Tip: There are loads of references on this site to “Ubuntu and its derivatives” i.e Ubuntu and any of the many distros based on Ubuntu. Most such distros are listed here.
Choosing a distro
Unlike Windows or macOS where you just use the newest version, Linux comes in hundreds of different “distros” designed to meet different needs. Librehunt.org and Distrochooser are great for choosing which distro to use, but if in doubt I recommend Zorin OS. The free version is fine for most people but the pro edition has bonus features.
Creating a Live USB
The easiest way to try and install Linux is to install it on a USB stick, so you can try it on your computer and install it permanently if you wish. I recommend downloading Rufus.
- Search for your chosen distro online, navigate to the download page and download the .iso file. BACK UP EVERYTHING ON YOUR USB STICK, it WILL be deleted, and it’s probably best to back it up somewhere other than the computer you will be using- just in case. I recommend backing up anything important on your computer as well, but it is very unlikely to be harmed when you remove the Live USB. You may want to create a disk image backup (Windows or Mac), in addition to manually copying your files to another drive (so that you can access them within Linux if you decide to install Linux). If you have installed Windows 10 or 11 on your device, it will be automatically licenced if you have to re-install it using the Windows Media Creation Tool– however, this is not true for older versions of Windows, so write down your activation code somewhere safe in case you need to re-install Windows. Also note down activation keys for ALL applications that have a paid licence.
- Open Rufus- you will have to give it administrator rights when prompted; select your USB stick as the device (triple check its the right one!); click the SELECT button next to ‘boot selection’; find and select your .iso file and check the ‘boot selection’ name is correct; if you plan to use the USB a few times to test Linux, select some ‘persistence’, otherwise all settings and files on the USB will be lost when you restart (if the USB doesn’t boot, try running Rufus again without adding persistence).
- Press start; leave the default ‘ISO image’ formatting method; double-check everything is in order and accept all the dialogues.
- Make a cup of tea, it will take a while! If you have chosen a less common distro, search online for the recommended settings, but the defaults should work for Ubuntu and any Ubuntu-based distro (which is most of them!).
Booting your Live USB
Once Rufus is finished, click CLOSE (do not press start again!). If you are using Windows 10 or 11, the easiest thing to do is search ‘advanced startup’ in Settings, select restart now (NOT RESET!), select ‘use boot device’ and select the USB. If you are not using Windows 10/11 or this doesn’t work, search the name of your computer and “boot menu” e.g “Dell Latitude 5285 boot menu”. You should find that holding down a button, often F12, while turning on your device will let you choose which device to boot from; so turn off your computer and turn it back on, holding down or repeatedly pressing this button as instructed. There will be an option with USB in the title, probably at the bottom of the list, e.g “UEFI: USB DISK 2.0 PMAP, Partition 1”; scroll down the list using the arrow keys on your keyboard and press enter to select this option.
Scary lines of text will cross your screen but, unless it coughs out an error message AND stops for a long time, it’s probably fine. You may see a screen called GRUB with multiple options- select ‘try’ or ‘boot [name of distro]’ by scrolling using arrow keys and pressing the Enter key when appropriate. If you are trying an Ubuntu-based distro, you may see a screen that says ‘try [name of distro]’ and ‘install [name of distro]’, select the ‘try’ option.
Using your Live USB
Congratulations, you are now running Linux (but Windows/macOS will be waiting for you as if you never left when you remove the USB and restart). Remember, unless you added persistence, all settings and files on the USB will be deleted when you turn off your computer, so save anything important on your computer’s hard drive, another USB stick, an SD card etc. (and be warned that persistence may not work, even if it’s enabled).
Check that WiFi, Bluetooth, speakers, webcam, touchscreen, Suspend (sleep) and any peripherals such as external keyboards, mice and printers work properly. If they don’t, connect to the internet (you may need an ethernet cable or wifi dongle), look for an application called ‘driver manager’ and enable any recommended drivers. On Ubuntu derivatives, this is part of the Software Updater app under Settings/Additional Drivers. If this doesn’t fix them all, you have two options: give up, or search the internet for solutions e.g Google “wifi not working HP Stream Ubuntu”.
Experiment with the Live USB to your heart’s content (bear in mind there will be some restrictions and much slower performance than usual when using the USB), and if you like what you see…
Install Linux!
Ready to install Linux properly? It’s best to close all software first and save any work- but not on the USB! Make sure you have backed up your files if you haven’t already. There will probably be a link on your desktop to open the installer, double click this. Select your preferred options until you reach the ‘partitioning’ stage.
What to do here depends on the distro, so I recommend searching ‘install [name of the distro]’ on another device. Before you do that, I just want to point out that you do not need to remove Windows (unless you have a small hard drive)- you can ‘dual boot’ and be offered Windows and Linux every time you start your device, thanks to the GRUB menu you may have met earlier. If you are planning to completely replace Windows with Linux, you may want to make Windows recovery media first on a spare USB in case you need to reinstall Windows. Here is a guide to installing Zorin OS- you can skip to ‘Install your copy of Zorin OS’. Tip: If you choose to dual boot, you may find that the clock is wrong on Windows- this can be fixed by opening the Terminal and typing “timedatectl set-local-rtc 1 –adjust-system-clock” (note: there are two hyphens next to each other before the ‘adjust-system-clock’ command, but this is automatically converted to a single hyphen by WordPress), then re-syncing the clock in Windows settings . Tip: If your computer had windows 8, 8.1 or 10 pre-installed when is was manufactured, you may want to disable secure boot to prevent complications- it’s not as risky as it sounds, it didn’t even exist before Windows 8! Important: if you are dual booting, be careful not to boot into Linux after hibernating your other operating system–there is a risk of corrupting your files.
Linux computers
Alternatively, if you think it’s about time for a new computer anyway, consider purchasing a computer with Linux pre-installed. They are usually more expensive than Windows computers, but they are often high-quality devices made by small companies and they will offer an optimised Linux experience out of the box without any hardware compatibility issues.
Endurabook– my startup, focused on affordable and ethically made Linux computers.
Dell offers some of their models with Ubuntu pre-installed: Business laptops (UK)
Star Labs specialises in Linux computers.
Upmarket but well-established System76 also specialises in Linux computers.
Purism is a popular Linux computer manufacturer, with a very strong emphasis on privacy and open source software.
Entroware is a quite well established UK-based Linux computer manufacturer.
Slimbook also specialises in Linux computers.
Do not rule out used or refurbished computers, see why here . Click here for new, used and refurbished Linux computers on eBay UK . Be wary of incorrect listings where the device actually runs Windows, and buy with care.
Think Penguin is a quite established Linux computer seller with an emphasis on Free software
Tuxedo Computers specialises in Linux computers, with an emphasis on optimising the OS to run perfectly on the device.
Ubuntu Shop is a less established, and less official than it sounds, option.
Ministry of Freedom is another less established Linux computer seller, with an emphasis on Free software.
Juno Computers is a UK-based Linux computer manufacturer.
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