Create partitions. Finish the install and reboot. Sign in and set up your environment. Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue.
No account yet? Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Author Info Last Updated: July 7, Method 1. Download the Linux distribution of your choice.
If you're new to Linux, consider trying a lightweight and easy to use distribution, such as Ubuntu or Linux Mint. Linux distributions known as "distros" are typically available for free to download in ISO format. Most computers are set to boot into the hard drive first, which means you will need to change some settings to boot from your newly-burned CD or USB.
Start by rebooting the computer. Once the computer reboots, press the key used to enter the boot menu. Typical keys include F12, F2, or Del.
For Windows 8 users, hold the Shift key and click restart. For Windows 10 users, go to advanced boot in settings and click "Restart Now.
You can access the BIOS menu in the same way that you would get to the boot menu. At the manufacturer splash screen, the key should be listed in one of the bottom corners. Your computer will continue with the boot process. Try out the Linux distribution before installing. Most Live CDs and USBs can launch a "live environment", giving you the ability to test it out before making the switch.
Start the installation process. If you decided not to try out the distribution, you can start the installation from the boot menu. You will be asked to configure some basic options, such as language, keyboard layout, and timezone. Create a username and password. You will need to create login information to install Linux. A password will be required to log into your account and perform administrative tasks.
Set up the partition. Linux needs to be installed on a separate partition from any other operating systems on your computer if you intend dual booting Linux with another OS. A partition is a portion of the hard drive that is formatted specifically for that operating system. You can skip this step if you don't plan on dual booting.
Distros such as Ubuntu will set a recommended partition automatically. You can then adjust this manually yourself. Most Linux installations require at least 20 GB, so be sure to set aside enough room for both the Linux operating system and any other programs you may install and files you may create.
If the installation process does not give you automatic partitions, make sure that the partition you create is formatted as Ext4. If the copy of Linux you are installing is the only operating system on the computer, you will most likely have to manually set your partition size. Boot into Linux. Once the installation is finished, your computer will reboot. This is a boot loader that handles Linux installations. Pick your new Linux distro from the list.
This screen may not show up if you only have one operating system on your computer. If this screen isn't being presented to you automatically, then you can get it back by hitting shift right after the manufacturer splash screen. If you install multiple distros on your computer, they will all be listed here. Check your hardware. Most hardware should work out of the box with your Linux distro, though you may need to download some additional drivers to get everything working.
Some hardware requires proprietary drivers to work correctly in Linux. Again, the exact steps required for installing Linux on your computer depend on the specific distro. The guided process should help you to make the right choices, however. By this stage you should know how to install Linux on a laptop or desktop computer. But what if you want to run Linux on your computer without installing it?
You have three options for running Linux without removing the existing operating system:. Whichever option you select, you'll still be able to enjoy an extensive Linux experience. This flexibility is one of the key reasons for Linux's enduring success. As you can see, installing Linux isn't nearly as complicated as you might have thought.
All it requires is a suitable target computer, the right Linux version, and suitable installation media. The process of installation is guided in most cases, helping you to ensure your Linux computer is set up just the way you want. Want to add some flare to your Logitech keyboard? What You Need for Installing Linux. Share Share Tweet Email. Related Topics Linux Linux.
Christian Cawley Articles Published. Subscribe to our newsletter Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals! Click here to subscribe. Windows 10 vs Windows All the Major Changes. You're just getting a chance to see what running Mint is like. Use this opportunity to play with Mint to see if you like it. If you're running it off a DVD drive, Mint will run slowly, but it will run quickly enough to give you an idea of what it's like to use Mint.
With a USB stick, it will run fast enough to give you a good notion of what working with Mint is like. First, make a complete backup of your Windows system. Installing Linux in the way I'm going to describe shouldn't hurt your Windows setup at all, but why take a chance? It can still be an annoyance, but Ubuntu and Mint have made booting and installing with the Secure Boot system a non-issue. All pre-built binaries intended to be loaded as part of the boot process, with the exception of the initrd image, are signed by Canonical's UEFI certificate, which is implicitly trusted by being embedded in the Microsoft signed shim loader.
There are many ways to switch Secure Boot off. All involve going to the UEFI control panel during the boot process and switching it off. Next, make sure your PC is plugged in. The last thing you want is to run out of battery power during an operating system install!
You'll also need an internet connection and about 8GB of free drive space. That done, reboot into Linux again. Once you have the Mint display up, one of your icon choices on the left will be to install Mint. Double-click it, and you'll be on your way. You'll need to walk your way through several menu choices. Most of these decisions will be easy. For example, the language you want Mint to use and your time zone.
The one critical choice will be how to partition your hard drive. Partitioning a hard drive can get really complicated, but there's an easy choice that will let you dual-boot both Windows and Mint. This procedure will install Linux Mint next to your existing Windows system and leave it totally untouched.
You'll be asked to choose which operating system you want to boot by default. You'll get a few seconds to switch to the other operating system, no matter which one you pick. You'll also be required to give your system a name; pick out a username for yourself, and come up with a password. You can also choose to encrypt your home directory to keep files relatively safe from prying eyes.
However, an encrypted home directory slows systems down. It's faster, albeit counterintuitive, to encrypt the entire drive after you have Mint up and running. The Mint setup routine also lets you set up a system snapshot with Timeshift. By doing this, if something goes wrong with Mint later, you can restore your system files and get back to a working system.
While you're at this, set up a regular Timeshift schedule. I've never had to restore from Timeshift. Linux Mint is stable as a rock. But, I've also never had a bad accident, but I always put on my seat belt. It's the same thing. Next, you can have it checked to see if your computer needs any additional drivers. I highly recommend you run this. After this, you can choose to install proprietary multimedia codecs such as drivers to watch DVDs.
I think you should do this, as well. You should also set your PC to update your system to the latest software. Unlike Windows, when you update Mint, you're updating not just your operating system but all the other programs such as the default web browser, Firefox; office-suite, LibreOffice; and any other programs you've installed from Mint's Software Manager.
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