I'm currently using my laptop mostly for school and studying cybersecurity and computer science. Since I'm interested in trying out Linux alongside Windows, I want to know if dual booting is a good option. I'm taking my first Linux class this semester and get the basics, but I struggle with some storage concepts, like the structure of /dev and sda. I'm considering building my own distro to deepen my understanding. So, I have two questions: Is setting up a dual boot worth it, and will I gain a lot of knowledge about storage and other concepts by building my own distro?
5 Answers
Dual booting should work great! Most Linux distributions can be installed alongside Windows without any issues. Just remember to set up a separate partition or drive for Linux. It's super flexible; you could even install it on a spare SSD or a USB drive if you'd rather boot from there.
Setting up a dual boot is definitely worth it if your goal is to learn more about operating systems. You’ll get hands-on experience with different partition formatting and all that fun stuff, plus having Windows as a backup is a bonus.
If you want to avoid dual booting in the traditional sense, there's an effective way to do it: use two USB drives. One small USB (under 16 GB) can be for live booting, and the other larger one will be your main storage for the distro. Use a tool like Balena or Rufus to create the live USB. It’s a bit more hands-on, but it might feel less chaotic than dealing with partitions on the same device.
Have you thought about using a virtual machine (VM) instead? It's a lot easier and could save you some hassle. But if you really want to dive in, dual booting is definitely a solid choice since you can run both operating systems side by side.
I've used VMs before, but I want to build a distro this summer to learn more, and I might fully switch my laptop to Linux eventually. I have a separate PC at home for gaming and programming, so I just thought I'd dive right in with this one.
Just give it a try! You can always wipe the partition later if something goes wrong, just make sure not to store important data on that partition in the meantime.
I appreciate the motivation!
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely look into it.