I'm diving into the world of Linux after some experiments with virtual machines and I'm planning to take the plunge. Currently, I have four drives in my system formatted as NTFS. My plan is to back up everything from my main drive to a large backup drive and install Linux on the main drive while formatting the others. Will Linux be able to access the NTFS files, and is there any additional setup needed?
Also, since I don't have a USB stick or any optical media handy, I'm curious if I can format one of my drives to act as an installer. I've never done this before, so I'm not sure if it's feasible. If that doesn't work, I can always grab a USB.
I'm also open to any distro suggestions, particularly for IT work, with good support for virtual machines and regular desktop usage. I was considering starting with Linux Mint. Any other tips or advice for making this switch would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
It's great that you're jumping into Linux! For your backup drives, yes, Linux can read NTFS, but you might need to install something like 'ntfs-3g' or 'ntfs-utils'. Most distros will have this built-in, though.
Honestly, I highly recommend getting a USB drive for the installation. Even if you can format a drive to create an installer, it could complicate things. Just buy a cheap USB stick; it'll save you time and hassle.
As for distros, Mint is a solid choice! It's user-friendly, especially if you're coming from Windows. If you're working with VMs, make sure to check out VirtualBox or KVM for better performance. Good luck with the transition!
Another option could be trying a Live USB session first. That way, you can test different distros without messing with your current setup!