How to install Linux without screwing up your computer

[Firefly 35]

The following steps will show you how to try Linux temporarily, as well as how to do a full install if you want to.  This is loosely based on some existing tutorials I read but at least half is my own words.  Please keep in mind however, that since computers are complicated and may have things go wrong unexpectedly, I cannot guarantee this will work on any given computer in any given situation.  Apple is especially anal about not letting people choose their own software/operating systems/etc.  Now with that out of the way:

Step 1: Obtain a flash drive of at least 4GB and the computer on which you wish to use Linux.  Back up anything you want to keep from either device, as the flash drive will get erased in step 3.  You can also use a blank DVD in place of a flash drive, the steps to use either are the same.  DVDs with a motion picture already on it will not work for this purpose.

Step 2: Find and download the Linux operating system(s) you wish to try.  This does not have to be on the same computer on which you plan to install Linux.  Some good user-friendly ones include Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE), Manjaro, ElemetaryOS, and probably several others if you look online.  Distrowatch.org is a great site for this, and maintains a list of the 100 most viewed Linux operating systems out there.*  Many operating systems come with a compliment of software including a web browser, document editor, various screensaver pictures, etc.  If you're looking to restore an old computer, look for an OS that is described as lightweight and/or resource efficient, as that means it doesn't need much computing power.  Before downloading, there will often be a prompt for which "desktop enviornment" or "DE" you want; Cinnamon is probably the best for new users.  When the OS is finished downloading, it should appear as a .iso file.    

*(If you're concerned about privacy, I would NOT recommend Ubuntu or any other Ubuntu-based OS [these include the "regular" Linux Mint, Zorin, and several others], as Canonical (the company that develops Ubuntu) has terrible privacy practices and tries to hide it, read their tos/privacy policy)

Step 3: Find and install a USB formatting tool such as Rufus or something similar on the same computer on which you downloaded the Linux OS(s).  A USB formatter allows you to "install" an operating system on a flash drive or DVD so that you can use it independently of a computer's main hard drive, thereby leaving the hard drive untouched.  HOWEVER, the formatter program will first erase the contents of the flash drive when you run it, so ensure anything you want to keep is backed up somewhere else.  Most USB formatters are fairly easy to use, and just require selecting an OS file to configure, and a flash drive on which to configure it.  After doing so, you should see your flash drive show up as something like "Manjaro OS" and is now ready to use.

Step 4:

Insert the flash drive or disc in the computer on which you plan to try or install the new OS.

Step 5: **Follow this step carefully as messing with the wrong settings could screw up the computer potentially**  Start up the computer with the flash drive or disc inserted and press each of the function keys on the top of the keyboard one by one quickly.  You should see a probably unfamiliar screen pop up.  If it doesn't, proceed to step 5a.  This is the computer's BIOS (Basic Input-Output System) which allows the user to adjust various hardware settings as well as where the computer "boots" from.  Navigate to a screen that says "boot options" or something like that.  You should see both your flash drive and the computer's hard drive listed as boot options. 

If your flash drive doesn't show up, you'll need to configure it as a boot option.  If it still doesn't work, try running the USB formatter again, then return to this step.

Select your flash drive to boot from or set it as 1st priority.

Step 5a:

If the BIOS does not come up at all when trying to enter it, your computer probably has secure boot enabled and you'll have to ask an expert on how to proceed.

If your computer prompts you for a password to enter the BIOS, it means an admin password had been set.  If you bought the computer secondhand or if it was donated to you, ask the former owner what they had put as the admin or setup password. 

Step 6: Restart your computer and it should now boot up in Linux.  Try it out for a while and if at any point you decide you don't like it or have errors, remove the flash drive and power down the computer, and everything should start up as you had it before.

Step 7:  I. If you want to officially install Linux and erase what had been on your computer, proceed to step 8.

II. If you want to try a different Linux OS, repeat steps 2-6 for each OS you want to try.  Keep in mind that each time you format a new OS on a flash drive, it erases the existing OS so you may want to use a different flash drive or disc for each one.  However as long as you have the original OS file from step 2, you can format it as many times as you want.

III. If you decide you don't want to use Linux, you don't need to do anything except perhaps move or delete the OS files if they're taking up too much space.

IV. If you want to keep both your existing OS and Linux, you'll need to set up a "boot manager" so that you can configure both on the same hard drive.  Most computer experts could probably help with this and there's also a bunch of tutorials online about this. 

Step 8: When you reach step 6 and your computer boots up in Linux, you should see an option to install.  ***Before proceeding, be aware that doing so will erase EVERYTHING on your hard drive first.  The installer program should also warn you about that but it's possible it may not.***  The installer program should walk you through the process but since each Linux OS is different, and each user's needs are different, each case will likely be different.  Most OS's have a forum or at least an official website in case there's issues with anything. 

Edit: 8/27/22 - Added some clarifications and details throughout; added step 5a for what to do in case the BIOS is being stubborn.

[eatenbywo1ves]

Step 9:Interact with other Linux users who only look down on you cause you can't install Arch

Step 10:tHe QUieter YoU ArE thE moRE yOu HEar

 

:Linux is awesome though, G Parted has saved my ass soooo many times

 

[eatenbywo1ves]

It is used for drive partitioning GPT, included default in some linux distro's


Setting up dual boot a few years back on a beastly laptop ended up with me mucking around in low level configurations cause UFEI and the system that is used to protect the mobo from static build up destroying the board.

OS and drive arrangement required me to use grub over windows boot manager...

Install is going along, linux is set up on the HDD and the WIN  install on SSD. Gone

scanning for any way to restore from a recovery, nope, I also didnt externally back up. Pissed at myself I walked away, do something else for an hour.

Decide to boot from Gparted live usb, find SDEV 1 with recovery point intact. reinstall windows 10 and boom its back to what it was.

Also great for MBR errors and other stuff when windows tools fail.

[Firefly 35]

Bumping this topic. 

Also, the Arch Linux OS and GParted are not beginners' tools by a long shot, nor are ether necessary to run a Linux system.  Don't be discouraged. 

[HolliHaral]

There's a great tool for creating an USB drive: Ventoy.

It's very easy to use and once you prepared an USB drive you can simply put as many ISO files on it as you want. When you boot it you can then select which you want to boot from. It is great to run a Linux live disk.