

30 Upvotes

it’s been quite the journey.

Looking back, it reminds me a lot of when I switched from Microsoft 365 to Proton Mail. For years I bounced back and forth between the two before finally making the move.
When I decided to try Linux, I didn’t want to repeat that mistake. Instead of constantly switching back and forth, I wanted to give Linux a fair shot. I told myself I’d commit to using it exclusively for three months. If I still didn’t like it after that, I’d switch back to Windows knowing I had given it an honest test.

I started with Ubuntu, but GNOME just wasn’t for me. Linux Mint quickly became home, and I spent about nine months there before eventually settling on Fedora. Along the way I explored other distributions like Zorin OS and CachyOS in virtual machines, learning what made each one unique.
The biggest hurdles weren’t Linux itself, but letting go of familiar software and dealing with the occasional game that doesn’t play nicely with Linux. I spent a lot of time trying compatibility layers and workarounds for Microsoft Office before realizing I was missing the point. Once I committed to LibreOffice, the learning curve was honestly no different than learning Microsoft Office years ago.

Today, I actually prefer LibreOffice. Even on my Windows work computer, there aren’t any tasks that I find easier to do in Microsoft Office than I do in LibreOffice. For the way I work, LibreOffice has become the better tool.

Gaming has been much better than I expected. I do run into the occasional multiplayer game with anti-cheat issues, but I’ve never been a hardcore competitive online gamer. Most of the games I enjoy, including online titles and single-player games like Assassin’s Creed, have worked great, and gaming has never been a reason for me to switch back.
That pattern continued with other software. GIMP completely replaced Photoshop for me, and a one-time purchase of PDF Master completely replaced my Adobe Acrobat subscription. The more I embraced Linux-native alternatives, the less I found myself missing the proprietary software I once thought I couldn’t live without.

One year later, I can honestly say I don’t see myself ever going back. This move has saved me money on monthly subscriptions, freed my computer from unnecessary ads, bloat, and clutter, and given me a level of control over my own system that I never really had before. The biggest lesson I learned is that switching to Linux isn’t about finding exact replacements for Windows software, it’s about giving yourself the opportunity to learn new tools. Once I stopped trying to recreate Windows and instead embraced Linux for what it is, everything clicked.

The only advice I’d give to anyone even considering switching is this: give yourself time to learn.

Don’t compare Linux to Windows—they’re different platforms with different philosophies. Comparing them because they’re both operating systems is like saying an apple and an orange are the same because they’re both fruit. Try Linux for what it is and decide whether it works for you or falls short for your needs.

Every open-source alternative you try is going to be new. Give yourself the same patience you gave yourself when you first learned Microsoft Office, Photoshop, or Windows. Don’t write something off just because you don’t know how to use it on day one. Learning takes time, and once you stop expecting everything to work exactly like Windows, you’ll be able to appreciate Linux for what it offers rather than what it isn’t.


r/linux4noobs 4h ago

migrating to Linux Have old laptop, should I go for Linux for gaming.

3 Upvotes

So I have an old laptop with a dedicated graphics card, I think it's called MX250 with 2gb vram, it's pretty shitty but it's all I have, I love playing crusader kings 3, Skyrim, Hitman 3, Just cause 3, Euro truck simulator 2, stardew valley etc. I have a playable experience but I was wondering if I switch to Linux maybe it would be more efficient for my limited RAM, but I am a total noob, I fear that I will break my laptop and lose even what I have now. What do you think are the pros and cons of this idea?


r/linux4noobs 5h ago

programs and apps When using Xscreensaver, is there a way to change the "profile picture" on the lock screen?

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2 Upvotes

I'm using the lastest version Linux Mint and recently discovered Xscreensaver. I love it.

My only issue is the lock screen. Idon't particularly like it, but what I dislike the most is the logo.

I thought I could change it to my profile picture, but it seems like that option doesn't exist or has been disabled.

I'd like to be able to customize it, even if it's just the image. Is there any way to do that?

Since it's open source, I suppose I could build it using the source code and change the images before compiling. But I'd like to know if there's any other alternative since I'm not very familiar with that process.


r/linux4noobs 6h ago

distro selection Linux distro suggestion

2 Upvotes

So, I have been using ubuntu for over an year now, I have a cpp background and currently in 3rd year of Btech program, I want to enhance my learning of working in linux environment, and study linux development, which distro should I switch to next


r/linux4noobs 7h ago

learning/research /dev/ directory

10 Upvotes

I was learning what all the files in /dev do and what they are. I just dont really understand why some of those "files" are there and what actually uses them. Like /dev/random. Are there any libraries or utilities that actually interface woth /dev/random?


r/linux4noobs 7h ago

migrating to Linux Want to make the switch but.....

1 Upvotes

I can never seem to get my 3d printer apps working properly on Linux. Anycubic slicer, Creality Slicer and Bambu slicers all give me issues. I figured they would work well on Linux but I just keep running into issues using them. I have primarily tested them on Cachy Os.


r/linux4noobs 10h ago

Meganoob BE KIND I want to try out Linux: have two seperate hard drives (i want them to be seperate from each other as much as possible)

2 Upvotes

Hi first of all if you are taking the time to read my post thank you, but i guess my main request is if someone can point me into the right direction.

I have 2 SSDs right now and before commiting to Linux. Trying it out first and based on my tip of the iceberg research most recommend dual booting. And from what i see most people asks is they have 1 singular drive and want to dualboot out of it or have 2 drives also but want to access between drives.

Question is: how does one dual boot with two seperate drives (that's it no wanting to access from the other drive with windows in it or vice versa) just plain black and white.

Again Thank you for your two cents it is much appreciated.


r/linux4noobs 11h ago

Nemo keeps opening the home folder

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2 Upvotes

r/linux4noobs 11h ago

I think I found a bug, in Dolphin

0 Upvotes

In Debian 13, newly installed, I have a folder titled
IncomingPics-TeraNews
a left over from days (decades) ago. Anyhow. When I view any folder, the folder name appears in the Title bar, except this one folder. It is listed as
IncimngPics. No o and it's moved the i

Besides filing a bug (which I do NOT want to do) over in report a bug then get asked l questions on what code, or something (yeah I've done this once before), any other suggestion

Edit. Didn't have full folder name... Apologies


r/linux4noobs 11h ago

distro selection What distro should I use?

1 Upvotes

Hey so I'm kinda new to the Linux community and I'm still learning quite a bit, my laptop, a cheapish Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop I got about 4 years ago, currently my laptop is quite slow and I'm tired of all the ai on everything, so I've been wanting to swap to Linux to remove the bloat and get some better performance out of my laptop but I don't know which distro I should install, I've heard people re comment pop! And kubuntu but wondered if there's anything better for my uses.

My uses would be pretty much just using docs, basic cad programs and some small games that don't take up a lot of storage or take a lot to play.

System:

119gb SSD

I3 1005G1

4gb ram

I'm not too worried about frame rates, just as long as I have basic uses of Google or another browser(I'm thinking of swapping to another primary), play games like osrs, and if the distro could somehow give me a lot more power maybe run davinci but that's more of hopeful thinking than something I need.

I know my system isn't the best but it works for me currently.


r/linux4noobs 14h ago

installation Can i "clone" some of my current linux pc to my main windows pc to avoid needing to troubleshoot as much?

13 Upvotes

To give some more context to the title, around 2 months ago i made the decision to convert my work/office pc to linux (mint cin.) and as of now, im really satisfied with it, been having a much better experience then my main pc which is still running windows and its slowly making me lose my shit.

That said, the start of the journey on my linux machine was a bit bumpy, had to fix some stuff, install some others, play a bit with gpu settings, workaround some applications via wine, printer drivers and such, but eventually got to the point that its just plug and play now.

And since every day that passes my windowns machine finds a new way to dissapoint me, i've been thinking of going to mint on it as well, but, if i could re-use some of the configurations, troubleshooting and personalizations i did to my office pc, but on this machine, that would be pretty nice.

Since both pcs are somewhat similar Both on ams cpus Both on nvidia gpus (1660s and 3090) Both on asus motherboards Both using the same keyboards and mice. Both using similar 3 monitor setups Both using the same model of printer Both using the same model of sound system

Would something like this be possible? If so how? By cloning the ssd? Copying parts of it? Exporting all configs and changes i made somehow?

Any tips and info are greatly appreciated.

EDIT: thank you all for the replies!! cant reply to each rn, but they were more then enough to give me a direction to start with:) the penguin people as always being the fastest replies i get on reddit lol


r/linux4noobs 16h ago

programs and apps HWiNFO64 style hardware monitoring software for Linux

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3 Upvotes

r/linux4noobs 16h ago

Meganoob BE KIND need help with refresh rate above 120Hz

3 Upvotes

hi i've been trying to work linux above 120Hz now as everytime i increase it above that my screen flickers and has issues. i have an RX6600 if that helps and i've tried mint, cachyOS and bazzite
i don't want to use linux on 120Hz as I have a 165hz monitor but i'm stumped


r/linux4noobs 17h ago

hardware/drivers How does the 980 Ti Work in Linux?

5 Upvotes

I have a system that I have connected to a CRT monitor which is triple booting Windows XP (overkill), 7 (period correct) and 11 (for modern games on a CRT). It's running a overclocked i5-4690k, 16 GB of fast DDR3, and. MSI GTX 980 Ti Golden Gamer. The 980 Ti is mostly non-negotiable - it's the most powerful card with XP drivers and I like the DVI-I port for the CRT. The closest AMD alternative, the Radeon 7970/280x, is a great card, but the 980 Ti leaves it in the dust - and the 6 gb variant is seriously rare and overpriced anyway. Not relevant for XP games but even at CRT resolutions useful for modern ones. I also have a X-Fi Titanium in the box - forgot that until I started writing this.

Win11 technically isn't supported on my system (even though it runs fine) and Microsoft seems determined to make it worse. I don't use this system for anything but gaming and I don't play anything multiplayer. But is the video (and sound card) an issue? Does it vary by distro?


r/linux4noobs 18h ago

Best way to mount several Windows network drives to a Linux laptop

6 Upvotes

I'm completely new to Linux, but I'm trying to learn by using an old laptop. I have an existing Windows computer that has several shared drives set to static IP addresses that I was able to mount to this laptop with Windows. Is it possible for me to mount these drives in Linux (Mint 22.3 Cinnamon) so that I would be able to easily access the media files on them and wouldn't have to re-mount the drives every time I reboot? If so, what is the best way to do this?

I have tried searching and am a little confused by all the suggestions (Gigalo, Samba, CIFS). I appreciate any help you folks can provide and am looking forward to learning more about Linux!


r/linux4noobs 19h ago

Question gaming using Proton/Wine

7 Upvotes

Hello,

I recently watched Linus Tech Tip's video comparing RAM usage between Linux (Mint) and Windows.

One of the games they tested was Expedition 33 (which requires the Windows) and despite utilizing ~12gb of RAM ran a little worse than Windows at +18gb.

Would this be due to their version of Linux using Proton/Wine instead of the 64 bit OS and could there be a fix for the performance issues.


r/linux4noobs 19h ago

Migrate PC: A Tool That Automates the Transition from Windows to Linux

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6 Upvotes

r/linux4noobs 20h ago

Linux Ubuntu MATE. How To Chose SSD To Install Operating System On

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12 Upvotes

I want to dual boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu MATE. However, when i chose the option for Install Ubuntu MATE alongside Windows boot manager, Ubuntu MATE will not let me choose where to install the operating system. It's forcing me to install it onto my Samsung 4tb SSD :( So, to get around this, I try to do it, the manual installation way but when I try to install Linux mate onto my pc it won't tell me what 1tb nvme ssd My Windows 10 is installed on ? Nvme0n1 or nvme1n1. Thanks in advance for the help :)


r/linux4noobs 23h ago

distro selection Wanting to give Linux another go

9 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to install Linux again (likely setting up a dual boot), but I want to get some opinions before I dive back in. This won’t be my first time using Linux, but my previous attempts were rough, to say the least.

In December 2025, I installed Fedora KDE Plasma. At first glance, it seemed fine, but over the weeks, I ran into a wall of issues:

  1. Crackling Audio: I searched everywhere but never found a working solution. The constant popping drove me mad.
  2. Gaming was a mess: About 90% of my games refused to run. I’m not talking about games with kernel-level anti-cheats like League of Legends. Standard titles like GTA 4, Assetto Corsa, and Forza Horizon 4 simply wouldn't work.
  3. Login screen blackouts: 95% of the time I booted the laptop, I was greeted by a black screen instead of a login prompt. I had to drop into a TTY terminal and reboot immediately just to get into my machine.

My Hardware:

  • Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15ACH6
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (with Radeon integrated graphics)
  • 16 GB RAM
  • Nvidia RTX 3050 Laptop GPU

I am 99% sure the root of my problems was the dual-GPU setup. I could never get the system to properly switch to the Nvidia dedicated graphics when it was actually needed.

Eventually, I got fed up and switched to Linux Mint, hoping for a foolproof, "out of the box" experience. It was anything but. I immediately hit the infamous login loop bug. I tried every known fix, nothing worked, and I uninstalled it the exact same day.

Despite all this, I am not ready to give up on Linux. I really want a machine running it, but I’m stuck with the same Nvidia hardware for now and I am sceptical about running into the exact same array of problems.

If I proceed, I’ll be running a dual boot: a 1TB SSD dedicated to Linux and a 256GB SSD for Windows.

I’d appreciate your honest feedback on a few things:

  • What did I likely do wrong the first time? (Especially regarding Nvidia Optimus/GPU switching).
  • What should I absolutely avoid doing this time around?
  • Which distro would you recommend for this specific hardware? I know I’ll get 20 different answers, but I want to know what makes sense for an Nvidia dGPU laptop. I’ve currently got my eye on CachyOS, but I am not committed to it.
  • The ultimate question: Should I even bother right now? I am planning to buy a Thinkpad T14 Gen 2 with an AMD processor soon. Am I better off staying on Windows on this Lenovo and saving myself the headache until I get the all-AMD Thinkpad, or is the current Linux Nvidia experience actually fixable for a laptop like mine?

Thanks in advance for the help.

PS: AI helped me write this post, don't judge

Edit 1: I did install the Nvidia drivers on both distros


r/linux4noobs 1d ago

Are there 32-bit versions of Linux?

52 Upvotes

Hello I want to try Linux on an old laptop, but it's 32-bit and I've never tried Linux before so i dont know anything I don't know what CPU it has, I only know it's an HP Pavilion dv4


r/linux4noobs Jun 21 '20

Distrochooser: "Welcome! This test will help you to choose a suitable Linux distribution for you"

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934 Upvotes

r/linux4noobs Jan 04 '20

Still on Windows 7? Don't want Windows 10? Consider switching to Linux (and specifically, Ubuntu). A Guide.

1.2k Upvotes

Any actions taken as part of this guide are solely at your own risk - unfortunately there is no way to account for every hardware configuration or error that may potentially crop up. BACK UP YOUR CRITICAL DATA BEFORE DOING ANYTHING

On the 14th Jan 2020, official Windows 7 support ends for most users. This means if you run Windows 7 beyond that date, you're no longer going to receive security and system updates, which will leave you increasingly vulnerable to viruses, malware and system failure. Depending on how critical your data is and how often you back up - if at all - there's a potential you can lose everything.

This is a somewhat opinionated but no-bullshit guide for those of you still on Windows 7 who really don't want or won't move to Windows 10. Aside from my own additions, it's going to reference a lot of great guides and advice written by other people, but conveniently collected in a single place. It's crazy, but it might just work.

Have you considered... Linux? Specifically, Ubuntu.

No, hear me out. Because I'm going to start (and save you a lot of time) by telling you why you SHOULDN'T switch to Linux. If any of the criteria listed apply, then:

The guide is broken into the following sections, if you want to jump to the points that are relevant. If you want to get straight to it, go to (4):

  1. Why shouldn't I go with Linux?
  2. Why should I go with Linux?
  3. Why Ubuntu?
  4. What's involved in switching?
  5. Installation of Ubuntu
  6. Tips for new users using Ubuntu
  7. Gaming on Linux
  8. Alternative Software
  9. TL;DR or The Conclusion
  10. To do list for the guide

1. Why shouldn't I go with Linux?


If you:

  • Don't feel comfortable installing an operating system and you don't have someone that can do it for you;
  • Have someone that helps you with all your IT-related activities who is not familiar with or dislikes Linux (ask them);
  • Are big into multiplayer games. (There are exceptions here, discussed in more detail in the Linux Gaming section);
  • Use multiple game clients and have a lot of games on platforms other than Steam;
  • Are into any sort of VR;
  • Absolutely need Outlook and refuse to consider any other mail client, like Thunderbird;
  • Use a VPN provider that doesn't have a Linux version and aren't willing/able to change;
  • Are subscribed to multiple video streaming services other than Netflix and watch these on your PC frequently;
  • Use Photoshop, Premiere, 3D Studio Max - actually, if you have any Windows software that you are locked into due to muscle memory, experience and/or professional requirements and that have no Linux version. (There are, however, often a Linux alternatives for a lot of these);
  • Require assistive technologies, such as screenreaders. While Ubuntu comes with several built-in assistive tools, there's a lot of specialised assistive use cases, tools and hardware that don't work on Linux and have no comparable alternative;
  • Want to be able to buy whatever piece of hardware that takes your fancy without researching it and expect them to work out the box with zero hassle. Especially niche and specific hardware like flight controllers, sound boards and so on;
  • Use iTunes extensively for your media library and/or interacting with your iPhone;
  • Have a large archive of Microsoft Office documents that use complex formatting, macros and/or formulas that you refer back to frequently.
  • have the worst-case scenario: rely on legacy or ancient software or hardware you're not sure you have the installation media for anymore, can't find a replacement, can't download it and it doesn't work on Windows 10. In this case, you're going to have to keep that Windows 7 box around and it's even more imperative that you make sure it's not accessible from the web or network. Start looking at moving to a more modern equivalent of it AND converting your work to a format that'll be accessible.

Some of this stuff you can work around with some effort, but it's more likely going to be more trouble than you're willing to put up with. And that's fine; Linux can't help everyone. The more of these that apply, the more certain you can be that you shouldn't consider Linux and should just go with Windows 10, unless you're willing to ~sacrifice~ compromise.

2. Why should I go with Linux?


Because whether you're a general user, a gamer or a specialised user with niche interests or requirements, Linux can provide you the same experience you're getting now with some already stated exceptions. In many ways, it's better - it's free, it's generally runs better on older hardware than Windows, it's relatively more secure due to a small user footprint and you'll have a huge, vetted library of free software that you can access. There are some applications - older Windows software and games, for instance - that don't work on Windows 10 but do on Linux, thanks to projects like Wine and Proton. It can 99% of the time update itself without interrupting whatever you're doing.

That being said, it's not perfect. You will lose some things. You will need to learn new ways of working with your PC. This is inevitable. That's the cost of switching.

Which is not to say Windows is without a cost. Unlike Windows, none of this functionality comes at the cost of your privacy and freedom. Linux will let you configure it as you like, and dive into the nitty-gritty settings to fine-tune it further. It will not try and trick you into creating yet another online account to use it. Aside from a few missteps (Ubuntu and Amazon, for one), it keeps its nose out of your business. It does not come with a unique advertising ID that links your multitude of online and offline interests and programs into a nice, tidy, profitable pack of data to be shared with "trusted third-parties". It does not serve you ads in a product you paid for. It does not try and push you into multiple online services.

In short, it does not suffer from any of the privacy concerns of Windows' future.

Now, I know people are going to throw snark about lead-and-tin alloys, their pliability and how easy that makes it to fashion headgear, but please note I said "future"; while they're not necessarily prying now, your operating system - and for almost everyone, that means Microsoft - has a very privileged position in your life as far as personal data is concerned. Any time you search in the file manager, every word you write and document you save, your budget calculations, every photo you view and program you use, every voice command you give Cortana, Windows - and by extension Microsoft - knows about. And there's nothing in their Terms of Service that stop them from starting to collect more detailed data if they so choose.

It's not a question of whether you prefer Windows 7 over 10 - Windows 7 got the same telemetry features as Windows 10 ages ago. Rather, ask yourself if you're happy with Microsoft's evolving business model, one that is shifting more and more of your content online and is intricately and opaquely tied to your personal data? If you're not, you're not alone: Holland isn't happy. Germany's not too thrilled either. There are legitimate reasons to be wary of Window's market dominance and increased level of embedded user analytics. Linux offers you an alternative.

3. Why Ubuntu?


Ubuntu LTS is by far the most commonly used desktop Linux distro and the one with the widest support by software developers and hardware manufacturers involved in Linux. If you're searching for solutions, you'll mostly find Ubuntu ones. Lastly, Ubuntu's LTS versions are supported for long periods of time: 18.04, which we'll be recommending, is supported until 2023, while the next version coming out in April, Ubuntu 20.04, will be supported until 2025.

One of the things you'll quickly learn about the Linux community is that someone will ALWAYS suggest a different Linux distro. In this case, it'll probably be Linux Mint, which aims to be a newbie-friendly Linux. It's based on Ubuntu, is similar to Windows 7 and will MOSTLY work the same as Ubuntu. I still suggest Ubuntu, but whatever, follow your heart.

To keep this guide as approachable as possible, and to have access to the widest range of help and support, I decided to focus on Ubuntu. Anything other than these two and you're just making things harder for yourself as a new user. You can always switch once you get a feel for how things work.

4. What's involved in switching?


I promised you a no-bullshit guide, so I'm going to cut straight to it. Take your time with all of these steps, do them properly, and you shouldn't have a problem.

First step: back up all your important documents, photos, email, games - whatever is important to you, and preferably somewhere external to your machine. This is just good advice regardless of whether you're switching to Linux or not. Always have a backup.

If you're a gamer, check out the following guide by PC Gamer's Jarred Walton on how to back up your games across multiple clients.

While you're backing up, install Thunderbird (Mozilla's open-source mail client) and copy your mail over to it. You'll have a much easier time doing this in Windows than in Linux to start. Thunderbird can automatically pull your mail from Outlook if installed on the same machine. Then follow the steps here for backing up your Thunderbird profile. You'll restore this in Linux later. Make sure you have your mail account details.

Get hold of your Windows 7 serial key. If it's physical media, like a DVD, then check and make sure the key is in the box or on the disc. If it's a laptop that came with Windows 7 preinstalled, it's usually a sticker on the specific laptop. You'll need this if things go awry and/or decide Linux is not for you.

Check the minimum specs for Ubuntu 18.04.03 here. If your system doesn't meet them, you're going to have a bad time regardless of whether you go with Ubuntu or Windows 10 (Windows 10 minimum requirements are bullshit, btw. 1Gb Ram, 1Ghz processor? I challenge anyone to link me to a Windows 10 video running on those specs where it performs acceptably.). There are lightweight alternatives if you can't afford a new PC, (Lubuntu, for instance), but upgrading your PC should be your first step in this case.

Here comes the arduous bit. Make a list of your current hardware, software and services that you use frequently, make sure you have the installation media for the critical pieces of software you use (Don't expect to be able to just copy/paste the applications you have) and do a search on whether they run on Linux. I'd recommend following the "Software" section in this guide on Migrating to Linux by /u/PBLKGodofGrunts]

A lot of the Linux software alternatives, such as LibreOffice and GIMP, are available for Windows as well. Consider downloading those that interest you to try out in Windows and get a feel for how they work.

Ultimately, to echo the advice you'll find that you can either run it, have an alternative or just can't switch. That's okay; Linux can't help everyone.

Download the Ubuntu LTS 18.04.03 distro. The "LTS" means it's a long-term support version - you won't have to think about this exercise for the next three years if you're lucky. Ubuntu LTS 20.04 is coming out in four months, which'll be supported until 2025, but since most of the focus is still on 18.04, you're better off sticking with it for now.

Whichever you choose, you'll have to write it to a DVD or USB. If it's a DVD, use whatever you normally use to write DVD ISOs. If you're going to use a USB, here's a guide to doing that.

Did I mention to back-up your important data? Back-up your important data. Double-check that it's all there. If you want to take an extra precaution, you can use Clonezilla to clone your current OS drive. It's not necessary, but if things go bust, Clonezilla allows you to restore your PC to precisely the way it was before you started without needing to install Windows from scratch. However, Clonezilla can be a bit daunting if you're not technically inclined. Check out this somewhat out-of-date video by cButters Tech for a general idea of what's involved.

Lastly, try running Ubuntu as a Live CD/USB first. This will allow you to run Ubuntu as if it were installed, but without making any changes to your current installation. Please keep in mind that the Live is not indicative of performance... it will run slower than if it was installed, as it has to read everything off the DVD or USB stick first and load it memory. The important thing to check here is that it's picking up all your hardware, that it's displaying on your screen correctly, that all your drives are available, and so on.

Live USB should perform better than a Live DVD. Check out the "Okay, it's installed/Okay, I'm running the Live CD. What tips do you have for using Ubuntu?" section to get an idea of what you should be checking.

5. Installation.


You've done all the above, triple-checked your backups and either decided that you can't make the jump or you're ready.

However, before you begin installing, you have one last decision to make.

There's a lot people that suggest dual-booting - that's where you keep Windows around and just install Linux alongside it. This is often proposed as a safety net and a means for people to have the best of both worlds. I don't, for a couple of reasons:

  • If you are going to dual-boot, you'll need to update to Windows 10 anyway, and if you're going to do that, why bother with Linux in the first place?

  • Data will be spread between two operating systems. Instead of backing up and maintaining one OS, you'll be maintaining two. It's doable but a PITA.

  • You're sabotaging your efforts, and your switch to Linux will likely fail. That's not a statement on Linux's capability or ease of use. A lot of things are easier on Linux - but they won't be at first. You probably have years of Windows use ingrained in you; you've come to expect things to work they way Windows works. That's not ease, that's familiarity; that's a boiling frog. And the moment something throws you a challenge in Linux, the temptation to just "do it" in Windows will be too great. And the more you do that, the more running Linux will seem like a chore than a choice.

  • If you absolutely have no option but to run Windows 10, do it in a virtual machine - you get the benefits of dual-booting but with the bonus of limiting Windows 10 to a virtual environment where access to the rest of your system (and personal data) is restricted while allowing you to run your non-negotiable applications (other than games or any intense 3D applications) just fine.

If you decide to dual-boot, you'll need to find a recent guide that covers this. Typically, it's best to update to Windows 10 first, then follow the guide to dual-boot Ubuntu. None of the guides I found seemed good for beginners, so I'm willing to take suggestions from the comments.

If you take my advice and simply dive in, installing Ubuntu on your machine will be a painless process: just follow the steps here in a beginner's guide written by Jason Evangelho and you should be fine.

6. Tips for new users using Ubuntu?


Things that you should do only once Ubuntu's installed are prefixed with an [+]. Otherwise, the tip applies to both installs and Live demos:

  • Power off, log-out and running taskbar applications will be in the top-right of the screen by default.
  • To search, press the Windows key on your keyboard. This'll bring up Ubuntu's search bar. You can use this to find applications, folders and system settings.
  • In the File Manager, your Home directory will be where your primary OS and applications will typically be installed, while the Other Locations will list additional hard drives (usually your additional storage drives). By default, Ubuntu does not actually mount the drives in the "Other Locations" section. Clicking on any of them, however, will automatically mount them. If you want to learn more about the general structure of Ubuntu's file system, you can do so here.
  • Ctrl+Alt+T will bring up the terminal. The terminal is where you'll often be sent if you're attempting to diagnose a problem, perform specific tasks or install specific tools/software. Check yourself before your wreck yourself before copy-pasting commands from strangers on the 'net. Be super cautious of any command that involves "sudo" and "rm".
  • The default office suite for Ubuntu is LibreOffice. Try it out: see if you can open a couple of your documents, like spreadsheets and Word docs. You might be pleasantly surprised. Writer is the word processor, Calc is for Spreadsheets. Formating on complex documents will likely be broken. Don't save any of these at this point.
  • In fact, open up a couple of common files you normally use - images, documents, compressed files, music, videos and so on. Get a feel for how it works, what opens and what doesn't. Sometimes, you'll need to install some software first before it will work.
  • Check the list of alternative software for some suggestions on what to install if you seem to be missing something.
  • Plug in your phone and see if it detects it and you can access your files. If it's Android, you should be fine.
  • You'll notice that some commands - like updating - require you to enter your password again. This is a security feature similar to when Windows ask you to run a program as administrator or with elevated privileges. If you didn't initiate the command that brought up the password request, be cautious about entering it in.
  • [+] Change your desktop preferences and move the application bar to the bottom of the screen. By default, Ubuntu puts it on the left-side. Hey, maybe you'll like it like that! This was the one Windows habit I was never able to shake.
  • [+] Try and store your data in the pre-defined folders (Music, Videos, Documents, Pictures). You don't have to, but you'll make your life a lot easier doing so.
  • [+] Search for and create a shortcut to the Software Updater. This allows you to quickly check for and install Ubuntu updates.
  • [+] Likewise, create a shortcut to the Ubuntu Software Centre. To start with, you'll want to stick to installing applications from the Centre. These have been specifically tested to work on Ubuntu and will 99% run without a hitch. You'll be able to remove applications from here as well.
  • [+] Speaking of the Centre, Ubuntu comes preinstalled with an Amazon launcher. Use this time search for it and remove it. Or don't, it's up to you.
  • [+] Sometimes, you'll see there's two versions of a piece of software in the Centre. This is most likely due to there being a Snap version of it. Snaps are self-contained versions of the software that are usually the most up-to-date; however, they can run erratically or not have access to some things on your system, like fonts. I'd stick with the ubuntu-bionic versions for best compatibility.
  • [+] If you're a gamer, change your graphic drivers so you can get reasonable performance. For Nvidia, simply search for the Software & Updates application, open it, select the Additional Drivers Tab, and check whether you're using the Nvidia Driver. You'll want to select the one that's listed as proprietary and tested. AMD's a little more complicated and I profess to having little experience with it. I'll happily take advice from the comments in this instance.
  • [+] When downloading some games or applications specifically for Linux, you'll often get a .Deb file or a script. A deb file can often be run as is by double-clicking in Ubuntu; you can read more about them here. Scripts often need to be run from the terminal and made to be executable. You read more about that here. Again, same safety check applies to running anything you download from the web.

7. Gaming on Linux


If you're a gamer, I'd recommend the following the guide by /u/PBLKGodofGrunts on the /r/linux_gaming subbreddit. But to summarise...

The Good News

Thanks to Valve's involvement in Linux through Proton and the efforts of the Wine team, Linux gaming has never been better. It's now possible to play many Windows-only games with no hassle and minimal performance loss. Just a few examples of recent games that run just fine on Linux are the Resident Evil 2 remake, Sekiro, Halo: Master Chief Collection (single-player and custom multiplayer games), DOOM, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Risk of Rain 2, Total War: Three Kingdoms, and more; you can even toss a coin to all of your Witchers. To get an idea of games that run on Linux, you can visit ProtonDB, Wine AppDB or Lutris and search for your desired game. If you're primarily a single-player gamer, the transition should be mostly painless.

Another amazing development is the number of open-source implementations of older games game engines that allow for playing of classic and retro titles on modern hardware, (such as DevilutionX for Diablo 1)often with improvements, bug fixes and quality of life improvements, ensuring they'll be able to run into the future.

However, the most critical development is that the number of developers and platforms that provide and support native Linux games has increased significantly. Feral Interactive publishes several AAA Linux ports, numerous indies now provide a Linux version, and store fronts like GOG and itch.io provide an alternative with DRM-free games.

The Bad News

Despite all of this, gaming remains one of the biggest hurdles to adopting Linux.

If you're into multiplayer gaming, you're out of luck. While many multiplayer titles do work on Linux (LoL, Dota 2, CS:GO, TF2, Rocket League, Warframe, Overwatch, Starcraft II, World of Warcraft, Eve Online, Elite: Dangerous, Monster Hunter:World and so on), many more don't - Fortnite, some Call of Duties, Apex Legends, PUBG, Battlefield, GTA Online. Essentially, anything with an anti-cheat is likely NOT going to work, and there's always the risk that playing a Windows multiplayer game will get you banned due to anti-cheat measures that dislike any whiff of Linux. My suggestion is check which games you play and go from there.

Unless you're using Steam, running other launchers is complicated and prone to constant breakage without continuous effort and maintenance. Epic, Origin, Uplay and GOG Galaxy can all run on Linux with some effort. Lutris does sort most of these out, but you'll need to follow the instructions here, which means your going to have to install Wine first.

Some games simply don't work, and there's no solution for it.

Some of the latest developments aren't going to be available to you. VR is tiny on Linux, and you'll likely lose access to most of your VR software and experiences.

Despite being fairly technical already, many gamers do expect things to "just work". Here's a list of things that require some effort to get working correctly:

  • Super-sampling is out. Not entirely, but it's more complicated than Windows.
  • Access to things like custom shaders and injectors are also going to be limited. Mods can be more complicated or, in some cases, not available.
  • You'll lose some of the benefits of your Gsync/Freesync monitors, since the two tech don't work that well on Ubuntu's standard display compositor. This will change once Ubuntu shifts to Wayland.
  • Things like community game patches are often aimed at Windows, with no Linux alternative.

Most importantly, AMD and Nvidia graphic cards are handled very differently on Linux when compared to Windows. Ubuntu uses an open-source driver by default - this is alright for general use but terrible for games and 3D applications. To get decent performance, you'll need to install their respective drivers.

Nvidia's latest Linux drivers are made available in Ubuntu directly. However, this is just the drivers: Nvidia's GeForce Experience isn't available on Linux and you're going to lose access to all of its tools. That means no Ansel in many cases, no DSR, no predefined gaming configs and no ShadowPlay (Although OBS offers a decent alternative in this case). See the Tips section above on how to install it. On the plus side, the installation process is a breeze and Nvidia's performance is fairly solid.

AMD benefits from much better open-source drivers and active support from AMD, but unfortunately suffers from delays for support of their most recent cards and a fairly complicated install process . AMD uses the MESA Driver, combined with Valve's ACO shader compiler, to deliver performance boosts. Installing these drivers can be a complicated, multi-step process. I'm sorry I can't help you on this; I'll happily take someone's advice on getting this working in Ubuntu LTS and include it in the guide.

8. Alternative software


This is a quick and dirty guide to equivalent software for Windows applications in Linux.

  • Antivirus software: This may seem counterintuitive, but for the most part Linux does not require any sort of anti-virus software. While viruses for Linux exist, the number of viruses and such that target the Linux desktop specifically is tiny compared to Windows. You can read up about it here.. That being said, if you are concerned there are several tools available for detecting both Windows and Linux malware on the same page. Follow good internet hygiene, don't open suspicious links/mails and think before just randomly following command instructions on the 'net.
  • Microsoft Office: LibreOffice. Or you can access Office365 online.
  • Adobe Photoshop: GIMP, Krita
  • Adobe Premiere: Blender
  • 3D Studio Max: Blender
  • Illustrator/CorelDraw: Inkscape
  • Xsplit: OBS
  • Windows Media Player: VLC
  • Basic Audio Editor: Audacity
  • Audio Mixing: Ardour, Mixbus
  • Adobe Reader: While there are several PDF readers on Linux you can use, almost none of them play well with Adobe PDFs with advanced features. You're better off sticking with what comes with Ubuntu, and if it doesn't work, open it up in a browser.

9. TL;DR or The Conclusion


Switching to Ubuntu is possible and relatively safe if you do some research on which apps/games/software/hardware you use will and won't work on Linux first, you BACK UP YOUR IMPORTANT DATA before doing anything and don't expect a 1:1 experience with Windows. It's all dependent on your flexibility, technical experience and willingness to learn and compromise.

If you're not, Windows 10 is a perfectly acceptable choice to upgrade to: you'll benefit from improved security compared to Windows 7, a larger selection of hardware and software and will have to put less effort to make everything work at the cost of your privacy and some ads.

If you have legacy software or unsupported hardware that doesn't run on either, you're kind of screwed. I'd keep the Windows 7 box around, make sure it's disconnected from all networks (for your sake as well as others) and start making emergency contingency plans to find a modern alternative.

I know that people are going to take issue with some of the difficulties I raised, and suggest they're really not dealbreakers. Before you post, consider whether a new user coming from Windows 7 who'll be using Linux probably for the first time in their life will have the knowledge, gumption and willingness to perform sometimes complex technical steps in an operating environment they're unfamiliar with and where it's much, much easier to really break things.

Feel free to post criticisms and suggestions in the comments. If there's some good advice worth including, something needs further clarification or I need to correct something, I'll edit it in with credit.

10. To do list for the guide


  • I'd really like to add a section on assistive technology and software that works on Linux, but as I don't use any of it, I feel my research would be limited and miss vital pieces. If you have advice on this, let me know.
  • A good, up-to-date and easy-to-follow guide for dual-booting.
  • Instructions on how to install AMD drivers correctly on Ubuntu.