I've been using Windows 10 and 11 for the past six years, and now I'm trying to switch to Linux. I've had a lot of trouble setting up a dual boot with Windows and Linux on my low-end HP laptop equipped with an 11th-gen Core i5 and Intel Iris graphics. I first attempted to install Ubuntu on a 2TB external hard drive, but it ended up being really laggy, and the GNOME desktop environment didn't work properly, so I switched to XFCE instead. After some mishaps, including a failed upgrade that messed up my visuals, I decided to uninstall Ubuntu and try Debian. However, my installation attempts were plagued with errors, despite having a reliable internet connection. When I finally got Debian installed, the performance was just as bad as Ubuntu, and I lost internet connectivity right away. I'm afraid of using the command line as well. Can anyone help me with these issues or suggest a better way to set this up?
3 Answers
Take a look at the migration page from the Linux4Noobs wiki. It's got some great tips to help you out. Just remember, when using Linux, keep it simple: only use root access when necessary, and avoid using third-party repositories unless you're sure about them!
You might want to try a different Linux distro like Linux Mint, where you wouldn't need to use the terminal too much. It's pretty user-friendly and might suit your needs better than Ubuntu or Debian.
Your laptop specs should definitely handle Linux without issues. You need to check if the hardware is functioning well; plenty of users with similar CPUs run Linux smoothly. Also, installing from an external hard drive can cause lag — maybe consider putting Linux on an internal drive instead!
Yeah, I've installed it on an external drive, which might be the cause of my lag issues. I guess switching to an internal SSD would help.