Advice on installing Linux on my Windows PC and options

fbeye · Aug 18th 2023

So, I’ve been caught up lately for a long time just using Windows on 1 machine and then OMV on 2 others. Never did any GUI (like gnome or kde) on the Linux boxes. My only “legit” video card is the one on Windows 11. I wanted to mess with gnome and all that jazz, install wow etc.

Now at the end of the day, I don’t care if I lose windows but would prefer to keep it and then have grub or whatever let me choose which to boot.

What’s the process? Like boot said Linux distro usb on windows of and install it? Will it know I have winders and ask for dual boot or really, what do I do?

I can install Any Linux distro any time of day, but never did it in an already working windows /gaming machine.

geaves · Aug 18th 2023

Whilst I never usually point to external sources have a look at this guy explaining how to do this

KM0201 · Aug 18th 2023

Quote from geaves

Whilst I never usually point to external sources have a look at this guy explaining how to do this

This is how I learned Linux years ago. Bought a cheap hard drive and basically kept windows and Linux on separate drives.

Gaming is so hit and miss on Linux, I wouldn't even try. I use Linux for everything, then my Xbox to game

fbeye · Aug 18th 2023

On my Slackware box, I remember doing all the packages and wine etc and WoW played nicely. Really I’m just bored and wanna do something different. I’ll look into the link, ty.

Been running Slackware since 3.2 (mid 90’s?) but never did dual boot. When I got into OMV 3 years ago, though I use slack still for my e-mail servers, I’ve changed over to Debian.

geaves · Aug 18th 2023

Quote from KM0201

This is how I learned Linux years ago. Bought a cheap hard drive and basically kept windows and Linux on separate drives

That's the best option, dual booting will work but it can also become a headache if it goes wrong

KM0201 · Aug 18th 2023

Quote from geaves

That's the best option, dual booting will work but it can also become a headache if it goes wrong

Oh yes. Trust me. Those early trials and tribulations were tough.

A 120gig ssd, which is plenty for Linux .. can be had for a song. So if the option to dual booting with two disks is there I highly recommend it.

I had an 80gig platter drive for Linux. If I told you how many times I reinstalled some version of Linux on it, you'd probably not believe me.

Doing it this way meant no matter how badly I screwed up Linux, I had win98/XP to fall back on. (Man I feel old. Lol)

geaves · Aug 18th 2023

Quote from KM0201

I had win98/XP to fall back on. (Man I feel old. Lol)

Up until recently I still had dos 6.2 and windows 3.1 on floppy disks

KM0201 · Aug 18th 2023

Quote from geaves

Up until recently I still had dos 6.2 and windows 3.1 on floppy disks

I said old, not geezer..

eriklysoe · Aug 18th 2023

I have dual boot win11/linux. Install linux on a different disc from windows (I use 2 x m2 ssd), and make linux bootloader default. If any problem, it's easy to switch boot-disc in bios, since windows and linux are completely separated.

chente · Aug 18th 2023

Quote from eriklysoe

I have dual boot win11/linux. Install linux on a different disc from windows (I use 2 x m2 ssd), and make linux bootloader default. If any problem, it's easy to switch boot-disc in bios, since windows and linux are completely separated.

I was going to say the exact same thing, you got ahead of yourself. When I have dual booted I have always done it that way. If something goes wrong just change the boot in the bios to the windows disk and that's it.

mischka · Aug 18th 2023

Virtualizers like Virtualbox or VMWare are the better solution for me. Another advantage is that it is easy to back up a VM. If you are a gamer, I would install Windows and use Linux under Virtualbox as a VM. I do it the other way around. But I also only need a few applications under Windows, which unfortunately do not exist for Linux or which are insufficient for my purposes. Even under an old i5-6500, a VM with Windows 10 runs satisfactorily fast.

chente · Aug 18th 2023

The main problem of virtualizing Windows, in case that vm is to play, is the transfer of the graphics card. It can be done, but it is not an easy process.

I guess that's why you said this.

Quote from mischka

If you are a gamer, I would install Windows and use Linux under Virtualbox as a VM.

claydoh · Aug 18th 2023

Quote from KM0201

Gaming is so hit and miss on Linux, I wouldn't even try. I use Linux for everything, then my Xbox to game

Not so much anymore, with Steam at least. My Steam account is 18 years old now and has never been used to play a game on Windows, somehow. I used Lutris a few months back to install WoW just to prove top someone it worked without a fuss or jumping through hoops anymore.

Granted, it was a crap ton of work back in the day, and really was hit-or-miss, mostly miss.

Nvidia drivers and configuration are still a pain, it seems (I use AMD graphics for this reason).

But with Proton, I have yet to come across a game that hasn't worked ootb, including very recent releases such as Last of Us.

But I agree that having a separate drive for dual booting makes for less hassle and fewer disasters when one screws something up.

I haven't dual-booted in ages (except for my Chromebooks sometimes), but I do keep an HP minipc hanging around just in case I need Windows for employment or similar. It wasn't that much more expensive than buying a new drive at the time. With today's SSD prices, adding a second one is a cheap no-brainer.

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