I've been using Windows ever since my dad let me play Half-Life 2 on his PC when I was about 5 years old. Now, I won't be able to use my desktop PC for about a year and a half, and I just got a new HP laptop. The thought of using Windows 11 has me dreading the experience. I'm completely unfamiliar with Linux and have no idea where to start. My laptop model is HP 15-fc0537sa. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
I suggest giving Linux Mint a shot! It's generally user-friendly and should serve you well.
For beginners, Linux Mint and Zorin are highly recommended. Fedora is a solid choice too, but some say it might be more technical. It's also good to check if your laptop is compatible with the distro using a Liveboot option. Interestingly, HP laptops can sometimes have issues running Linux, while Lenovo and Dell usually work better since Dell even sells Ubuntu devices.
Just be aware that many HP laptops struggle with Linux installation. If you've already bought it, that could be tricky. I've found that common drivers can be missing, which complicates things a bit. Just boot into the installer environment to test the WiFi and other hardware before really committing!
It can definitely be a hassle. But don't lose hope; many have managed to get different Linux distributions working on HP laptops!
You should definitely pick a distro to try out! Some popular ones for beginners are Linux Mint, especially if you're not a gamer. You can also check out Bazzite if you want more of a console-like experience. Just remember, when installing software, try to find it through your distro's package manager first, then consider Flatpak or other repositories if needed.
Your new HP laptop should handle Linux, but be careful as HPs can sometimes have booting issues. The best approach is to test drive a few distributions like Zorin, Ubuntu, or Mint in a live environment from a USB. ExplainingComputers on YouTube has a great guide that might help you get started!
Unfortunately, I already bought the laptop! It hit me just as I turned it on how much I dislike Windows 11.