How To Switch From Windows To Linux Ubuntu

Microsoft is getting closer to replacing Windows 10 with the sleeker Windows 11, but if you're sick of embedded advertisements, constant updates, data collection, software lock-ins, and rising hardware requirements, we don't blame you. The good news is y'all have options.

If you've been thinking nearly making the bound to a different operating organization, at present is the perfect time. But you aren't stuck with the Windows-macOS binary, and don't have to settle for the browser-based Chrome Os. Instead, you can turn to the world of Linux.

Choose Your Distribution

Unlike Windows and macOS, in that location isn't just one version of Linux. Instead, Linux is packaged into many different distributions, or "distros," each with their own interface and prepare of features. One may utilize a Mac-like interface with a dock and an "app store," while others may use a more than minimalist interface and require installing apps from the control line.

Exploring the bevy of Linux distributions out there is a fun part of the hobby, only for your commencement installation, you lot will likely want something popular and beginner-friendly, so it'south easy to become help when y'all demand it. That's why I recommend starting with Linux Mint.

There are a lot of distributions that aim to mimic Windows in layout and functionality, like Zorin Bone, but they're on the smaller side, and y'all won't have equally big a community to tap every bit you learn your way around. Ubuntu, on the other hand, is arguably the almost popular distro on desktop PCs, only it isn't very Windows-similar at all these days.

Linux Mint is a perfect in-between choice: it's designed for beginners, offers a familiar desktop environment, and information technology'south based on Ubuntu, so you can brand employ of the enormous Ubuntu/Mint community when y'all demand assist.

You're gratuitous to bank check out other distros instead, just I'll exist using Mint for the purposes of this guide, and I recommend you exercise too. It's non my personal distro of choice, but it's great for new Windows migrants, and information technology's easier to explore other distros once you've nailed down the basics on a beginner-friendly organisation.

Create Your Installation Drive

Head to Mint's download page and choose the 64-scrap "Cinnamon" version. Cinnamon is the desktop surround I recommend for quondam Windows users, though MATE is likewise pretty Windows-like, even though it's a fleck less mod. XFCE is ideal for old or low-powered PCs, thanks to its light resource usage. Mint'due south download page provides a number of links depending on where you live. If you use BitTorrent, I recommend grabbing the torrent file, which volition download much faster.

The installer volition come as an ISO, or disc paradigm file. To install it on your arrangement, you'll need to burn the file to a DVD or USB flash drive. We're going to exercise the latter using a tool called Rufus. Install Rufus, open it up, and insert a flash drive that's 2GB or larger. (If you have a fast USB iii.0 or three.i drive, all the meliorate.) You should see information technology appear in the Device drib-downwardly at the height of Rufus' chief window.

Next, click the Select button next to Disk or ISO image, and choose the Linux Mint ISO yous just downloaded. Printing the Start push, and if prompted to download new versions of Syslinux, click Yes. Notation that this volition erase your flash drive, so make sure at that place isn't anything important on there before continuing. When information technology's finished, yous'll see a success message and your flash drive volition be named LINUX MINT.

Now it's fourth dimension to support your data and reboot your computer. Buckle your seat belts considering it'south fourth dimension to install Linux.

Install Linux on Your PC

Equally your computer reboots, you should see a bulletin telling you to press a certain central to access the Kicking Carte (ordinarily something like F12). If not, you'll see a central to enter Setup (oft Delete). Press one of those keys, and wait for the selection to boot from the inserted USB drive. (If you enter the full setup menu, information technology'll be in a Kicking settings menu somewhere, and y'all'll have to go out the menu to reboot again when y'all're washed.)

Y'all volition then be greeted past Chow, Linux Mint'south boot carte, where you lot tin can cull to boot into Linux Mint. If you run into whatsoever errors, you may demand to Google around for a fix. I had to enable the nomodeset option for my graphics card, for example. Others may have to tweak or disable Secure Boot in the BIOS.

This installer is what we call a Live CD, where you tin actually poke effectually and use the Linux Mint desktop before installing it. This will give you a risk to encounter if this particular distro appeals to you without information technology actually touching your system drive. Once you're satisfied, double-click the Install Linux Mint icon and become through the wizard.

Exist sure to bank check the box next to Install third-party software, since it contains useful drivers and codecs yous virtually certainly want. From here, you can wipe your hard drive entirely, erasing all traces of Windows and using Linux as your only operating system. (Brand double sure you've backed up your data before doing this.)

Alternatively, yous can divide your drive up into ii partitions and dual kick Linux alongside Windows. This volition allow you to reboot into one or the other whenever you want. If goose egg else, information technology's comforting to know you lot take that rubber net during the transition before y'all remove Windows entirely.

Choose the relevant selection from the Installation Blazon carte, and click Install Now. The process may take a lilliputian while, only when it's done, y'all'll get a success bulletin. Click the Restart At present push button to boot into Linux Mint and commencement getting acquainted with your new OS.

Become Acquainted With Linux and Install Some Apps

When you reboot, you'll be dropped into the Linux Mint desktop one time again—only this time, it'southward installed on your PC. The nuts are pretty familiar: click the button in the lower-left corner to run across applications, manage windows from the lesser taskbar, and and then on. There are, withal, a few things in Linux that work differently than in Windows, with apps being the biggest.

In Linux, information technology'due south less common to download apps from the web. Instead, each distro has its own repository—kind of like a free app store, with a directory of popular apps. You can install an app from the repositories in one of ii means: from a graphical software manager (once more, which looks similar an app store) or from the command line.

To open up Linux Mint's Software Manager, click the menu button in the lower-left corner and head toAdministration > Software Director (or just start typing "software director," like you would in Windows). From here, you lot tin download plenty of gratuitous, open-source apps.

Some are Linux versions of their Windows counterparts, like Steam and Spotify, while others are open-source alternatives to common apps (Banshee is a music thespian similar to iTunes, Gimp is an epitome editor akin to Photoshop). You can browse here or search for apps using the bar at the top.

How to Install and Uninstall Apps

If you know what you're looking for, information technology's generally faster to install apps from the command line. And while it may seem intimidating at first, Linux relies on the control line for various tasks, so it might behoove you to get comfortable with information technology. To install an app—permit'south say the open-source media player VLC—open a Terminal window and run:

Sudo apt update

sudo apt install vlc

Let's pause that downwards: "sudo" tells the organisation to run the command as root (or, every bit it might be called in Windows, as an administrator), "apt" is the name of Linux Mint's package manager, and "update" ensures the listing of available apps is up to date.

The second command, which includes "install vlc," is self-explanatory. You should run "sudo apt update" earlier installing any app, and you can supercede "vlc" with the proper noun of any app you lot want to install. If you aren't sure what the repository calls it, you can run:

sudo apt cache search vlc

To uninstall an app, just run:

sudo apt remove vlc

This volition remove the app, merely non your configuration files, and then if you lot decide to reinstall it later, your settings will still be at that place.

If y'all want to remove configuration files besides, you lot can instead run:

sudo apt purge vlc

How to Update Apps

You'll too want to periodically update those apps, so you have the latest versions. Yous tin can do this, once again, in two ways: from the graphical tool or from the command line.

For the graphical tool, click the shield icon in the lower-right corner to open the Update Manager app. Y'all can so click the Install Updates button to update all your software.

Alternatively, yous can open a Final and run ii commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade

Over again, the "update" command checks for new versions of your software, and the "upgrade" control actually upgrades all your apps. You'll desire to run these two together, simply like y'all practice for installing new apps.

Those are the most crucial things to know right at present, but take some time to browse effectually Mint's interface and its settings to see what it has to offer. The Welcome window that appears at startup tin can be a big aid—its Offset Steps surface area will evidence you how to cull different desktop layouts, install multimedia codecs you lot might want, and install necessary drivers for your hardware.

You'll go the hang of the basics pretty quickly, but the Mint and Ubuntu forums are always there to help if y'all get stuck. Just exist sure to search effectually, since in that location'southward a good chance someone earlier you has had the same question.

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