Hey everyone! I just picked up a second-hand ThinkPad and I'm super excited to start my Linux journey. I'm planning on trying out different distributions, but I'm a little unsure about the best way to go about it. How did you all choose your favorite distros? Did any of you start with a virtual machine first, or did you dive right in and install them? I'm considering Fedora since I'm interested in geospatial modeling and data analysis, but I'm feeling a bit anxious about the whole process—especially since I'm not super confident with tech stuff and I worry I might mess something up when I remove Windows. Any advice?
4 Answers
Definitely make sure to back up your system before making any changes. Most distros offer 'live ISOs' that let you run the OS from a USB without installing. This way, you can test them out on your actual hardware. I started with an older PC to avoid any issues; I tried a bunch of distros over weeks before settling on Mint, which I still use today!
If you don't mind losing Windows, just grab a Ventoy USB and dive in! Distro hopping can be super fun, and you might find your perfect fit. I bought a cheap ThinkPad to experiment on, tried several distros like Manjaro and Fedora for a week each, and I ended up loving Arch!
Have you heard about testing distros in a browser? Check out distrosea.com to try different options without installing anything first! It's a low-pressure way to see what you like.
You shouldn't worry about bricking your laptop! A great way to get started is by using Ventoy to create a USB drive. Just drop the ISO files for any distros you're interested in onto the drive and test them out. I’ve been using Ubuntu since I first tried it back in 2004, and I've loved it ever since!
Thanks for the advice! It's comforting to know that I can test things out first.