Hey everyone! So, my laptop's hard drive decided to give up on me, and now it's totally dead. Since I can't recover the OS, I'm thinking of replacing the hard drive with a new one and trying out Linux instead (since I don't want my laptop to go to waste). I've been looking into installing Linux Mint because I've heard good things about it. I like that I can boot from a flash drive to test different Linux distributions before fully committing. One big question I have is whether I need to format the new hard drive in FAT32 or something else when I get it. Also, I'm curious about how well Windows programs run under Wine because I have a few I'd like to use.
3 Answers
Go with Mint Cinnamon; it’s an awesome choice for beginners! Just boot from a USB drive, and the installer will handle the formatting for your SSD. Here are a couple of helpful links to prepare and install Mint: [Easy Linux Tips](https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/p/prepare-windows-10.html) and [Installation Guide](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/).
You can just install Linux Mint directly on your new SSD. The installer will format it for you, and it’s usually best to go with Ext4 if it gives you that option. About using Windows programs with Wine, that really varies depending on the program. More lightweight apps might work well, but you’ll find that bigger applications like MS Office don’t fare too well. Always look for Linux alternatives where you can!
I have software for amateur radio and radio monitoring that I'll need to get running. Most of it is older and not as demanding as MS Office, so I’m hoping Wine works for those.
If you're replacing your hard drive, I'd recommend going for a SATA SSD instead of an HDD. They’re usually not much more expensive and perform way better! The good news is you don’t have to worry about formatting the drive yourself; the Linux Mint installer will take care of that for you when you install it. As for running Windows programs through Wine, it really depends on the specific program. Some run fine, while others, like the Microsoft Office suite, tend to have issues. You might want to check WineHQ for user experiences with the software you're thinking about. For better results, you might also consider tools like Bottles or Lutris to help run your Windows applications if needed. And definitely try out the OS using a USB drive first to ensure everything works well with your hardware before the full installation!
Thanks for this info! I’ll definitely look into getting an SSD. I’ve been using OpenOffice for years, so if Mint has LibreOffice pre-installed, I’ll probably stick with that. Can't wait to test the OS on USB while waiting for my SSD to arrive.
Ah, good call about trying it out first! It’s always nice to see how everything works before diving in.
I think I’ll grab both Mint and another distro to test on USB before settling on one. Great idea!