I just built my first PC and originally planned to install Windows, but I've decided to try Linux instead. I'm completely new to Linux and don't know how to choose a distribution, create an installer, boot from a USB drive, or complete the installation. What's the simplest beginner-friendly process, and are there any important things I should check first?
4 Answers
Once the USB installer is ready, plug it into the new PC and turn it on. Open the boot menu or firmware settings—often by pressing a key such as F2, F12, Delete, or Escape during startup—and select the USB drive. Most installers first let you run a live desktop, which is useful for checking whether your display, keyboard, network, and other hardware work before installing. When you’re ready, use the installation shortcut and follow the prompts.
First, choose a beginner-friendly Linux distribution. Linux Mint, Zorin OS, and Ubuntu are all reasonable starting points. Download the ISO from the distribution’s official website, then use another working computer to write it to a USB drive with a tool such as Rufus on Windows or balenaEtcher on Linux or macOS. A 4–8 GB drive is usually enough, though check the distribution’s requirements.
If you have access to a working computer, creating the USB installer is straightforward. If not, a friend or repair shop can help prepare one. Linux Mint is also a perfectly good choice for a beginner; Zorin is simply another option with an interface that may feel familiar to someone coming from Windows.
Use the distribution’s official installation guide and read each step rather than changing firmware settings at random. You may need to adjust the boot order, but Secure Boot and TPM usually do not need to be disabled for modern beginner-friendly distributions. If the installer offers to erase the disk, make sure the correct drive is selected—this will remove everything on it.
So Linux Mint would be okay for a first installation, then?