Hey everyone! I'm thinking about switching from Windows 10 to Linux but want to ease into it. I'm considering booting a Linux distro from an SD card so I can test it out without messing up my current setup. I know it's probably going to be a bit slow, but I think it's a good way to experiment with different distros—I'm leaning towards Mint or Arch. Has anyone had success with this? Any tips or things I need to be aware of?
5 Answers
Definitely! You can use Ventoy on an SD card or USB drive to hold multiple Linux distros as ISO files and boot from them as needed. It’s a fantastic way to try out different distros without touching your hard drive.
While it’s doable, I’d recommend maybe going for a cheap SSD instead of an SD card. You can test Linux just fine on SD, but they can wear out quickly with frequent read/write. An SSD would be more durable and give you better performance! Plus, they’re not that expensive anymore.
Yes, it can work as long as your motherboard supports booting from an SD card! It’s more about your BIOS/UEFI settings than Linux itself. Just make sure to check the specs in your manual. You want to get that SD card bootable first.
For sure, you can try it! Just as a note, Raspberry Pi boots from an SD card, so the concept isn’t crazy. But do keep in mind that not all motherboards might support it well. Check your firmware options!
I’ve been running Linux Mint off an SD card on my Chromebook. It's been working fine! If you find the SD is too slow, a USB drive might be faster. But honestly, just keep in mind the wear on SD cards for regular use—it can be a short-term solution.
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