Linux - NewbieThis Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question?
If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
First pick a Linux distro
For the NEW Linux user i would recommend installing Ubuntu
Ubuntu is targeted towards the new *nix user and is very user friendly
This is the easiest way to install Linux. For most or all of the more popular versions, the installer will automatically do all of the required partitioning, etc.
Ubuntu is certainly a good choice. Other good options can be found at http://distrowatch.com Anything in the top 5-10 on their "hit list" should be fine.
I have one operating system installed on my pc
I want to uninstall it and install linux
How should I start?
I would recommend Ubuntu also. It is the best of the "beginner friendly" distros in my opinion.
If you are currently using Windows, you do not have to remove Windows to install linux. You can set up a dual boot system. This will allow you to choose whether you want to boot linux or Windows when you start your computer. I have Ubuntu, Slackware, and Windows XP on the computer I am using now.
Here are 2 great websites for getting started with Ubuntu, and setting it up as a dual boot system: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/ http://members.iinet.net/~herman546/
Of course, you can also remove Windows if you want to and use only linux. It is your choice. Linux is all about freedom of choice.
You don't have to do anything specific about uninstalling your old OS; if you tell your new OS to use the space ( = the same partitions on your disk) as your old OS, it will reformat those partitions (= overwrite the data) and set up the boot arrangement for you.
Given that this will overwrite your existing data, ensure that you have copied all of the existing data that you have and want to keep. Preferably always have one more copy than you think that you need...
And live CDS are a good thing; with a live CD you can have a 'no commitment' trial of your new OS before you finally decide to install. Very handy if you want to compare two or more versions before making a final decision.
As Salasi said, make sure you back up some of the data that you want on linux, such as movies, music, documents, etc. You don't want to have get all that back again!
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.