I'm planning to switch to Linux on my new laptop after previously using Fedora on my old HP laptop. Unfortunately, my HP laptop broke down, so I sold it and bought a used ThinkPad. I installed Fedora with GNOME on it, but I ran into a huge problem. During an update (I can't remember the exact details, but it was through the software manager), my laptop got stuck when it tried to downgrade the BIOS. I couldn't fix it myself, but luckily it was under warranty, and I got a new ThinkPad. Now I'm a bit hesitant about switching back to Linux since I've been stuck on Windows 11, which feels slow and crashes all the time. I'd appreciate suggestions for good Linux distros and steps to avoid the update mishap I experienced before.
3 Answers
Consider using an external M.2 NVMe drive with an enclosure. This setup gives you a fast and reliable way to boot into Linux. If anything goes wrong with your internal drive, you can always boot from the external one, fix your issues, and keep your important files backed up. That's a great way to avoid any panic during updates! If you're thinking about serious data backups, try using multiple drives if possible.
Check out the distro selection page on our wiki for good recommendations! It has a ton of information that'll help you figure out what might work best for you. Also, make sure to take regular backups and try things out in a virtual machine first. And always double-check what each command does before hitting Enter!
You might want to try CachyOS. I can't say for sure what caused your issue before, but it seems a bit strange. It might be worth giving it a shot!
Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't have the budget for another SSD or external drive right now.