New to Linux

[Inversion]

Hi, I have never used Linux to any great extent before but I know that it's used quite a bit in the field that I want to go into (Astrophysics). I'm probably gonna pick up a cheap SSD from the local CeX and have a go but I'm not really sure what distro to use (is that even the right term?). I think I recognised Ubuntu when I visited the observatory at my university though.

 

My main questions are these:

1. Is a 120GB SSD enough to run Linux fairly well given my main OS will be Windows?

2. How different are the Linux distros?

3. What is a good distro to start on?

4. Can you run Linux from an external SSD (attached through USB 3.0)?

[Alex Atkin UK]

1. Yes that is a good size, although I have no idea what size data you will be using to judge exactly.

2. It varies, but generally if you are doing this for a particular field then it would make sense to see what they are using, otherwise you might find the distro you picked doesn't have the software you want to use readily available.

3. Again it varies.  I found going from Windows to Linux it was easier to pick a distro with KDE as the desktop, but its a minority view I believe.  So again, if you can I would try to find out what people in the field are using so you are familiar with how THEY use it.

4. I have never tried, so maybe someone else who has will come along to advise.  Theoretically I see no reason why not, but I'd be dubious about it putting the boot loader in the right place.

[NelizMastr]

5 minutes ago, Inversion said:

My main questions are these:

1. Is a 120GB SSD enough to run Linux fairly well given my main OS will be Windows?

2. How different are the Linux distros?

3. What is a good distro to start on?

4. Can you run Linux from an external SSD (attached through USB 3.0)?

1. Yes. Linux distros have a smaller footprint than Windows

2. Depends mostly on the desktop environment used. (Gnome/KDE/XFCE/LXDE/Cinnamon), not much otherwise. Just some specific quirks and differences in package availability.

3. Ubuntu and it's derivatives (mint, elementaryOS etc.)

4. Yep. I'd recommend also installing the bootloader on that drive so your Windows Boot Manager doesn't throw a fit.

 

Some words of warning, you will to learn how to do things on the command line as not everything can be done graphically. Driver support is generally good, but especially graphics drivers can be temperamental. When you boot in recovery mode, you can update/install the proprietary graphics drivers via the update program.

 

[Alex Atkin UK]

Honestly I think Ubuntu is the LEAST friendly distro for people coming from Windows, I hate it.  But if its the common distro in the field then its probably worth learning.

[Inversion]

3 hours ago, NelizMastr said:

1. Yes. Linux distros have a smaller footprint than Windows

2. Depends mostly on the desktop environment used. (Gnome/KDE/XFCE/LXDE/Cinnamon), not much otherwise. Just some specific quirks and differences in package availability.

3. Ubuntu and it's derivatives (mint, elementaryOS etc.)

4. Yep. I'd recommend also installing the bootloader on that drive so your Windows Boot Manager doesn't throw a fit.

 

Some words of warning, you will to learn how to do things on the command line as not everything can be done graphically. Driver support is generally good, but especially graphics drivers can be temperamental. When you boot in recovery mode, you can update/install the proprietary graphics drivers via the update program.

 

 

3 hours ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

Honestly I think Ubuntu is the LEAST friendly distro for people coming from Windows, I hate it.  But if its the common distro in the field then its probably worth learning.

Thanks to you both. I think I'll at least start with Ubuntu and see how I get on.

[Fleetscut]

Its a lot easier to set up a virtual machine, especially if your intentions are just to mess around and learn. This also makes it easy to install a bunch of different distros and see which ones you like the most. Even if you do go into using linux for your job, unless there are very specific high performance demands (or you want to switch full time from windows) its still easier to use a VM.

[Thomas CG]

Any distro can be customized to your needs and what you want it to look like. Play around with a VM if you don't want to mess up an install.

 

Learn the tools and have fun. I use ubuntu at work and at home. But either debian based or red hat based distros have a good amount of support and tools.

[Ashleyyyy]

5 hours ago, Inversion said:

1. Is a 120GB SSD enough to run Linux fairly well given my main OS will be Windows?

yes, that's fine.

 

5 hours ago, Inversion said:

2. How different are the Linux distros?

what do you mean exactly?

 

5 hours ago, Inversion said:

3. What is a good distro to start on?

if you are used to Windows, Linux Mint. if you are used to macOS, Elementary OS is a good option. 

[Inversion]

18 hours ago, firelighter487 said:

yes, that's fine.

 

what do you mean exactly?

 

if you are used to Windows, Linux Mint. if you are used to macOS, Elementary OS is a good option. 

What I mean is that if I started on say Mint for example, and it turned out that it's Ubuntu that's used by my uni, how difficult is it to switch between different distros?

[Ashleyyyy]

Just now, Inversion said:

What I mean is that if I started on say Mint for example, and it turned out that it's Ubuntu that's used by my uni, how difficult is it to switch between different distros?

not too difficult, because you can install multiple desktops on one distro. as long as the base is the same it shouldn't be difficult. like Mint is based on Ubuntu, so the commands to install stuff etc are the same on Mint and Ubuntu. 

 

say you install Mint, but you need to switch to the look and feel of Ubuntu. you can install the gnome desktop on Mint and then it's just like running Ubuntu.

[Linus_torvalds]

On 8/23/2018 at 1:54 PM, Inversion said:

Hi, I have never used Linux to any great extent before but I know that it's used quite a bit in the field that I want to go into (Astrophysics). I'm probably gonna pick up a cheap SSD from the local CeX and have a go but I'm not really sure what distro to use (is that even the right term?). I think I recognised Ubuntu when I visited the observatory at my university though.

 

My main questions are these:

1. Is a 120GB SSD enough to run Linux fairly well given my main OS will be Windows?

2. How different are the Linux distros?

3. What is a good distro to start on?

4. Can you run Linux from an external SSD (attached through USB 3.0)?

Seems all your questions are already answered.

 

I'll just add my 2 cents.

 

I was working univercity of earthquake sciences. We were using ubuntu on our working machines and on servers too. Seems like all science software is written and tested in ubuntu/debian distros. Of cource you can run them on other distros like arch, manjaro, fedora which have much newer packages then debian/ubuntu but you have to be advanced user, because problems will apear. I do not believe that i am saying this, but i highly recommend using ubuntu

[jpenguin]

Create a separate home partition, so you can reinstall or switch distros without restoring from your backup

[nanaki]

On 8/23/2018 at 6:02 AM, Alex Atkin UK said:

1. Yes that is a good size, although I have no idea what size data you will be using to judge exactly.

2. It varies, but generally if you are doing this for a particular field then it would make sense to see what they are using, otherwise you might find the distro you picked doesn't have the software you want to use readily available.

3. Again it varies.  I found going from Windows to Linux it was easier to pick a distro with KDE as the desktop, but its a minority view I believe.  So again, if you can I would try to find out what people in the field are using so you are familiar with how THEY use it.

4. I have never tried, so maybe someone else who has will come along to advise.  Theoretically I see no reason why not, but I'd be dubious about it putting the boot loader in the right place.

Id go with mint 19 with cinnamon over kde Sure kde sort of resembles windows but cinnamon does it better. It can with a couple settings more resemble 7 or more resemble 10. You also have timeshift to undo bad changes again like windows restore points ( a bit better than that though). I recomend the op does him sef a favor though as well. Install a few different window managers and DEs to find the one that fits them the best.  Install some minimalist WMs like openbox and i3wm and more complex DEs like kde and others. 

[Inversion]

2 hours ago, nanaki said:

Id go with mint 19 with cinnamon over kde Sure kde sort of resembles windows but cinnamon does it better. It can with a couple settings more resemble 7 or more resemble 10. You also have timeshift to undo bad changes again like windows restore points ( a bit better than that though). I recomend the op does him sef a favor though as well. Install a few different window managers and DEs to find the one that fits them the best.  Install some minimalist WMs like openbox and i3wm and more complex DEs like kde and others. 

I'll be honest I understood very little of what you just said

[jpenguin]

Nanki is recommending the cinnamon edition of Linux mint.  Timeshift is a program that will create restore points so you can roll back from a bad kernel or driver install

 

Just jump into Linux, everything will clear itself up

[Infiltrator]

1. Yes. Linux is usually smaller and has led bloatware than windows.

2. As long as the DTE (Desktop Environment) is the same, they are pretty similar.

3. ElementaryOS is the way to go.  It was designed with new users in mind (and Apple copied the look and feel of Elementary when they did osx...)

4. Yes. Just make sure you install a boot loader.