I've been considering switching from Windows 10 to Linux, and after doing some reading, I've decided on Kubuntu. However, I have some hesitations, especially regarding gaming (I use GoG) and finding a good Office alternative since I mainly use MS Office and Zoom for work. I'm also contemplating dual booting, but I've heard that Windows updates can create issues with dual boot setups. What do you all suggest?
5 Answers
You'll probably be okay with dual booting. If you install Linux first, Windows can be a bit of a pain. But if you install Windows first, it usually works without too many issues—just watch out for BIOS settings if you need to change the boot order. For your GoG games, I recommend trying out the Heroic launcher; it works well!
I suggest being cautious with dual booting unless you're installing on separate drives. If you’re sharing one drive, Windows likes to dominate the bootloader. You can adjust settings via console, but you risk those settings getting mixed up with Windows updates. You'd be better off having Linux and Windows on separate physical drives.
Actually, dual booting on a single drive can work fine! Just keep your Linux boot files on a separate partition. GRUB can detect your Windows installation and handle booting correctly without messing with the Windows command console.
I used to try dual booting every few years, but I always ended up going back to Windows. This time, I've finally switched completely to Linux as my main OS. You’ll find that everything you want to run will work just fine on Kubuntu. I say go for the full switch!
Regarding your concerns about using Office, LibreOffice is pretty solid but not 100% compatible with MS Office. Check out their feature comparison to see what differences might affect you. In my experience, it's great for personal use but can struggle with complex documents in collaborative settings. I'd recommend keeping Windows around if you need to use MS Office for work—consider dual booting or running a VM if your laptop can handle it. You might even find it helpful to extend Windows 10 support without cost too! Good luck!
If you don't have another machine to test with, consider doing a live boot for a while. Use Linux as your daily driver for a week or even a month if you can. This way, you can really see what you’ll miss and decide if you want to do a clean install later. Once you're sure, just dive in and don’t second-guess!
Do you think dual booting is better than just switching completely? My laptop has an i5, 8GB RAM, and 1TB storage.