Hey everyone! I'm fairly new to Linux and I'm looking to make the jump to using it exclusively on my main PC. I've been testing Linux Mint on an old laptop and really like it—it's user-friendly and has ignited my interest in open-source software. I currently have a setup with three internal drives (two SSDs and one HDD) and I want to completely ditch Windows 10 for Linux without any dual booting. I understand that installing Linux will erase everything on the main drive I'm using for the installation. My main concern is what happens to my other two drives after the install. Will I need to format them? If yes, how do I do that? Also, are there any beginner-friendly distributions aside from Mint that you would recommend for gaming and learning more about open-source? Thanks in advance for any guidance!
2 Answers
Your other drives won't be touched during the install unless you format them yourself. Linux can read NTFS drives without any issues, so you can access them initially. However, I recommend backing them up and then reformatting them to ext4 for better compatibility and stability. Linux Mint is great for beginners, but you might also want to check out Kubuntu, which is user-friendly too. Just remember, for gaming, always check if your titles are compatible with Linux; some anti-cheat systems don't work here.
Reformatting is usually done using tools like GParted. You can install it, create new partitions, and format them easily to ext4. Just make sure to follow up with a backup first!
First off, back up any important files to a USB drive before you start. Unplug that drive, then boot from your Linux installer USB and let it erase everything on the main drive for the install. For your other drives, they won’t be affected by the install. Just choose your main SSD for the Linux installer. After installation, you can decide how to use the other drives—whether as extra storage or for your Steam library and other needs.
Thanks for clarifying! I want to clean everything out, so I'm okay with wiping the drives too. Could you tell me how to reformat those drives to ext4 once I get Linux up and running?