How to try out Linux on Laptop?
How to try out Linux on Laptop?
The optimal way to achieve your goals is by dual-booting. But with secure boot and Windows 10, this approach doesn’t work smoothly. This issue stems from Windows and secure boot, not from Linux itself. I made it clear that. I attempted this on my Acer Aspire E5-772G laptop, but even after several troubleshooting steps, it didn’t succeed. Eventually, I removed Windows completely and installed Ubuntu Gnome 17.04 directly, and everything functioned properly. I’d appreciate your advice first. The next option is to run the system inside a Windows VM, though performance in such VMs with VirtualBox is usually poor—despite adding more RAM and CPU cores. It can still offer a glimpse into using Linux. Generally, any Linux distribution running alongside the host OS on modern hardware performs much better than in a Windows VM. This approach isn’t ideal at all. I’ve relied on Linux as my main operating system for several machines over the past 3–4 years, and the progress has been substantial. Simple tasks that used to need complex commands or multiple steps are now either handled automatically or can be done with just one click through the graphical interface (like updating graphics drivers). Linux’s usability has improved dramatically in recent times. What was your last Linux distribution and the machine it ran on?
I usually want to dual boot but I’m confused about your request. There’s another way that might suit you—I own two laptops: one with an i5, which is my primary machine for tasks like AutoCAD, and a newer 11-inch Celeron that I need to carry around because my first laptop is too bulky and the battery drains quickly. My alternative idea is turning the Celeron into a Linux system, but before making that decision, I’d like to know if there are other options in case it doesn’t work. If it fails, I can revert back to Windows 10 and keep the license intact.
I refer to the setup of Windows and secure boot in UEFI/BIOS as a method that prevents other operating systems from running alongside it. I’m not entirely clear on how this works, but I’ve seen discussions on Linux forums about solving similar issues. For some users, there’s no solution and it just doesn’t work for them. So I’m saying goodbye to Windows, you’re not great! 😂 Anyway, if you’re looking for an alternative, running Linux on a Celeron laptop is a viable option. If you want to keep your original Windows installation, consider purchasing a budget 120GB SSD, placing it securely, and installing Linux there. This lets you enjoy Linux while maintaining your Windows setup. It also depends on how much data you need to store, but most people don’t require large amounts on laptops—so a 120 or 256GB SSD should suffice. Otherwise, preserving the Windows install usually means creating a system image, though this doesn’t retain all your files.
I think Linux uses less space compared to Windows for its operating system. Buying an SSD could be a good idea, especially if your Celeron laptop is limited by its processor and you don’t expect many programs running at once. Appreciate the help!