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I placed a spare ssd into my device and would like to put a linux distro on it so I can learn it and get completely away from windows.

What distro would you recommend for this?
Any particular favorite websites or vids useful for a linux newb? Do I need a usb stick or can I directly install to the ssd? Do I have to go into the windows bios? What settings would I change there if needed? The ssd is labeled, formatted but not partitioned. Any recommendations would be appreciated. TYIA

I placed a spare ssd into my device and would like to put a linux distro on it so I can learn it and get completely away from windows. What distro would you recommend for this? Any particular favorite websites or vids useful for a linux newb? Do I need a usb stick or can I directly install to the ssd? Do I have to go into the windows bios? What settings would I change there if needed? The ssd is labeled, formatted but not partitioned. Any recommendations would be appreciated. TYIA

(post is archived)

[–] • 2 pts (edited )

If you have a large USB drive (at least 32 gb) that is usb 3.0 or higher you can use it for everything. You will need a boot medium (a Burned cd or USB drive with the linux ISO installer on it).

1. Create the boot medium using Balena Etcher https://www.balena.io/etcher 1.1 Download the ISO for the distro you want (Most people start with Ubuntu or a ubuntu related distro I often suggest Linux Mint). 1.2 Insert the USB drive you want to use for a boot medium (On the safe side, 8GB would be good). 1.3 Follow the prompts in Balena to select the ISO that you downloaded, then the "USB boot drive". **-Note- This will erase EVERYTHING on that drive other than the Linux Install ISO. ** 1.4 Let the etcher run until it is finished. 1.5 Shutdown the computer. 2. Insert the USB "Linux OS" drive and USB "Boot" drive. 2.1 Start the computer, quickly tap F11 as it starts up for the one-time-boot-menu. 2.2 Select the USB boot drive from the list. 2.3 Follow the on-screen directions until you reach the part of where to install the OS. 2.4 Select the USB "Linux OS" Drive from the list, allow it to "auto partition". (you will probably have to do this based on the size of the disk and name). 2.5 Complete the install. 2.6 Shutdown the PC. 3. Remove the USB "Boot" drive from the system, keep it around if you want to run another install or re-use it with a different os.

You should now have the Linux OS of your choice installed to the "Linux OS" usb drive. Boot the PC, Tapping F11 as it starts. Select the USB Linux drive from the one-time-boot menu. The system will load up without touching your "windows" drive.

-Note- Using this method will mean that you will be limited by the speed of the USB drive you use and the USB port it is plugged into. However, it will not disturb your "windows" install and to get back to Windows all you will have to do is shutdown, pull out the "Linux OS" usb drive then start the PC again.

This is a good way to test-drive until you decide you want to do something more permanent like getting a new SSD to install to.

Feel free to @ or DM me if you have other questions.

[–] • 0 pt

Ah excellent! I have sd cards all over the place, have to buy a thumb drive...it's good to have options.

[–] [deleted] • 2 pts

I did this myself. I have a M2 Drive with Windows 11, and a SATA SSD with Ubuntu installed. I just press my F11 key at startup (your device may vary), and select either Windows Boot Manager or the Ubuntu Drive for which one I want to boot. That way I avoid any complications from setting up dual-boot on the same drive. In the BIOS you can set which drive is the default boot drive, of course, so that whichever you want to be your primary OS, you don't have to press anything for Just use the F11 Boot Device when you want to boot the other.

So my my case, the Ubuntu install is the default boot device in the BIOS, and I press F11 and select Windows Boot Manager when I want to boot Windows 11.

If you want to assure there's no install complications, remove the other drive when doing the install. In other words, only have one drive in at a time when doing the initial install of each OS. That way no boot files get put on the other drive, etc.

[–] • 2 pts

What year is it?

[–] • 1 pt

Yeah I get it but I've been busy, you know?

[–] • 2 pts

You will have to dual boot. You'll need some kind of boot loader to allow for selecting between partitions.

I HIGHLY recommend you do not install two OS'es on the same drive. It is a major headache if anything goes wrong or you need to resize the partitions for any reason.

Get another ssd, install one OS on each. Yes you will have to dual boot. SSD's are quite cheap these days.

[–] • 1 pt

Thanks, I just put a 250gb ssd in my win11 pro device (cough found an ssd lying around cough) and it's a perfect reason to start using linux.

[–] • 2 pts

Haven't used any windows since 7, but from what I understood from forum posts elsewhere, Winblows will not boot unless it is the primary OS in a HD partition. You'll more than likely need a dual boot.

[–] • 3 pts

That's what @picman said; I guess I knew that would be the case, one less step kind of thing. I know win 11 has a linux option but I'd prefer to use a separate distro on a drive by itself. Thanks much.

[–] • 1 pt

if you're talking about the windows linux subsystem (WSL), it is not comparable to a true linux OS install.

WSL is micro$hafts attempt at porting as much of the open source and developer-centric code in the linux ecosystem over to windows because their OS blows ass in terms of a development environment.