I'm thinking about switching my setup from Linux Mint to a different Linux distribution that has KDE Plasma and better Wayland support, like Fedora, Nobara, or Kubuntu. My system has an i5 13600k processor and an RTX 4070, and I also have Windows 11 set up in a dual-boot configuration. Is it possible to overwrite the Linux Mint partition with the new distro without causing issues? I've been looking at this guide for guidance, but would appreciate some confirmation: [https://itsfoss.com/replace-linux-from-dual-boot/](https://itsfoss.com/replace-linux-from-dual-boot/). I plan to back up my /home folder to retain my settings and save games for the new installation. Thanks a bunch!
4 Answers
You can definitely delete the Linux Mint partition and use the space for the new distro. However, I would recommend adding a new SSD for the new installation if you can, as this keeps Mint intact. If that's not an option, you could shrink the Windows or Mint partitions to make room on your existing SSD. Just so you know, Fedora usually needs around 40GB of space.
Looks like you've got a solid plan! With Windows on its own NVME SSD, you won't touch it. Since Mint is on a 256GB NVME, you're right to replace it with the new distro. You'll likely need to update the GRUB menu afterwards, especially if you're working with EFI. If you decide to use that old SSD you found, it should automatically show up in the GRUB menu once installed - but you'll want to check if it gets configured correctly.
Yes, you can overwrite the Mint partition, but be careful. Instead of just overwriting, it might be safer to format the old partition before installing the new distro to avoid potential issues. If your system uses EFI, make sure to check and clean up the EFI entries after the installation. I don't do EFI setups myself, but it's worth looking into!
Honestly, I don't see why you couldn't run two Linux OSs on that 256GB drive. I've managed to have three different Linux distros on a smaller SSD before; it could work for you too!
That's actually a great idea I hadn't thought about! It sounds feasible now that you mention it.