Absolute Beginner

Support & Help Requests
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I see that computer does not allow 2 separate disk drives internally.

Windows doesn't "play nice" with Linux/GRUB.

So ... for a test drive the Live ISO is a definite first step to confirm

  • whether you can adapt to a Linux paradigm,

  • which of the many flavours would be most amenable to your sense of "intuitive way of doing things", and

  • whether you still want to keep a working image of Windows "hanging around" as a fall-back for stuff that just doesn't work out well for you under Linux-only configuration.

For myself, I have only Linux, for 20 years now, and I haven't looked back.

I also landed on UbuntuMATE, after trying others, because it has the more intuitive layout than others (at least for what I consider intuitive :slight_smile: )!

You need to decide for yourself which desktop interraction you prefer:

  • Mac-like,

  • Windows-like,         or

  • Linux (and I choose this word carefully) riot (of choices) ... meaning a Desktop Manager which are a blend, to a varying degree, of the User Interaction experienced from each of the pure Mac, Windows, or UNIX/Linux-only "widgets".

Once you decided whether you want

  • Windows on external USB with Linux-only internal,
  • Multi-boot with internal Windows and Linux, or
  • pure Linux-only,

you need to plan

  • your USB-based Windows installation (if applicable),

  • your offline backup, prior to install (of Linux secondary/primary OS), with a view of

  • full recovery, if issues develop during dual-boot install, or

  • selectively restoring into the Linux filesystem (if that is your intent).

Not wanting to scare you off Linux, adopting Linux is an adventure ... which can be a hugely beneficial learning and liberating experience ... if you approach it methodically! If you dive in ... willy-nilly ... by tackling specific issues without doing your own "deep-dive" research and understanding the full context and range of choices ... you will get into trouble! Sometimes ... you can dig yourself out of those holes, it they aren't too deep ... but ... in other cases, you need to do a full rebuild, hopefully with a full backup available to restore your "most recent safe point"!

Tread carefully, and all will go well!

Welcome aboard the Linux train!

:slight_smile:


Not wanting to put you in a state of information overload, you might wish to familiarize yourself with the information offered in each of the following, if you haven't already:

What these will all underline is that being a Linux User is a state of mind, one of being adaptable, open to change (with a range of choices for Distro each reflecting how much), and being willing to take on the responsibility to actually manage how your Desktop and Tools are put together (customization) and maintained (when and how updated). That level of control is never possible with the likes of MacOS or Windows. But the old adage applies:

  • With great control (power) comes great responsibility!

There is nobody else to push it onto! You can, and will, seek and find much help, but you will always have the reins in your own hands!

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