I'm currently using a laptop mostly for school and studying cybersecurity and computer science. I want to try Linux alongside Windows as I dive deeper into my studies. I have a Linux class this semester and I'm grasping the concepts well, except for some storage concepts like /dev and sda. My goal is to build my own Linux distribution to better understand these ideas. So, I have two questions: is dual booting a good idea? And will I gain a lot of knowledge about storage and related concepts by building my own distro for dual booting?
5 Answers
Dual booting should go smoothly! Most Linux distros can sit alongside Windows without issues. Just ensure you have a separate partition or drive for it. Linux is super flexible; you can even run it from a spare SSD or USB stick whenever you want.
If you want to run two operating systems without the hassle of dual booting on your hard drive, consider using two USB drives: one small one for live booting, around 16GB, and another larger USB for the actual distro. You can roll out everything onto the larger USB and set it as your main OS storage. Just boot from the UEFI and select it. It keeps things cleaner without partition chaos!
Setting up a dual boot is definitely worth trying if your goal is to learn more about operating systems. It will teach you about different partition formats and give you the security of having a Windows system handy just in case.
Just give dual booting a shot! If you mess up, you can wipe the partition later. Just avoid storing anything important on it while you're getting the hang of it.
Appreciate the motivational push!
Have you considered using a virtual machine (VM)? It's generally easier to manage. But if you're set on dual booting, that could definitely work for you!
I've used VMs before, but I'm keen on building a distro this summer for the hands-on learning experience. Plus, I have another PC at home for gaming and other stuff.
Thanks, that sounds like a solid approach!