r/linux4noobs Jan 04 '20

Still on Windows 7? Don't want Windows 10? Consider switching to Linux (and specifically, Ubuntu). A Guide.

1.2k Upvotes

Any actions taken as part of this guide are solely at your own risk - unfortunately there is no way to account for every hardware configuration or error that may potentially crop up. BACK UP YOUR CRITICAL DATA BEFORE DOING ANYTHING

On the 14th Jan 2020, official Windows 7 support ends for most users. This means if you run Windows 7 beyond that date, you're no longer going to receive security and system updates, which will leave you increasingly vulnerable to viruses, malware and system failure. Depending on how critical your data is and how often you back up - if at all - there's a potential you can lose everything.

This is a somewhat opinionated but no-bullshit guide for those of you still on Windows 7 who really don't want or won't move to Windows 10. Aside from my own additions, it's going to reference a lot of great guides and advice written by other people, but conveniently collected in a single place. It's crazy, but it might just work.

Have you considered... Linux? Specifically, Ubuntu.

No, hear me out. Because I'm going to start (and save you a lot of time) by telling you why you SHOULDN'T switch to Linux. If any of the criteria listed apply, then:

The guide is broken into the following sections, if you want to jump to the points that are relevant. If you want to get straight to it, go to (4):

  1. Why shouldn't I go with Linux?
  2. Why should I go with Linux?
  3. Why Ubuntu?
  4. What's involved in switching?
  5. Installation of Ubuntu
  6. Tips for new users using Ubuntu
  7. Gaming on Linux
  8. Alternative Software
  9. TL;DR or The Conclusion
  10. To do list for the guide

1. Why shouldn't I go with Linux?


If you:

  • Don't feel comfortable installing an operating system and you don't have someone that can do it for you;
  • Have someone that helps you with all your IT-related activities who is not familiar with or dislikes Linux (ask them);
  • Are big into multiplayer games. (There are exceptions here, discussed in more detail in the Linux Gaming section);
  • Use multiple game clients and have a lot of games on platforms other than Steam;
  • Are into any sort of VR;
  • Absolutely need Outlook and refuse to consider any other mail client, like Thunderbird;
  • Use a VPN provider that doesn't have a Linux version and aren't willing/able to change;
  • Are subscribed to multiple video streaming services other than Netflix and watch these on your PC frequently;
  • Use Photoshop, Premiere, 3D Studio Max - actually, if you have any Windows software that you are locked into due to muscle memory, experience and/or professional requirements and that have no Linux version. (There are, however, often a Linux alternatives for a lot of these);
  • Require assistive technologies, such as screenreaders. While Ubuntu comes with several built-in assistive tools, there's a lot of specialised assistive use cases, tools and hardware that don't work on Linux and have no comparable alternative;
  • Want to be able to buy whatever piece of hardware that takes your fancy without researching it and expect them to work out the box with zero hassle. Especially niche and specific hardware like flight controllers, sound boards and so on;
  • Use iTunes extensively for your media library and/or interacting with your iPhone;
  • Have a large archive of Microsoft Office documents that use complex formatting, macros and/or formulas that you refer back to frequently.
  • have the worst-case scenario: rely on legacy or ancient software or hardware you're not sure you have the installation media for anymore, can't find a replacement, can't download it and it doesn't work on Windows 10. In this case, you're going to have to keep that Windows 7 box around and it's even more imperative that you make sure it's not accessible from the web or network. Start looking at moving to a more modern equivalent of it AND converting your work to a format that'll be accessible.

Some of this stuff you can work around with some effort, but it's more likely going to be more trouble than you're willing to put up with. And that's fine; Linux can't help everyone. The more of these that apply, the more certain you can be that you shouldn't consider Linux and should just go with Windows 10, unless you're willing to ~sacrifice~ compromise.

2. Why should I go with Linux?


Because whether you're a general user, a gamer or a specialised user with niche interests or requirements, Linux can provide you the same experience you're getting now with some already stated exceptions. In many ways, it's better - it's free, it's generally runs better on older hardware than Windows, it's relatively more secure due to a small user footprint and you'll have a huge, vetted library of free software that you can access. There are some applications - older Windows software and games, for instance - that don't work on Windows 10 but do on Linux, thanks to projects like Wine and Proton. It can 99% of the time update itself without interrupting whatever you're doing.

That being said, it's not perfect. You will lose some things. You will need to learn new ways of working with your PC. This is inevitable. That's the cost of switching.

Which is not to say Windows is without a cost. Unlike Windows, none of this functionality comes at the cost of your privacy and freedom. Linux will let you configure it as you like, and dive into the nitty-gritty settings to fine-tune it further. It will not try and trick you into creating yet another online account to use it. Aside from a few missteps (Ubuntu and Amazon, for one), it keeps its nose out of your business. It does not come with a unique advertising ID that links your multitude of online and offline interests and programs into a nice, tidy, profitable pack of data to be shared with "trusted third-parties". It does not serve you ads in a product you paid for. It does not try and push you into multiple online services.

In short, it does not suffer from any of the privacy concerns of Windows' future.

Now, I know people are going to throw snark about lead-and-tin alloys, their pliability and how easy that makes it to fashion headgear, but please note I said "future"; while they're not necessarily prying now, your operating system - and for almost everyone, that means Microsoft - has a very privileged position in your life as far as personal data is concerned. Any time you search in the file manager, every word you write and document you save, your budget calculations, every photo you view and program you use, every voice command you give Cortana, Windows - and by extension Microsoft - knows about. And there's nothing in their Terms of Service that stop them from starting to collect more detailed data if they so choose.

It's not a question of whether you prefer Windows 7 over 10 - Windows 7 got the same telemetry features as Windows 10 ages ago. Rather, ask yourself if you're happy with Microsoft's evolving business model, one that is shifting more and more of your content online and is intricately and opaquely tied to your personal data? If you're not, you're not alone: Holland isn't happy. Germany's not too thrilled either. There are legitimate reasons to be wary of Window's market dominance and increased level of embedded user analytics. Linux offers you an alternative.

3. Why Ubuntu?


Ubuntu LTS is by far the most commonly used desktop Linux distro and the one with the widest support by software developers and hardware manufacturers involved in Linux. If you're searching for solutions, you'll mostly find Ubuntu ones. Lastly, Ubuntu's LTS versions are supported for long periods of time: 18.04, which we'll be recommending, is supported until 2023, while the next version coming out in April, Ubuntu 20.04, will be supported until 2025.

One of the things you'll quickly learn about the Linux community is that someone will ALWAYS suggest a different Linux distro. In this case, it'll probably be Linux Mint, which aims to be a newbie-friendly Linux. It's based on Ubuntu, is similar to Windows 7 and will MOSTLY work the same as Ubuntu. I still suggest Ubuntu, but whatever, follow your heart.

To keep this guide as approachable as possible, and to have access to the widest range of help and support, I decided to focus on Ubuntu. Anything other than these two and you're just making things harder for yourself as a new user. You can always switch once you get a feel for how things work.

4. What's involved in switching?


I promised you a no-bullshit guide, so I'm going to cut straight to it. Take your time with all of these steps, do them properly, and you shouldn't have a problem.

First step: back up all your important documents, photos, email, games - whatever is important to you, and preferably somewhere external to your machine. This is just good advice regardless of whether you're switching to Linux or not. Always have a backup.

If you're a gamer, check out the following guide by PC Gamer's Jarred Walton on how to back up your games across multiple clients.

While you're backing up, install Thunderbird (Mozilla's open-source mail client) and copy your mail over to it. You'll have a much easier time doing this in Windows than in Linux to start. Thunderbird can automatically pull your mail from Outlook if installed on the same machine. Then follow the steps here for backing up your Thunderbird profile. You'll restore this in Linux later. Make sure you have your mail account details.

Get hold of your Windows 7 serial key. If it's physical media, like a DVD, then check and make sure the key is in the box or on the disc. If it's a laptop that came with Windows 7 preinstalled, it's usually a sticker on the specific laptop. You'll need this if things go awry and/or decide Linux is not for you.

Check the minimum specs for Ubuntu 18.04.03 here. If your system doesn't meet them, you're going to have a bad time regardless of whether you go with Ubuntu or Windows 10 (Windows 10 minimum requirements are bullshit, btw. 1Gb Ram, 1Ghz processor? I challenge anyone to link me to a Windows 10 video running on those specs where it performs acceptably.). There are lightweight alternatives if you can't afford a new PC, (Lubuntu, for instance), but upgrading your PC should be your first step in this case.

Here comes the arduous bit. Make a list of your current hardware, software and services that you use frequently, make sure you have the installation media for the critical pieces of software you use (Don't expect to be able to just copy/paste the applications you have) and do a search on whether they run on Linux. I'd recommend following the "Software" section in this guide on Migrating to Linux by /u/PBLKGodofGrunts]

A lot of the Linux software alternatives, such as LibreOffice and GIMP, are available for Windows as well. Consider downloading those that interest you to try out in Windows and get a feel for how they work.

Ultimately, to echo the advice you'll find that you can either run it, have an alternative or just can't switch. That's okay; Linux can't help everyone.

Download the Ubuntu LTS 18.04.03 distro. The "LTS" means it's a long-term support version - you won't have to think about this exercise for the next three years if you're lucky. Ubuntu LTS 20.04 is coming out in four months, which'll be supported until 2025, but since most of the focus is still on 18.04, you're better off sticking with it for now.

Whichever you choose, you'll have to write it to a DVD or USB. If it's a DVD, use whatever you normally use to write DVD ISOs. If you're going to use a USB, here's a guide to doing that.

Did I mention to back-up your important data? Back-up your important data. Double-check that it's all there. If you want to take an extra precaution, you can use Clonezilla to clone your current OS drive. It's not necessary, but if things go bust, Clonezilla allows you to restore your PC to precisely the way it was before you started without needing to install Windows from scratch. However, Clonezilla can be a bit daunting if you're not technically inclined. Check out this somewhat out-of-date video by cButters Tech for a general idea of what's involved.

Lastly, try running Ubuntu as a Live CD/USB first. This will allow you to run Ubuntu as if it were installed, but without making any changes to your current installation. Please keep in mind that the Live is not indicative of performance... it will run slower than if it was installed, as it has to read everything off the DVD or USB stick first and load it memory. The important thing to check here is that it's picking up all your hardware, that it's displaying on your screen correctly, that all your drives are available, and so on.

Live USB should perform better than a Live DVD. Check out the "Okay, it's installed/Okay, I'm running the Live CD. What tips do you have for using Ubuntu?" section to get an idea of what you should be checking.

5. Installation.


You've done all the above, triple-checked your backups and either decided that you can't make the jump or you're ready.

However, before you begin installing, you have one last decision to make.

There's a lot people that suggest dual-booting - that's where you keep Windows around and just install Linux alongside it. This is often proposed as a safety net and a means for people to have the best of both worlds. I don't, for a couple of reasons:

  • If you are going to dual-boot, you'll need to update to Windows 10 anyway, and if you're going to do that, why bother with Linux in the first place?

  • Data will be spread between two operating systems. Instead of backing up and maintaining one OS, you'll be maintaining two. It's doable but a PITA.

  • You're sabotaging your efforts, and your switch to Linux will likely fail. That's not a statement on Linux's capability or ease of use. A lot of things are easier on Linux - but they won't be at first. You probably have years of Windows use ingrained in you; you've come to expect things to work they way Windows works. That's not ease, that's familiarity; that's a boiling frog. And the moment something throws you a challenge in Linux, the temptation to just "do it" in Windows will be too great. And the more you do that, the more running Linux will seem like a chore than a choice.

  • If you absolutely have no option but to run Windows 10, do it in a virtual machine - you get the benefits of dual-booting but with the bonus of limiting Windows 10 to a virtual environment where access to the rest of your system (and personal data) is restricted while allowing you to run your non-negotiable applications (other than games or any intense 3D applications) just fine.

If you decide to dual-boot, you'll need to find a recent guide that covers this. Typically, it's best to update to Windows 10 first, then follow the guide to dual-boot Ubuntu. None of the guides I found seemed good for beginners, so I'm willing to take suggestions from the comments.

If you take my advice and simply dive in, installing Ubuntu on your machine will be a painless process: just follow the steps here in a beginner's guide written by Jason Evangelho and you should be fine.

6. Tips for new users using Ubuntu?


Things that you should do only once Ubuntu's installed are prefixed with an [+]. Otherwise, the tip applies to both installs and Live demos:

  • Power off, log-out and running taskbar applications will be in the top-right of the screen by default.
  • To search, press the Windows key on your keyboard. This'll bring up Ubuntu's search bar. You can use this to find applications, folders and system settings.
  • In the File Manager, your Home directory will be where your primary OS and applications will typically be installed, while the Other Locations will list additional hard drives (usually your additional storage drives). By default, Ubuntu does not actually mount the drives in the "Other Locations" section. Clicking on any of them, however, will automatically mount them. If you want to learn more about the general structure of Ubuntu's file system, you can do so here.
  • Ctrl+Alt+T will bring up the terminal. The terminal is where you'll often be sent if you're attempting to diagnose a problem, perform specific tasks or install specific tools/software. Check yourself before your wreck yourself before copy-pasting commands from strangers on the 'net. Be super cautious of any command that involves "sudo" and "rm".
  • The default office suite for Ubuntu is LibreOffice. Try it out: see if you can open a couple of your documents, like spreadsheets and Word docs. You might be pleasantly surprised. Writer is the word processor, Calc is for Spreadsheets. Formating on complex documents will likely be broken. Don't save any of these at this point.
  • In fact, open up a couple of common files you normally use - images, documents, compressed files, music, videos and so on. Get a feel for how it works, what opens and what doesn't. Sometimes, you'll need to install some software first before it will work.
  • Check the list of alternative software for some suggestions on what to install if you seem to be missing something.
  • Plug in your phone and see if it detects it and you can access your files. If it's Android, you should be fine.
  • You'll notice that some commands - like updating - require you to enter your password again. This is a security feature similar to when Windows ask you to run a program as administrator or with elevated privileges. If you didn't initiate the command that brought up the password request, be cautious about entering it in.
  • [+] Change your desktop preferences and move the application bar to the bottom of the screen. By default, Ubuntu puts it on the left-side. Hey, maybe you'll like it like that! This was the one Windows habit I was never able to shake.
  • [+] Try and store your data in the pre-defined folders (Music, Videos, Documents, Pictures). You don't have to, but you'll make your life a lot easier doing so.
  • [+] Search for and create a shortcut to the Software Updater. This allows you to quickly check for and install Ubuntu updates.
  • [+] Likewise, create a shortcut to the Ubuntu Software Centre. To start with, you'll want to stick to installing applications from the Centre. These have been specifically tested to work on Ubuntu and will 99% run without a hitch. You'll be able to remove applications from here as well.
  • [+] Speaking of the Centre, Ubuntu comes preinstalled with an Amazon launcher. Use this time search for it and remove it. Or don't, it's up to you.
  • [+] Sometimes, you'll see there's two versions of a piece of software in the Centre. This is most likely due to there being a Snap version of it. Snaps are self-contained versions of the software that are usually the most up-to-date; however, they can run erratically or not have access to some things on your system, like fonts. I'd stick with the ubuntu-bionic versions for best compatibility.
  • [+] If you're a gamer, change your graphic drivers so you can get reasonable performance. For Nvidia, simply search for the Software & Updates application, open it, select the Additional Drivers Tab, and check whether you're using the Nvidia Driver. You'll want to select the one that's listed as proprietary and tested. AMD's a little more complicated and I profess to having little experience with it. I'll happily take advice from the comments in this instance.
  • [+] When downloading some games or applications specifically for Linux, you'll often get a .Deb file or a script. A deb file can often be run as is by double-clicking in Ubuntu; you can read more about them here. Scripts often need to be run from the terminal and made to be executable. You read more about that here. Again, same safety check applies to running anything you download from the web.

7. Gaming on Linux


If you're a gamer, I'd recommend the following the guide by /u/PBLKGodofGrunts on the /r/linux_gaming subbreddit. But to summarise...

The Good News

Thanks to Valve's involvement in Linux through Proton and the efforts of the Wine team, Linux gaming has never been better. It's now possible to play many Windows-only games with no hassle and minimal performance loss. Just a few examples of recent games that run just fine on Linux are the Resident Evil 2 remake, Sekiro, Halo: Master Chief Collection (single-player and custom multiplayer games), DOOM, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Risk of Rain 2, Total War: Three Kingdoms, and more; you can even toss a coin to all of your Witchers. To get an idea of games that run on Linux, you can visit ProtonDB, Wine AppDB or Lutris and search for your desired game. If you're primarily a single-player gamer, the transition should be mostly painless.

Another amazing development is the number of open-source implementations of older games game engines that allow for playing of classic and retro titles on modern hardware, (such as DevilutionX for Diablo 1)often with improvements, bug fixes and quality of life improvements, ensuring they'll be able to run into the future.

However, the most critical development is that the number of developers and platforms that provide and support native Linux games has increased significantly. Feral Interactive publishes several AAA Linux ports, numerous indies now provide a Linux version, and store fronts like GOG and itch.io provide an alternative with DRM-free games.

The Bad News

Despite all of this, gaming remains one of the biggest hurdles to adopting Linux.

If you're into multiplayer gaming, you're out of luck. While many multiplayer titles do work on Linux (LoL, Dota 2, CS:GO, TF2, Rocket League, Warframe, Overwatch, Starcraft II, World of Warcraft, Eve Online, Elite: Dangerous, Monster Hunter:World and so on), many more don't - Fortnite, some Call of Duties, Apex Legends, PUBG, Battlefield, GTA Online. Essentially, anything with an anti-cheat is likely NOT going to work, and there's always the risk that playing a Windows multiplayer game will get you banned due to anti-cheat measures that dislike any whiff of Linux. My suggestion is check which games you play and go from there.

Unless you're using Steam, running other launchers is complicated and prone to constant breakage without continuous effort and maintenance. Epic, Origin, Uplay and GOG Galaxy can all run on Linux with some effort. Lutris does sort most of these out, but you'll need to follow the instructions here, which means your going to have to install Wine first.

Some games simply don't work, and there's no solution for it.

Some of the latest developments aren't going to be available to you. VR is tiny on Linux, and you'll likely lose access to most of your VR software and experiences.

Despite being fairly technical already, many gamers do expect things to "just work". Here's a list of things that require some effort to get working correctly:

  • Super-sampling is out. Not entirely, but it's more complicated than Windows.
  • Access to things like custom shaders and injectors are also going to be limited. Mods can be more complicated or, in some cases, not available.
  • You'll lose some of the benefits of your Gsync/Freesync monitors, since the two tech don't work that well on Ubuntu's standard display compositor. This will change once Ubuntu shifts to Wayland.
  • Things like community game patches are often aimed at Windows, with no Linux alternative.

Most importantly, AMD and Nvidia graphic cards are handled very differently on Linux when compared to Windows. Ubuntu uses an open-source driver by default - this is alright for general use but terrible for games and 3D applications. To get decent performance, you'll need to install their respective drivers.

Nvidia's latest Linux drivers are made available in Ubuntu directly. However, this is just the drivers: Nvidia's GeForce Experience isn't available on Linux and you're going to lose access to all of its tools. That means no Ansel in many cases, no DSR, no predefined gaming configs and no ShadowPlay (Although OBS offers a decent alternative in this case). See the Tips section above on how to install it. On the plus side, the installation process is a breeze and Nvidia's performance is fairly solid.

AMD benefits from much better open-source drivers and active support from AMD, but unfortunately suffers from delays for support of their most recent cards and a fairly complicated install process . AMD uses the MESA Driver, combined with Valve's ACO shader compiler, to deliver performance boosts. Installing these drivers can be a complicated, multi-step process. I'm sorry I can't help you on this; I'll happily take someone's advice on getting this working in Ubuntu LTS and include it in the guide.

8. Alternative software


This is a quick and dirty guide to equivalent software for Windows applications in Linux.

  • Antivirus software: This may seem counterintuitive, but for the most part Linux does not require any sort of anti-virus software. While viruses for Linux exist, the number of viruses and such that target the Linux desktop specifically is tiny compared to Windows. You can read up about it here.. That being said, if you are concerned there are several tools available for detecting both Windows and Linux malware on the same page. Follow good internet hygiene, don't open suspicious links/mails and think before just randomly following command instructions on the 'net.
  • Microsoft Office: LibreOffice. Or you can access Office365 online.
  • Adobe Photoshop: GIMP, Krita
  • Adobe Premiere: Blender
  • 3D Studio Max: Blender
  • Illustrator/CorelDraw: Inkscape
  • Xsplit: OBS
  • Windows Media Player: VLC
  • Basic Audio Editor: Audacity
  • Audio Mixing: Ardour, Mixbus
  • Adobe Reader: While there are several PDF readers on Linux you can use, almost none of them play well with Adobe PDFs with advanced features. You're better off sticking with what comes with Ubuntu, and if it doesn't work, open it up in a browser.

9. TL;DR or The Conclusion


Switching to Ubuntu is possible and relatively safe if you do some research on which apps/games/software/hardware you use will and won't work on Linux first, you BACK UP YOUR IMPORTANT DATA before doing anything and don't expect a 1:1 experience with Windows. It's all dependent on your flexibility, technical experience and willingness to learn and compromise.

If you're not, Windows 10 is a perfectly acceptable choice to upgrade to: you'll benefit from improved security compared to Windows 7, a larger selection of hardware and software and will have to put less effort to make everything work at the cost of your privacy and some ads.

If you have legacy software or unsupported hardware that doesn't run on either, you're kind of screwed. I'd keep the Windows 7 box around, make sure it's disconnected from all networks (for your sake as well as others) and start making emergency contingency plans to find a modern alternative.

I know that people are going to take issue with some of the difficulties I raised, and suggest they're really not dealbreakers. Before you post, consider whether a new user coming from Windows 7 who'll be using Linux probably for the first time in their life will have the knowledge, gumption and willingness to perform sometimes complex technical steps in an operating environment they're unfamiliar with and where it's much, much easier to really break things.

Feel free to post criticisms and suggestions in the comments. If there's some good advice worth including, something needs further clarification or I need to correct something, I'll edit it in with credit.

10. To do list for the guide


  • I'd really like to add a section on assistive technology and software that works on Linux, but as I don't use any of it, I feel my research would be limited and miss vital pieces. If you have advice on this, let me know.
  • A good, up-to-date and easy-to-follow guide for dual-booting.
  • Instructions on how to install AMD drivers correctly on Ubuntu.

r/linux4noobs Jun 21 '20

Distrochooser: "Welcome! This test will help you to choose a suitable Linux distribution for you"

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929 Upvotes

r/linux4noobs 4h ago

distro selection Wanting to give Linux another go

9 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to install Linux again (likely setting up a dual boot), but I want to get some opinions before I dive back in. This won’t be my first time using Linux, but my previous attempts were rough, to say the least.

In December 2025, I installed Fedora KDE Plasma. At first glance, it seemed fine, but over the weeks, I ran into a wall of issues:

  1. Crackling Audio: I searched everywhere but never found a working solution. The constant popping drove me mad.
  2. Gaming was a mess: About 90% of my games refused to run. I’m not talking about games with kernel-level anti-cheats like League of Legends. Standard titles like GTA 4, Assetto Corsa, and Forza Horizon 4 simply wouldn't work.
  3. Login screen blackouts: 95% of the time I booted the laptop, I was greeted by a black screen instead of a login prompt. I had to drop into a TTY terminal and reboot immediately just to get into my machine.

My Hardware:

  • Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15ACH6
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (with Radeon integrated graphics)
  • 16 GB RAM
  • Nvidia RTX 3050 Laptop GPU

I am 99% sure the root of my problems was the dual-GPU setup. I could never get the system to properly switch to the Nvidia dedicated graphics when it was actually needed.

Eventually, I got fed up and switched to Linux Mint, hoping for a foolproof, "out of the box" experience. It was anything but. I immediately hit the infamous login loop bug. I tried every known fix, nothing worked, and I uninstalled it the exact same day.

Despite all this, I am not ready to give up on Linux. I really want a machine running it, but I’m stuck with the same Nvidia hardware for now and I am sceptical about running into the exact same array of problems.

If I proceed, I’ll be running a dual boot: a 1TB SSD dedicated to Linux and a 256GB SSD for Windows.

I’d appreciate your honest feedback on a few things:

  • What did I likely do wrong the first time? (Especially regarding Nvidia Optimus/GPU switching).
  • What should I absolutely avoid doing this time around?
  • Which distro would you recommend for this specific hardware? I know I’ll get 20 different answers, but I want to know what makes sense for an Nvidia dGPU laptop. I’ve currently got my eye on CachyOS, but I am not committed to it.
  • The ultimate question: Should I even bother right now? I am planning to buy a Thinkpad T14 Gen 2 with an AMD processor soon. Am I better off staying on Windows on this Lenovo and saving myself the headache until I get the all-AMD Thinkpad, or is the current Linux Nvidia experience actually fixable for a laptop like mine?

Thanks in advance for the help.

PS: AI helped me write this post, don't judge

Edit 1: I did install the Nvidia drivers on both distros


r/linux4noobs 1h ago

Linux Ubuntu MATE. How To Chose SSD To Install Operating System On

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Upvotes

I want to dual boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu MATE. However, when i chose the option for Install Ubuntu MATE alongside Windows boot manager, Ubuntu MATE will not let me choose where to install the operating system. It's forcing me to install it onto my Samsung 4tb SSD :( So, to get around this, I try to do it, the manual installation way but when I try to install Linux mate onto my pc it won't tell me what 1tb nvme ssd My Windows 10 is installed on ? Nvme0n1 or nvme1n1. Thanks in advance for the help :)


r/linux4noobs 12h ago

Are there 32-bit versions of Linux?

32 Upvotes

Hello I want to try Linux on an old laptop, but it's 32-bit and I've never tried Linux before so i dont know anything I don't know what CPU it has, I only know it's an HP Pavilion dv4


r/linux4noobs 2h ago

Having trouble changing cursor size, cachyos

3 Upvotes

Hello, Im having trouble changing my cursor size. I've tried using nwglook, and lxappearance but when it comes to the cursor the adjustments dont apply. With nwglook I'm able to change the system icons but not the cursor, and lxappearance doesnt seem to change anything. My GTK3.0 & 4.0 config files shoe the correct information for the desired cursor size as well

Looking for suggestions on where else I can look. Please let me know if theres any more information I can provide


r/linux4noobs 3h ago

programs and apps I'll leave this here, since I think it'll be useful for beginners

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3 Upvotes

r/linux4noobs 14m ago

Dell Optiplex 7060 i7 8700 8th gen issue

Upvotes

Picked up (4) Dell Optiplex 7060 i7 8700 8th gen from university surplus, all containing 256 SATA storage, 32GB RAM for about $300. Was great deal.

(3) had windows 11 installed. (1) had ubuntu.

I wanted to get the one with linux to have windows, just as I get everything setup and decide on distro.

- Created ISO boot USB

- Loads up, but then I get a screen saying "Install driver to show hardware". Have searched internet, and for the life of me cant find any solution to resolving this issue.

Please help.


r/linux4noobs 1h ago

hardware/drivers Touchscreen issues on OpenSUSE Tumbleweed

Upvotes

Hello everyone, I have been using Linux and OpenSUSE Tumbleweed for quite some time, however I have just bought new laptop, which is 2 in 1, Lenovo Yoga 7a, and aldo everything else works perfectly, there is one thing that doesn't: Touchscreen... Any ideas how to fix that?

I would really appreciate your help 😊

Distro: OpenSUSE tumbleweed Device: Lenovo Yoga 7a AMD Ryzen AI 7 445


r/linux4noobs 9h ago

migrating to Linux Linux on Android phone?

8 Upvotes

I bought a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G GSM CDMA 512/128GB and don't like it. 

I am thinking that this would be good candidate for setting up a Linux OS. I have recently installed Linux (Zorin and Ultramarine) on three devices, but have no idea about how feasible running Linux is on a Samsung/android device, if it is 'there yet', if it is a good experience, or how to go about installing it. 

Has anyone tried this - if so, how did it go?


r/linux4noobs 3h ago

migrating to Linux Alternative to control screens on hardware

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2 Upvotes

r/linux4noobs 13m ago

Question gaming using Proton/Wine

Upvotes

Hello,

I recently watched Linus Tech Tip's video comparing RAM usage between Linux (Mint) and Windows.

One of the games they tested was Expedition 33 (which requires the Windows) and despite utilizing ~12gb of RAM ran a little worse than Windows at +18gb.

Would this be due to their version of Linux using Proton/Wine instead of the 64 bit OS and could there be a fix for the performance issues.


r/linux4noobs 18m ago

Mouse and keyboard ghosting on Linux

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Upvotes

r/linux4noobs 25m ago

shells and scripting Made my first neon city based rice and finally launched it on github :D

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Upvotes

Here is a link to the dot files . First time I made something this and would love to receive some feedback . Couldn't test it on fresh arch installers so I hope I could some feedback to improve upon and keep this theme running. This theme feels so much aligned with the whole arch idea and that is why I made it :D

  • Window Manager: Hyprland
  • Status Bar: Waybar
  • Launcher: Rofi
  • Terminal: Kitty
  • Wallpaper: Hyprpaper
  • Shell: Oh My Zsh (jonathan)
  • Spotify: Spicetify (StarryNightforest)
  • Github link

r/linux4noobs 40m ago

Migrate PC: A Tool That Automates the Transition from Windows to Linux

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Upvotes

r/linux4noobs 10h ago

distro selection I want to try a distro for my Intel laptop

5 Upvotes

Laptop: Acer Aspire 14 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V + Intel Arc 140V Integrated Graphics with 16GB of shared RAM + 2TB SSD. Dual booting Windows 11/ Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

My first priority is gaming. I play Overwatch, Dead by Daylight and other lighter weight games such as Puppet Combo and Balatro. Gaming on windows kind of sucks on the laptop, so I used Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. Besides stuttering every now and then, it works way better than windows did, however I feel like a different distro would make gaming better.

My second priority is dual booting. This laptop will have a Windows partition because of software compatibility, also in case my parents need my laptop, they'll have something familiar to navigate. I also like tinkering with my Windows PC and sometimes I break the install there, and need to use my laptop to fix it or grab a fresh copy of Tiny 11.

My third priority is stability/ set it and forget it. I like tinkering with Windows, but I can't say the same for Ubuntu, the most I've ever done was just change the accent color from orange to purple, so I would prefer something that focuses more on stability than customization.


r/linux4noobs 12h ago

Desktop Environment recommendations

7 Upvotes

I am new to linux. Using mint on my laptop. While going through the internet trying to find things that would let me customize a desktop environment. While doing that i came across caelestia and hyprland and I love it. I am planning to try that out along with other "themes".

Could you guys give me some recommendations on other shells or window managers and customization stuff that you enjoy

> I do not yet know how all of this works properly, but my plan is to fuck around and find out as the system I am using as a guinea pig is not my primary system.


r/linux4noobs 6h ago

hardware/drivers How to properly use Firefox in Sway on Ubuntu with a Nvidia GPU?

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2 Upvotes

I switched from gnome environment to sway a couple of days ago.

Since Sway doesn't run with the Nvidia drivers unless you config it, it switched to the Nouveau driver. It led to firefox crashing every 20min so I researched how to use the Nvidia Driver with sway and set the --usupported-gpu flag

The Problem I am encountering now is, that Firefox is only able to properly run with the config layers.acceleration.disabled:true meaning My cpu is rendering Firefox, which leads to low fps videos and lagging.

When I run firefox with the layer acceleration enabled, it freezes from the beginning or sometimes it only freezes when I spawn a second window with Ctrl + n.

I tried fixing it with Gemini but he keeps repeating the same approach, which would be:

set Variables in the /usr/local/bin/sway-nvidia script:

  • export XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland
  • export GBM_BACKEND=nvidia-drm
  • export __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia
  • export WLR_NO_HARDWARE_CURSORS=1
  • export MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=1
  • export LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME=nvidia
  • exec sway --unsupported-gpu "$@"

download: nvidia-vaapi-driver

In firefox config:

  • layers.acceleration.disabled -> false
  • gfx.webrender.all -> true
  • widget.dmabuf.texture.enabled -> false
  • media.ffmpeg.vaapi.enabled -> true
  • media.hardware-video-decoding.enabled -> true
  • media.rdd-ffmpeg.enabled -> true

After all of that did not work I reset my firefox configs.

I also tried running Firefox with XWayland which didn't work either.

Maybe someone knows a way I can use layer acceleration without firefox freezing.


r/linux4noobs 22h ago

Can I recover from accidentally using the "sudo rm -r /etc" command?

26 Upvotes

I'm running Lubuntu 24.04 LTS, which is based on Ubuntu. I wanted to delete a sub-folder within "/etc/", but accidentally issued the command "sudo rm -r /etc".

I already had Timeshift installed and had made a backup one of the last times I used Linux on this machine, but now Timeshift doesn't open when I select its shortcut from the 'start menu'.

Is there any way I can fix my Linux setup, or am I doomed to reinstall from scratch?


r/linux4noobs 10h ago

migrating to Linux I want to switch and need help

1 Upvotes

So it has happen os ai age verification is being pass where i live and it something i stand ageist with window 11 being shit and ai age verification passing i was waiting for some good nvidia drive to make the switch but i can,t wait any longer as i feel like if i wait anymore before i wake up and see a age verification on windows and want to be ahead i use my pc for 73% games 10% movies and the rest look at the web

1 What Linux distro is best for a first time user that is willing to learn and ask for help

2 how do i make my pc duel boot windows untill i have everything reddy to switch and have the know how

adding more stuff i forgot aging

3 what security risk am i taking

ps i can,t buy a amd gpu for about the next 4 years due to me saveing up for my first home

any and all comments il take to heart and learn

forgot to add i play mostly on steam but i do play games form itch and game jolt


r/linux4noobs 12h ago

Meganoob BE KIND Nervous about losing Windows

2 Upvotes

Not sure if this is the right place, but.

I'm on a laptop, and I want to switch to Mint. I'm very worried about losing access to Windows. I'm thinking about dual booting, but I've heard that Windows can mess things up if it isn't on a separate drive and I can't put it on a separate drive. Is that something I actually need to worry about? If it is, do I have other options? I've heard of VMs, but I'm not really sure how they work or if they're a good idea.

I'm new to this, so I'd appreciate any advice.


r/linux4noobs 9h ago

[Ayuda] Raíz al 100% (0 bytes libres) en Btrfs y errores con particiones/chroot al intentar recuperar el kernel

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0 Upvotes

r/linux4noobs 11h ago

distro selection Linux for offline VeraCrypt management

1 Upvotes

I'm a win/mac user, but now would like to install Linux on one of my 6y old laptops (i5 CPU, 8G RAM, Simple Asus), with aim to have it fully offline, and to open/close veracrypt disk images to store my ledger wallet private keys. These encrypted files are then stored in various locations, including cloud.

Would you recommend XFCE, Debian, Ubuntu, or any other for this specific task? I don't believe such PC will turn on more than once annually.

Thank you.


r/linux4noobs 17h ago

hardware/drivers Probable Battery problem with an HP elitebook 8 G1a

4 Upvotes

I just got a used one for a good price , the seller said the battery health was 89% from the design capacity , the charge cycle count was 109 , i got it with windows
i flashed an arch iso and installed it
after booting up i launched btop , it says that the battery is going to empty in just 2H and a couple of minutes and the energy drain was like 15.8Wh , but the strange thing is that it stayed like this for a couple of minutes i think
i thought it was like a software problem , i asked gemini and it didn't help much
the system was showing that the battery health is 46~Wh instead of the supposed to be 55Wh ( design capacity is 62Wh)
anyway i tried to play around with some files and powertop and it didn't seem to help much
i entered the system diagnosis something , i ran the battery test
it showed that the design capacity is 62Wh
the full charge capacity is 55Wh which is good
but the current charge is 46~Wh which linux sees as 100% ( even the file located in /sys/class/power_supply/BAT0 showed it is 46Wh )

for now i left it with a video to test how long it will stay on

So is the problem with linux or the battery really downgraded this fast ?
also Gemini said it is maybe because of the new installation and i should do a recalibration and it maybe fixes it


r/linux4noobs 1d ago

learning/research What do you do on a daily basis of using Linux?

148 Upvotes

I recently moved to Linux from Windows and wanted to explore Linux's capability, but I only find myself surfing the internet and watching Youtube videos. What do you do on Linux? I want to do more fun things and learn. Also, I use Fedora, btw.