I'm reaching out on behalf of a friend who received a Linux PC as a gift to run a Minecraft server. This PC is currently ten hours away from me, and we need some help figuring out how to set it up. First off, how can we identify what Linux distribution (distro) is currently installed on it? I'm curious if the distro will affect the server setup. Additionally, since my friend might use this PC for college work, any general advice on getting started would be awesome!
3 Answers
When you power on the PC, it should display a splash screen that reveals the distro it’s running. But honestly, I'd recommend just wiping it clean and installing your own distro. You never know what the previous owner did to the system. Starting fresh means you can easily set up the user accounts and configure everything to your liking, even if you end up installing the same distro again.
Honestly, I'd just install a new distro altogether. Why stick with whatever old or random distro your friend has on it? Starting fresh gives you so much more control over the setup.
You can also check what distro is installed by running the command `cat /etc/os-release` in the terminal. That's a good start! But I would still suggest wiping it and setting it up yourself. Consider using Docker for your Minecraft server—it's a clean and efficient way to manage your server without the messy setup most guides suggest. You can refer to the Docker Minecraft server documentation for tips.
Totally agree! It’s always nice to have a clean slate. Plus, you get to customize it from the ground up.