Try Linux, here are some ideas and things to watch out for.
Try Linux, here are some ideas and things to watch out for.
Hello! Great to hear you're interested in Linux. Installing on an extra hard drive is a solid way to expand your skills from Windows. Regarding running two OSes on separate drives, it can work but keep in mind potential compatibility issues—make sure your hardware supports dual-boot and check the documentation for your specific model. As for choosing which one to pick, the Linux Challenge you saw might be a good reference; consider popular distros like Ubuntu or Fedora for ease of use. Just start small, enjoy the learning process, and don’t hesitate to experiment!
I've never installed an OS on an external drive. You might face slower performance, so it would be better to put Linux on a storage you can access internally. You could also set up a dual-boot, which lets Linux install alongside Windows and lets you choose between them at startup. Are you setting this up for a laptop or a desktop? Luke chose Linux Mint, my go-to distro (though I haven't tried others). I used it back in 2015 and stayed with it ever since—except for a few times when I needed Windows. I picked Mint because it works well for Windows users; the switch was smooth. I use the MATE desktop, though Cinnamon is more popular, just for style. Feel free to message me if you'd like to discuss further. I'm not an expert (I haven't much experience with the command line), but I'll assist to the best of my ability.
This is the preferred approach. If you attempt to install on the same disk, complications may arise. Frequently Windows and Linux compete for the bootloader, and Windows often deletes GRUB, rendering your Linux installation unusable without entering a live setup and reinstalling GRUB. Keeping them on separate drives with distinct bootloaders greatly reduces these conflicts, preventing Windows from attempting to remove GRUB during updates.
I suggest starting with Windows on a single drive, then adding Linux on another with Windows installed. This ensures you can switch between OSes using GRUB without needing to repeatedly press F10 each time. Windows will maintain its own bootloader on its dedicated drive.
With practice, the differences between distributions become minimal. The main variations lie in pre-installed software, package managers, and default configurations. You can transform any distro into another with sufficient effort.
For beginners, consider Ubuntu as the go-to choice, Mint offers slightly different defaults, and Pop_OS! is a more recent version of Ubuntu. Any of these options will perform well, offering a good mix of setup simplicity, usability, and flexibility for customization.
You likely won't face problems installing it on two disks. It simplifies switching between them via BIOS boot selection. I'd choose the Linux partition first, since GRUB works smoothly with Windows. The speed of each drive depends on its type, so consider using SSDs for both. Avoid putting multiple operating systems on the same drive unless you're comfortable managing partitions. After installing Linux, run the command in the terminal to have it detect Windows (the GUI method is fine across distributions). For your distribution, Mint is solid; I use Ubuntu because it's well-supported. Pop! is also strong, even with Linus' errors. If you prefer an Arch-based setup, Manjaro is well supported and has a user-friendly storefront. Those are my suggestions.
You can keep everything on one USB drive, but it might get cluttered. Splitting it into separate drives could help you stay organized and manage each installation more easily.
It might have been resolved in the most recent update, but what I noticed is that a Mint installation doesn't automatically enable the firewall. You can easily adjust it by opening the Not Start menu, searching for "firewall," selecting it, and confirming it's active (if applicable).
Add the extra hard drive only if it's internal. You still picked your main HDD for the boot record. I've tried various operating systems and now it's openSUSE tumbleweed. I think it's often overlooked. Check out my testing results here: https://eljondy.substack.com/p/tumbleweed