Help with dual-booting Linux

[Wadu436]

Hello everyone!

I want to dual boot Linux and Windows. I am currently running Windows 7. I will use it for gaming, browsing and doing something when the Windows drivers don't work and Windows for schoolwork (because Microsoft Office), Windows-Only games and some photo-editing.

 

I have a few questions:

1. What is the best Linux distro for a total Linux noob.

2. What is the best driver stack for nVidia?

3. Is there anything I have to know or do before i dual-boot Linux?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[manikyath]

1: ubuntu or its derivatives, for your purposes probably linux mint.

 

2: proprietary drivers all the way.

 

3: gaming isnt smooth sailing on linux at all, its more like driving a lowered sports car over a plowed field. (experience here)

 

EDIT: also, make sure you dont derp up your windows, i know tons of people who did that.

[Wadu436]

1: ubuntu or its derivatives, for your purposes probably linux mint.

 

2: proprietary drivers all the way.

 

3: gaming isnt smooth sailing on linux at all, its more like driving a lowered sports car over a plowed field. (experience here)

 

EDIT: also, make sure you dont derp up your windows, i know tons of people who did that.

3. Yeah i thought something like that, that's why i want to dual boot

 

Ill back-up all of my files and make a repair/reinstall disk then

 

EDIT: What Linux Mint version? There are 4 different ones.

My Specs:

i5 4430 3.0Ghz

Asus GTX760

8Gb RAM

[manikyath]

3. Yeah i thought something like that, that's why i want to dual boot

 

Ill back-up all of my files and make a repair/reinstall disk then

i'd actually recommend to get a completely seperate hard drive for linux, if you have a desktop. the 500GB single-platter drives are pretty good for this.

[Wadu436]

i'd actually recommend to get a completely seperate hard drive for linux, if you have a desktop. the 500GB single-platter drives are pretty good for this.

I have a 500Gig drive right now, and i'd like to also get some more space in windows, so is there some way i can replace that 500Gig drive with a 1Tb drive, but that it still has the same files etc

[manikyath]

I have a 500Gig drive right now, and i'd like to also get some more space in windows, so is there some way i can replace that 500Gig drive with a 1Tb drive, but that it still has the same files etc

pretty sure thats possible, but dont ask me how. 

[Wadu436]

pretty sure thats possible, but dont ask me how. 

Found something that might work: Cloning the drive: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2421302,00.asp

[manikyath]

Found something that might work: Cloning the drive: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2421302,00.asp

thats how you do it, but i have literally zero experience with it. i'm guessing if you use a decent tool for it it should work flawlessly.

[ionbasa]

thats how you do it, but i have literally zero experience with it. i'm guessing if you use a decent tool for it it should work flawlessly.

Clonezilla can clone your drives for you: http://clonezilla.org/

Its Linux based and you can boot it up from a live cd or usb flash drive.

 

You can find tutorials on how to clone a drive with Clonezilla here: http://clonezilla.org/show-live-doc-content.php?topic=clonezilla-live/doc/03_Disk_to_disk_clone

Or here: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/pro-tip-use-clonezilla-to-clone-a-hard-drive/