Getting started with Linux for the first time can be intimidating.
But the freedom afforded by Linux includes the freedom to use it how and when you want.
All you need isa USB driveand access tothe BIOS on your PC.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
Now you’re cooking with Linux oil.
Also, there’s no guarantee a specific distro will boot at all on your specific PC.
You’ll find everything reverted to the OS’s original image the next time you boot.
Not a problem with a persistent live boot.
When you’re done, just end the tab.
Luckily, there’s a spiritual successor calledDistroSeawith myriad distros for you to try.
The experience of course is limited by your internet connection.
For me, DistroSea even on high-speed wired connection is still slower than a virtual machine.
It’s calledWindows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), and it gives you a Linux terminal.
Unfortunately, you won’t get the experience ofGNOMEor any otherdesktop environmentswith WSL.
You’ll also get to brush up on yourLinux command line skills.
Virtualization takes a lot of resources, so that extra layer is going to eat into your performance.
Justinstall a Linux distro alongside Windows on your gear’s internal drive.
Every time you turn on your box, you’re given the choice to either use Linux or Windows.
While that kind of choice may sound like the absolute dream, it comes with some serious risks.
Windows and Linux are simply poor roommates, and forcing them to share a space leads to problems.
Windows' increased reliance on TPM devices has aggravated the conflict, leading us torecommend against traditional dual-booting.
You’ll reduce the chances of accidentally erasing or simply losing access to one of your two operating systems.
I can speak from experience, too.
I’ve never had spats between them.
That setup though requires buying and installing a secondSSDorhard disk drive.
Laptops often don’t even have space for that in their chassis.
7Full Install
Ready to leave your PC’s current operating system behind entirely?
it’s possible for you to transition fully to Linux witha whole-hog installation on your rig.
Just pick the option to wipe everything the existing drive.
These let you forget about the nonsense of installation media and virtualization layers and just get to work.
Linux computers are a niche market, so it may not seem obvious where to start looking for one.
Small retailers likeSystem76andStar Labsdesign and sell laptops and desktop PCs specifically with Linux in mind.
We’ve reviewed some of them, in fact, like theSystem76 Gazelleand theKubuntu Focus Ir14.
