That said, if you are unhappy with your Windows experience, you could invest in a Mac or sell a kidney and get yourself their usually overpriced hardware to run their Operating System MacOS. But since you already have decent hardware with you, the world of Linux could very well be your next destination.
Switching to Linux
The world of Linux can look confusing and fragmented to the average person but once you scratch the surface, it really is a rich ecosystem. If you’re looking to make the big plunge, first you might want to check the rankings on DistroWatch. This site ranks the many different flavors of Linux or Distributions as they’re called, in order of popularity. We just abbreviate that to Distros. The list does change but the top 3 distros are Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Manjaro. Because the Linux kernel underlies all these flavors, the basic installation procedure is more or less similar across. In this guide, we will use Ubuntu as it is more supported. Many forks of Linux are also based on Ubuntu so we can as well say that Ubuntu’s installation process is the baseline.
Installing Ubuntu
Creating an installation media
The first step would be to download the Ubuntu system image from their official website. Being Linux and open-source, this is free to download. Burn this ISO onto a DVD or use UnetBootin to create a bootable USB stick.
Boot from USB flash drive
Most computers will boot from USB automatically. Simply insert the USB flash drive and either power on your computer or restart it. You should see the same welcome window we saw in the previous ‘Install from DVD’ step, prompting you to choose your language and either install or try the Ubuntu desktop. If your computer doesn’t automatically boot from USB, try holding F12 when your computer first starts. With most machines, this will allow you to select the USB device from a system-specific boot menu.
Also Read: How to dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 10 without Partitioning
Allocate drive space
Use the checkboxes to choose whether you’d like to install Ubuntu alongside another operating system, delete your existing operating system and replace it with Ubuntu, or — if you’re an advanced user — choose the ‘Something else‘ option.
Prepare to install Ubuntu
You will first be asked to select your keyboard layout. If the installer doesn’t guess the default layout correctly, use the ‘Detect Keyboard Layout’ button to run through a brief configuration procedure. After selecting Continue you will be asked What apps would you like to install to start with? The two options are ‘Normal installation’ and ‘Minimal installation’. The first is the equivalent to the old default bundle of utilities, applications, games and media players – a great launchpad for any Linux installation. The second takes considerably less storage space and allows you to install only what you need. Beneath the installation-type question are two checkboxes; one to enable updates while installing and another to enable third-party software.
We advise enabling both Download updates and Install third-party software. Stay connected to the internet so you can get the latest updates while you install Ubuntu. If you are not connected to the internet, you will be asked to select a wireless network, if available. We advise you to connect during the installation so we can ensure your machine is up to date
Begin installation
After configuring storage, click on the ‘Install Now’ button. A small pane will appear with an overview of the storage options you’ve chosen, with the chance to go back if the details are incorrect. Click Continue to fix those changes in place and start the installation process.
Select your location
If you are connected to the internet, your location will be detected automatically. Check your location is correct and click ‘Forward’ to proceed. If you’re unsure of your time zone, type the name of a local town or city or use the map to select your location.
Login details
Enter your name and the installer will automatically suggest a computer name and username. These can easily be changed if you prefer. The computer name is how your computer will appear on the network, while your username will be your login and account name. Next, enter a strong password. The installer will let you know if it’s too weak. You can also choose to enable automatic login and home folder encryption. If your machine is portable, we recommend keeping automatic login disabled and enabling encryption. This should stop people accessing your personal files if the machine is lost or stolen.
If you enable home folder encryption and you forget your password, you won’t be able to retrieve any personal data stored in your home folder.
Background installation
The installer will now complete in the background while the installation window teaches you a little about how awesome Ubuntu is. Depending on the speed of your machine and network connection, installation should only take a few minutes.
Installation complete
After everything has been installed and configured, a small window will appear asking you to restart your machine. Click on Restart Now and remove either the DVD or USB flash drive when prompted. If you initiated the installation while testing the desktop, you also get the option to continue testing.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed the world’s most popular Linux operating system! It’s now time to start enjoying Ubuntu! Welcome to the world of Linux, a world without borders so no need for Windows and Gates….no? Okay I’m done.
