this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2023
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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As someone who is interested in starting into the world of linux, was having a second hard drive necessary for creating a dual boot system or were you able to do it all on one hard drive?
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).
Windows doesn't like to acknowledge that other operating systems exist, so (at least from my experience) it will overwrite your Linux bootloader whenever it updates, or sometimes it'll just do it because it feels like it...
I only have one machine left in use with a single disk shared between the two systems (a laptop) but I haven't seen that happen for quite some time now (years really, and never on the last two laptops). And it hasn't happened for a very long time in my main box that has several drives, where Windows gets its own little drive and Linux has the others (back when it happened, it was simpler in that case as I could use the BIOS boot manager to pick a drive to boot from). I don't boot Windows very often, maybe once a month to run updates, and nothing much happens.
So while it certainly was a problem at some point, I don't think it still is.
Good to know
oh, that's definitely less than ideal. I can see why a seperate harddrive is almost more than necessary
GRUB is better anyway, imo. It can mess with SecureBoot and BitLocker if you use those, though.
I've read that some people have problems, but I used to dual boot (now I keep each os in a separate hard drive) without issues. Is a really straight forward process but if you get issues the online community is amazing and there are tons of docs (and reddit threads, some of them are deleted now or moved to Lemmy).
Linux is great! I started dual booting windows and Linux Mint, tried a lot of distros (this is called distro hopping) all Ubuntu based while using primarily Windows. After a while I got tired with windows and felt more comfortable with Linux, so I wiped Windows and installed Fedora Workstation (there's a community for ASUS gaming laptops that have a guide for Fedora).
If you just want to get a feel of Linux, you can also run it in a Virtual Box, setting it to full screen makes you feel like you are using Linux, but obviously that comes with limitations.
I think I will definitely check out a virtual box first! My uncle actually recommended that to me at our 4th of July gathering and I thought it was a wonderful idea, I just haven't sat down and done it yet.
I currently have two different SSDs on my desktop- do you think that it's possible to put a linux distro on my secondary one that I use for videogame storage without causing any problems to my videogame data, or would it be better to get a whole new drive for it? Thanks again for all your help!
Is it possible but you could run into issues. You can shrink that drive and leave space for Linux there, but be careful while setting up your partitions so you don't accidentally erase your games data.
Its always easier to use a whole drive so you don't have to worry about partitions. I've never done what you're describing but it shouldn't be much of a hassle.
@BrandoCalrissian9229 @yogurtwrong I never tried dual boot, but as far as I know the best thing is to have two separated drives in order to avoid problems (which can happen).
yeah, that's always been the way I've understood it, but it seems like not many laptops these days have multiple drives
It is absolutely possible to dual boot from a single harddrive. Don't know about fedora, but the Ubuntu installer has taken care of that for ages now. Yes, it can fuck your windows install initially, but that is normally reversible.
If you don't know, a computer uses so called partitions and not the hard drive directly. Think of them as folders. Normally you have one partition which holds the bootloader information (one or two OS, or more) and then a partition for each OS. A little Programm after Turning on the computer let's you choose which OS you want to boot.
A lone Linux installation often has three partitions on one harddrive. One boot Partition, one for the OS and one for the home directory of all users. This way you can reinstall the OS without loosing your home directory.
I see! The three partition system seems very handy.
@BrandoCalrissian9229 that's definitely true. You could use an external ssd, if you have problems
I may end up doing that. Or one of those USB 3.0 Flash Drives.
@BrandoCalrissian9229 I think this solution is the one that could give you less headache, if none at all.
thanks!