hey everybody,
so my name is elie and im 20,
for a long time now i want to switch from windows to linux,
i even installed ubuntu on my laptop (the only good computer i have) and tryed to use it; but after a few days of struggling with the os trying to work things out so i can do stuff with it (i study programing so i need kde for java, kde for c and c++, microsoft sql and mssql (i need microsoft sql because that's the way they teach in my college, and i need mssql because i dont know how to work with data bases without gui for now) and other different things),
i did somthing wrong and the os was not very useable any more,
i tryed again and again did somthin wrong and again the machine crashed on me (I'm guessing it's not to wird to not know how to manage linux in the very begining),
i can't afford myself to not have a steady machine for to long (because of the studying i have to do) so i retreated from linux and went back to windows,
now i realy realy want to use linux at least as my main os if not only,
but i dont feel like i can be reliant upon my ablety to work this out,
not without help (if i could afford to work this out by myself and maybe crash a few times i would),
now to work it out i need your help,

1) i need to know that i can get the things i need on linux one way or another (if it means that i need to double boot to keep the gui database manager (aka mssql) then i need help with that so i can do it relyably and not corrupt all the data on my hard disk),

2) i need to find a way to be able to know that even if i did somthing teribly wrong that it's not going to be to bad and that il'l be able to get things the way they were before (somthing like restore points on windows would do the job, or if i can take an image of the entire disk every week and know that i can allways go back (i don't know how to do that)),

3) if there are things i need that i can do with windows and not linux i need to find a way to solve it,

4) i need to know how to get help along the way when things go sideways, and that i well not be stuck two weeks from now trying to figur out how to do somthing i realy need...

in summary:
i basicly need somone to guide me through it,
obviesly not every step of the way (because then i well not learn) but when i'm starting to lose it or when i need things to happened and dont have the time to learn everything there and then

if you can give me any kind of advice i well Appreciate it a lot

I recommend that you create a VM and install your preferred distro within that environment while you learn. Then you have the Windows host environment available as well. Using VMware or VirtualBox are two common options available.

https://itsfoss.com/install-linux-in-virtualbox/
https://www.wikihow.com/Install-Ubuntu-on-VirtualBox

Many distros allow you to do this. From an openSUSE presepctive, may use the btrfs file-system and snapper to do just that. You do need to take the time to read and learn though.

https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Snapper_Tutorial
https://www.linux.com/topic/desktop/...anges-snapper/



Join a user group, or post in forums such as this. You need to know that you cannot rush at these things. Learning can be painful, but it's worth the effort. Making mistakes is part of the learning.

Good luck with your Linux adventures!

1 members found this post helpful.

Welcome.

I would highly recommend having second machine even if it is just Raspberry Pi with a few spare microSD cards. The reason being is that being able to wipe the machine AND restore successfully from backup is a highly valuable skill in general. In certain fields of endeavor it is essential. Quite often you can beg or borrow an old, discarded computer for free or close enough to free. These will run most distros quite well.

Speaking of distros, you might take a look at one of the Ubuntu or Linux Mint variants. They are are (mostly) rather similar except for the defaults. The defaults can be overridden or changed to make just about any distro look and act like any other. So if one distro is almost perfect, then you can add, remove, or change things to make it closer to perfect.

For databases, MSSQL is not available for GNU/Linux natively. You can probably run it inside some other virtualization such as Drawbridge and then access it as a networked service. If you can arrange it, try doing your work using Postgresql or MariaDB. Many instructors are knowledgeable and flexible. It would be unfortunate to get painted into a corner with MSSQL.

There are far more (constructive) things you can do with GNU/Linux than Windows, but learning your way around will take practice and asking at forums like this one.

As for fixing things when they go sideways, see the intial recommendation about having a second computer. These days everything is online so you'll need one computer to look up information about the other as you work on it.

Lastly, the more you work with GNU/Linux on "bare metal" the more and faster you'll pick up experience. Using it as your daily desktop would be of great value there.

1 members found this post helpful.

i have two options now,
i can use VM or i can use garbage laptop (i actualy have a few in hand),
question is what would be better?

i did not understand what you are saying about the data bases,
could you please alaberate?

If you have spare laptops lying around, I would suggest going that route. Your choice of distro might be influenced by the age of the hardware concerned though. Factors such as RAM and CPU architecture could dictate here.

1 members found this post helpful.

I'm thinking of driving right in,
I mean by taking my main computer and installing MX Linux on it instead of Windows, and for the data bases use a VM running Windows on this Mx and there I'll have mssql only for when I need it specifically,
This way I get to keep the GUI mssql and all and in the same time have all the advantageous of running Linux on my daily driver, what do you think of this premise?

Well, based on your comments in your opening post outlining some of the issues you encountered, I'd have expected a more cautious approach. Anyway, the main thing is backing up any important data before proceeding.

1 members found this post helpful.

Well I am scared,
But like I said I really want to switch to Linux,
And assuming that I'll be able to solve problem number 2 (the one with the restore points and images and backups) then there shouldn't be a big problem...
Should there?

Don't be scared. Just remember that any new knowledge takes time to acquire.

First, I would stay away from virtual machines at the very beginning. It simply adds another layer of complexity you don't need at first. Later, when you are comfortable, you can go the VM route and may prefer it for some purposes.

Second, if you can I would definitely use a separate machine for learning the OS. Dual booting is possible, but I always found it to be a pain. If you have an extra machine, laptop or desktop, fine. Don't worry too much about age. Most modern distros will run on all but the oldest of machines. If you don't have an extra machine consider the suggestion of a raspberry pi. Raspbian, its version of Linux, is intended to teach programming but the command line is identical of almost identical to all the other distributions. A raspberry pi kit that includes everything except display, keyboard and mouse is $75 on Amazon. The display, keyboard and mouse you may have lying around or can pick up cheaply. Your TV may be usable as a display.

Third, find an online tutorial or buy a book to start with. Any new system is going to be daunting unless you have something to hold your hand at first. But don't be surprised if your book costs more than your computer if you go the pi route. You do not need the most modern of computers or the fastest computer to learn.

Fourth, regularly check LQ and read all the questions. At first they may not make sense but that's ok. You will begin to understand what other people's questions and problems are - and their solutions.

Finally, and this is definitely my opinion and my bias showing, but I describe the difference between Windows and Linux this way: with windows you can do things with your computer that Bill Gates wants you to be able to do the way he wants you to do them. With Linux you will be able to do the things YOU want to do. But, with that power comes some complexity and responsibility. There are distributions that are as simple as Windows to use, but they have the same limitations.

Don't be afraid. We all started at one time. Just don't hesitate to ask questions. It certainly helps if you have tried to answer them yourself because then, in getting help from others, you learn.

1 members found this post helpful.

If you have a redundant computer lying around use that one to learn about Linux. If you need your windows computer for study I'd very strongly suggest leaving it alone for now - you don't want to be rebuilding a system when you're trying to meet a deadline. And there will be things you'll need windows for, eg there may be restrictions on the school/college/university network.

You'll also feel more comfortable trying things out on a computer you know you can wipe and start again without losing anything. Just keep in mind that Linux isn't windows, you'll need to look at things differently.

And welcome to the forums.

1 members found this post helpful.

Elie99374,

I agree with agillator and fido_dogstoyevsky etc, keep Windows on one machine and install Linux on one of your spares.

You cannot afford to screw up your Windows system.

The make/model, plus CPU & RAM details on the spare machine would be handy in order to advise you which distros are most suitable.

1 members found this post helpful.

And how can I get those details?

Windows will tell you what you've got:
https://techguided.com/how-to-check-...omputer-specs/

I don't have Windows on the machine,
I can boot it from an iso on a USB flash drive