Linux Question

[v0id]

I plan on dual booting Linux and Windows 10. I would like to use Linux for Internet browsing, office work and general time wasting. Plus I hear it's safer on the web. The Windows OS would be utilized purely for gaming or for the occasional school program that is not Linux friendly. Which of the following would be a best approach? I have a single 480GB SSD from Intel.

 

• Partition the drive in half and install Linux on one and Windows on the other
• Run a VM from within Windows
• Run Linux from USB

I know each one will accomplish what I'm after, but is there one that is superior to the other. Performance benefits/loss? Less headache? Safer? I'm kinda a Linux noob so would like some advice before proceeding. Or if there is an approach I didn't list I'm all ears. Or does it not matter at all?

 

Thanks!

[Kiyuubi]

I think dual-booting Windows and Linux for you reasons is silly.  Not because I don't think Linux is a great replacement, but because of convenience.  People who say "I want to dual-boot Windows and Linux for gaming and non-gaming" will more than likely, will rarely boot into Linux, or delete it altogether.  Not because Linux is bad, but because of convenience.  What I mean by this is that every time you want to play a game that is not native, or works well in WINE, you will be forced to boot into Windows.  When you're done gaming you will boot back into Linux, and this will go back and forth.  See how much time you are wasting?  Users will inevitably get frustrated, and choose one or the other, which is usually Windows, sadly. 

 

To answer your actual question:

 

1).  This is your best bet, and will be the best user experience.

2).  No point, you're already Windows.  Why boot into a VM for web browsing?

3). All data is saved to RAM, so anything you save will be lost after each boot.

[IsaacDaGrazin]

snippity snip

what distro?

i don’t recommend it though since windows, especially 10, dosent like dual booting and forces you to go into w10

[Enderman]

sounds like a waste of time and effort and you havent made any clear statements of why you need to use linux in the first place

[Djole123]

Partition the drive like this:

1/4 Linux

3/4 Windows

[v0id]

what distro?

i don’t recommend it though since windows, especially 10, dosent like dual booting and forces you to go into w10

 

Mint

 

 

sounds like a waste of time and effort and you havent made any clear statements of why you need to use linux in the first place

 

To get to know it better. I want to broaden my horizons and I know Linux has many advantages over Windows, I just want to discover things on my own. That's why I'm only gonna use it, at first anyway, for general office stuff and Internet. Then, when I gain more confidence in it I'll use it more and more until it becomes my main OS. This is assuming I like it enough for that to occur. I like tinkering with new things, so I don't consider wasted time and effort. I wanna learn new stuff. 

 

 

Partition the drive like this:

1/4 Linux

3/4 Windows

 

My thoughts exactly. And it's what I did in the past. 

 

 

I think dual-booting Windows and Linux for you reasons is silly.  Not because I don't think Linux is a great replacement, but because of convenience.  People who say "I want to dual-boot Windows and Linux for gaming and non-gaming" will more than likely, will rarely boot into Linux, or delete it altogether.  Not because Linux is bad, but because of convenience.  What I mean by this is that every time you want to play a game that is not native, or works well in WINE, you will be forced to boot into Windows.  When you're done gaming you will boot back into Linux, and this will go back and forth.  See how much time you are wasting?  Users will inevitably get frustrated, and choose one or the other, which is usually Windows, sadly. 

 

To answer your actual question:

 

1).  This is your best bet, and will be the best user experience.

2).  No point, you're already Windows.  Why boot into a VM for web browsing?

3). All data is saved to RAM, so anything you save will be lost after each boot.

 

My SSD boots into Windows in under 7 seconds. I can wait that long to experience a different OS. I considered the VM because of hardware compatibility; I heard it was good practice to run it in a VM so issues are minimized or can be at least be taken care of easily within Windows. That way I don't go through the hassle of putting Linux physically on the drive when it's gonna fight my hardware. And as I said to Enderman, I like to experience different stuff so figured I'd start with Linux. I wanna learn.

[Alir]

I plan on dual booting Linux and Windows 10. I would like to use Linux for Internet browsing, office work and general time wasting. Plus I hear it's safer on the web. The Windows OS would be utilized purely for gaming or for the occasional school program that is not Linux friendly. Which of the following would be a best approach? I have a single 480GB SSD from Intel.

 

• Partition the drive in half and install Linux on one and Windows on the other
• Run a VM from within Windows
• Run Linux from USB

I know each one will accomplish what I'm after, but is there one that is superior to the other. Performance benefits/loss? Less headache? Safer? I'm kinda a Linux noob so would like some advice before proceeding. Or if there is an approach I didn't list I'm all ears. Or does it not matter at all?

 

Thanks!

 

About me: I am most experienced with Windows, though in this academic year I have gotten used to Linux. It's a great OS and for what you intend, I think it's perfect. Especially the security benefits. I would suggest you also install Avast AV for Linux (free - if you need help installing reply or message me) and ClamAV in case your Windows AVs ever get compromised.

 

Partition. It's much safer, better, faster and really best all around. Minus the fact that you will have less storage space for Windows. Which isn't that bad if you will only be installing a few games and uninstalling games you don't use. If you plan on doing loads of installs, install your games on a hard drive.

 

I would recommend you try out Linux Mint Cinammon. It's perfect. Has the pros of Linux and the pros of Windows. You'll feel right at home. Especially if you were used to Windows 7.

 

I would also suggest you use the Windows Boot Loader.

Install Windows 10 as you would - or if you already have it then ignore this step.

Install Linux Mint Cinammon but Make sure you install the boot loader for Linux on the /boot partition!!! When you click on "something else" when deciding how to install Linux, at the bottom of the page it will give you the option to choose on which drive or partition you want to install it to. You also have the option of installing the boot loader to a USB and the OS files to your SSD. That way if someone wants to boot into Linux and see your stuff, they will have to boot from your USB. Booting from your SSD will boot straight into Windows.

 

Now...

 

If you install Linux's bootloader to a partition, after install and reboot, your PC will boot straight into Windows. To solve this, install a software called EasyBCD. This will enable you to edit Window's boot loader to show a prompt, asking you if you want to boot to Windows or Linux.

 

If you need any help on this process, feel free to ask me.

 

 

I think dual-booting Windows and Linux for you reasons is silly.  Not because I don't think Linux is a great replacement, but because of convenience.  People who say "I want to dual-boot Windows and Linux for gaming and non-gaming" will more than likely, will rarely boot into Linux, or delete it altogether.  Not because Linux is bad, but because of convenience.  What I mean by this is that every time you want to play a game that is not native, or works well in WINE, you will be forced to boot into Windows.  When you're done gaming you will boot back into Linux, and this will go back and forth.  See how much time you are wasting?  Users will inevitably get frustrated, and choose one or the other, which is usually Windows, sadly. 

 

To answer your actual question:

 

1).  This is your best bet, and will be the best user experience.

2).  No point, you're already Windows.  Why boot into a VM for web browsing?

3). All data is saved to RAM, so anything you save will be lost after each boot.

 

I disagree. It's not that bad of an inconvenience. I love Linux.

[Alir]

-

I don't suggest using a VM. They're slow. They can be good for specific tasks but if your intention is to learn, understand and get used to Linux, the response times will drive you crazy. Also, you lose most security benefits from Linux that way

[v0id]

About me: I am most experienced with Windows, though in this academic year I have gotten used to Linux. It's a great OS and for what you intend, I think it's perfect. Especially the security benefits. I would suggest you also install Avast AV for Linux (free - if you need help installing reply or message me) and ClamAV in case your Windows AVs ever get compromised.

 

Partition. It's much safer, better, faster and really best all around. Minus the fact that you will have less storage space for Windows. Which isn't that bad if you will only be installing a few games and uninstalling games you don't use. If you plan on doing loads of installs, install your games on a hard drive.

 

I would recommend you try out Linux Mint Cinammon. It's perfect. Has the pros of Linux and the pros of Windows. You'll feel right at home. Especially if you were used to Windows 7.

 

I would also suggest you use the Windows Boot Loader.

Install Windows 10 as you would - or if you already have it then ignore this step.

Install Linux Mint Cinammon but Make sure you install the boot loader for Linux on the /boot partition!!! When you click on "something else" when deciding how to install Linux, at the bottom of the page it will give you the option to choose on which drive or partition you want to install it to. You also have the option of installing the boot loader to a USB and the OS files to your SSD. That way if someone wants to boot into Linux and see your stuff, they will have to boot from your USB. Booting from your SSD will boot straight into Windows.

 

Now...

 

If you install Linux's bootloader to a partition, after install and reboot, your PC will boot straight into Windows. To solve this, install a software called EasyBCD. This will enable you to edit Window's boot loader to show a prompt, asking you if you want to boot to Windows or Linux.

 

If you need any help on this process, feel free to ask me.

 

 

 

I disagree. It's not that bad of an inconvenience. I love Linux.

 

I got Mint on a USB. Should I create a new partition in Windows or wait and use the Linux menu to do it? Also, I have to boot into compatibility mode or else my system just hangs on a black screen. Don't know if that matters or not.

[ian_stagib]

Why not install Linux onto a vm instead of dual booting it? It's a less permanent solution in case you don't like the result. You can also very easily experiment with a variety of flavours of Linux without headaches. As for being sage online, the best safety procedure is common sense. Don't click on dodgy stuff and nothing bad happens, and don't use the same password for all your sites

[Alir]

I got Mint on a USB. Should I create a new partition in Windows or wait and use the Linux menu to do it? Also, I have to boot into compatibility mode or else my system just hangs on a black screen. Don't know if that matters or not.

 

Your problem is either a result of faulty hardware or it is the result of poor driver support. The driver issue is more likely.

 

Partition your drive in Windows. Decide how much you want to. eg. 100gb.

If you need help on this, google it or reply back. I am currently on Linux.

 

Once you have partitioned it, boot your USB live installer, go to install, when it asks how you want to install, click on "something else"

 

I personally would suggest only using 1 partition for Linux. Though if you need a SWAP partition as a result of low RAM, go ahead and create one, though if you have plenty of RAM, a SWAP is not necessary. Unless of course you would like to hibernate.

 

To clarify:

Need Hibernate? Create a SWAP partition

Have low RAM? Create a SWAP partition.

 

As for your main partition, take the 100GB of unallocated data which you made via shrinking your main Windows partition in Windows. Take the 100GB partition and set it as /

If you are asked which file system you want, choose ext4

change your boot loader to your new linux partition