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  3. How to help someone install Linux?

How to help someone install Linux?

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  • L [email protected]

    What are some things to know / keep in mind when helping someone install Linux?

    Installing for myself, I have to deal with my choices (like my recent "update without the recommended backup hoping my files are there when I get back", Pop!_OS 24.04 COSMIC). But for others, I'dn't like risking them facing my consequences.

    Any tips are welcome!

    Edit: for context, I was asked for help on that. I am not converting someone just outta nowhere.

    And my worry is less with everyday usage. They can adapt, or, assuming dual boot, boot back to Windows. But we prolly need to choose a distro, and not brick their laptop. Two important parts!

    Also, we in CS, so… make of that what you will

    S This user is from outside of this forum
    S This user is from outside of this forum
    [email protected]
    wrote last edited by
    #14

    Try to ensure it is not their only computer.

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    • L [email protected]

      Well, I was asked for help. I did not bring that up, they did. Also, we are both in CS… I might just check if the Linux installation party is still a thing here as it was years ago. Maybe that could be useful as well

      S This user is from outside of this forum
      S This user is from outside of this forum
      [email protected]
      wrote last edited by [email protected]
      #15

      What country/city is CS?

      L 1 Reply Last reply
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      • C [email protected]

        Do not use Cosmic for this brand new user.

        It's still beta, and I assume your goal is to have them keep using Linux.

        Ubuntu or Mint for new users.

        I vote Mint, but either works.

        B This user is from outside of this forum
        B This user is from outside of this forum
        [email protected]
        wrote last edited by
        #16

        Never Ubuntu. Never Canonical.

        Mint is a good choice if they can stomach Cinnamon. My top recommendations are still Bazzite for gamers and Fedora KDE or everyone else.

        E 1 Reply Last reply
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        • L [email protected]

          What are some things to know / keep in mind when helping someone install Linux?

          Installing for myself, I have to deal with my choices (like my recent "update without the recommended backup hoping my files are there when I get back", Pop!_OS 24.04 COSMIC). But for others, I'dn't like risking them facing my consequences.

          Any tips are welcome!

          Edit: for context, I was asked for help on that. I am not converting someone just outta nowhere.

          And my worry is less with everyday usage. They can adapt, or, assuming dual boot, boot back to Windows. But we prolly need to choose a distro, and not brick their laptop. Two important parts!

          Also, we in CS, so… make of that what you will

          K This user is from outside of this forum
          K This user is from outside of this forum
          [email protected]
          wrote last edited by
          #17

          Since it's a laptop, for whichever distros you're considering I would absolutely check for any compatibility issues or weirdness others have experienced (things like sleep/wake, power management, wifi, webcam, any other features on the laptop).

          What laptop is it?

          E 1 Reply Last reply
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          • S [email protected]

            What country/city is CS?

            L This user is from outside of this forum
            L This user is from outside of this forum
            [email protected]
            wrote last edited by
            #18

            Computer Science

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            • C [email protected]

              Honestly, tell them to get a Mac. It runs certified UNIX. You get to think it's cool, they get to get by not caring what that means. The M4 Mac is like $500 and it kicks the tar outta PCs that aren't meant for gaming. Even still, it can run Cyberpunk. But it's not a gaming machine and shouldn't be viewed as one.

              In my experience, while Linux has never been hard for me to use, the problem you're going to run into in telling your friend or family member to install this cool free hacker OS or whatever it is you try to sell it as, the second they run into a problem, they're going to come to you to fix it.

              That said, I'd tell them to install Ubuntu if I wanted to take on that level of responsibility. By telling them to just get a Mac, I'm doing a few things. One, I'm getting someone out from under Microsoft's thumb. Maybe you don't think Apple is much better, but they're a lot better. Maybe not the best, but a fine alternative to Microsoft. Two, I'm making them a customer of a company that has good tech support. "Call them, not me, you got a free year of AppleCare, use it!" Three, I'm turning them on to a good computer.

              Someone who needs help installing Linux is not going to be a self sufficient Linux user who will contribute in any more a meaningful way other than metrics (which aren't tracked by a lot of distros). Someone who is those latter things won't really need your help installing it, but they may come to you for advice on which distro to go with.

              I'm not saying Linux is only for computer geeks and scientists, though it does attract that sort. I'm not saying new people shouldn't be introduced to Linux, just that they shouldn't be pushed in the deep end and expected to swim. Because now you're either a lifeguard, or you've contributed to a bigger problem — helping them to navigate from Linux to something like Windows or macOS (and now they trust you less).

              appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA This user is from outside of this forum
              appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA This user is from outside of this forum
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              wrote last edited by
              #19

              Apple is absolutely not better than Microsoft lol.
              Besides that: Agreed.

              C 1 Reply Last reply
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              • K [email protected]

                Since it's a laptop, for whichever distros you're considering I would absolutely check for any compatibility issues or weirdness others have experienced (things like sleep/wake, power management, wifi, webcam, any other features on the laptop).

                What laptop is it?

                E This user is from outside of this forum
                E This user is from outside of this forum
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                wrote last edited by
                #20

                Laptops + Linux = 💥 in a lot of cases

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                • B [email protected]

                  Never Ubuntu. Never Canonical.

                  Mint is a good choice if they can stomach Cinnamon. My top recommendations are still Bazzite for gamers and Fedora KDE or everyone else.

                  E This user is from outside of this forum
                  E This user is from outside of this forum
                  [email protected]
                  wrote last edited by [email protected]
                  #21

                  But it’s easier to install software on Ubuntu as it has snap and install instructions for nearly everything

                  Frankly, Canonical isn’t really bad

                  Like what, snap and some links with Israel somewhere? A bit of telemetry in the top. That’s it?

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                  • appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA [email protected]

                    Apple is absolutely not better than Microsoft lol.
                    Besides that: Agreed.

                    C This user is from outside of this forum
                    C This user is from outside of this forum
                    [email protected]
                    wrote last edited by
                    #22

                    Why?

                    Are we so used to privacy being up for sale that we just roll on it? Nah, screw that.

                    appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA 1 Reply Last reply
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                    • C [email protected]

                      Why?

                      Are we so used to privacy being up for sale that we just roll on it? Nah, screw that.

                      appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA This user is from outside of this forum
                      appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA This user is from outside of this forum
                      [email protected]
                      wrote last edited by
                      #23

                      Apple also collects the data. Just isnt selling it itself but certainly the ad-space.
                      And that is enough to me to vall it double dipping.

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