Jaeder16h ago

I desperately want to switch to Linux but I'm terrified of breaking my computer still. I'm sitting on a GTX 980 and Windows 10 (computer is old and I'm very poor).

EDIT: To clarify, I have used a bootable USB stick before to test Linux Mint. It gave me a good impression but was kinda laggy (10 year old USB ports aren't very fast).

Anyone out there willing to poke me in the right direction?

I am dependent on Discord for friends and Microsoft Teams (no matter how much I hate it) for many job search reasons. #linux #windows

Show threadobc15h ago

@jaeder I guess your very first step should be to try out a linux distribution with a live usb key for a day.

You boot into it so there are no changes to your pc. Your current hard drive isn't implicated.

Save in the cloud or on another usb key if you want to keep something.

Don't like it? Reboot, remove the key and you're back. No hassles, no danger.

I recommend Zorin OS or Linux Mint.

Show threadJaeder15h ago

@obc I have updated my post to clarify that I have tried Mint through a USB boot before. It just feels like I could be missing a lot of stuff moving to an SSD.

But I've decided to do a dual-boot setup on a new SSD when the time comes around.

Show threadobc
@jaeder Missing like forgetting to back up something or missing like something going wrong between the live and real versions?
1:36pmWeb
Show threadJaeder15h ago
@obc Something going wrong between the live and real versions
Show threadobc15h ago

@jaeder From my experience, that's unlikely. But I'd check first if a Teams meeting works fine (with camera) and log into discord. Also try to use your network/usb printer or scanner.

If those work fine, in my experience, there's no difference between live and real.

The one thing I had to do with Mint 17 was to open the terminal to increase the volume to 100 from 0 with alsamixer.

Show threadJaeder14h ago
@obc Hmm... alright. I'll keep an eye out for that when I do an installation. Thank you for the Help!