How Can I Transition to Linux While Keeping Access to Windows?

I've got two suggestions based on what has worked for others. First, if you can, back up important data on an old computer and run Linux on that one. You could control it from your main Windows machine and gradually get comfortable. Alternatively, think about using a tool like Ventoy to boot live versions of Linux from a USB stick, so you can try out different distributions without installing anything. It’s a great way to see what fits your needs!

One straightforward solution is to get a second SSD for Linux. That way, when you boot your PC, you can press the boot menu key and choose which drive to start from, which keeps things simple while transitioning.

You can definitely set up Linux alongside Windows using a partition. Most installers, like Linux Mint, allow you to allocate space for both systems pretty easily. It's advisable to have about 50GB for Linux so it has enough room to function. Linux can read Windows files, but it might not be the best performance-wise. As a start, consider trying Linux in a virtual machine or using it in live mode to avoid partitioning issues right away.

If you’re looking for an alternative to partitioning, consider putting Linux on an external Thunderbolt drive. This way, you can keep your current setup intact while still testing out Linux whenever you want!