I've never ran Linux. I guess my main fear is not having the necessary drivers needed for the various parts of my PC and spending hours trying to fix it and not being able to
Those new synaptic fingerprint sensors are a thorn in the side. Synaptic essentially decided they weren't going to release any linux binaries for it, unlike the old ones, and definitely wont open source it, so people had/have to reverse engineer it.
My work machine has one of those. In 2016 I spec'd out a thinkpad without realizing the fingerprint reader would be useless in linux and I regret having that weird divot in the palmrest.
There are a few machine configurations which make it harder I suppose, but stuff like Ubuntu covers such a wide array of hardware nowadays and the process has become so streamlined it's probably more than worth a shot.
All the typical newbie-friendly Linux distros come in a "Live USB" format, where you make a special USB stick, put it into your computer, restart, and then you're in that flavor of Linux. No risk, it's not installed unless you hit the big "install" button on there.
My general Linux advice is to try one of those, go putter around in that for a while, and see if everything works for you. The big ones are internet and, if you're on a laptop, hibernate/suspend. If stuff works on the live USB, go for it. (Back up your shit first though, this applies for installing any OS, and also just if you haven't done it in a while.)
And if stuff on the live USB doesn't work, don't bother. File a bug report somewhere if you're feeling particularly charitable. Try a different distro if you're particularly determined. Try again in six months, or when you get a new computer. It's unfortunate, but that's what we're stuck with as long as Windows gets preinstalled and Linux doesn't.
I've never ran Linux. I guess my main fear is not having the necessary drivers needed for the various parts of my PC and spending hours trying to fix it and not being able to
deleted by creator
Those new synaptic fingerprint sensors are a thorn in the side. Synaptic essentially decided they weren't going to release any linux binaries for it, unlike the old ones, and definitely wont open source it, so people had/have to reverse engineer it.
deleted by creator
My work machine has one of those. In 2016 I spec'd out a thinkpad without realizing the fingerprint reader would be useless in linux and I regret having that weird divot in the palmrest.
deleted by creator
Ok good to know. I've wanted to dip my toe into linux for awhile, but I've always been sorta hesitant about it
There are a few machine configurations which make it harder I suppose, but stuff like Ubuntu covers such a wide array of hardware nowadays and the process has become so streamlined it's probably more than worth a shot.
All the typical newbie-friendly Linux distros come in a "Live USB" format, where you make a special USB stick, put it into your computer, restart, and then you're in that flavor of Linux. No risk, it's not installed unless you hit the big "install" button on there.
My general Linux advice is to try one of those, go putter around in that for a while, and see if everything works for you. The big ones are internet and, if you're on a laptop, hibernate/suspend. If stuff works on the live USB, go for it. (Back up your shit first though, this applies for installing any OS, and also just if you haven't done it in a while.)
And if stuff on the live USB doesn't work, don't bother. File a bug report somewhere if you're feeling particularly charitable. Try a different distro if you're particularly determined. Try again in six months, or when you get a new computer. It's unfortunate, but that's what we're stuck with as long as Windows gets preinstalled and Linux doesn't.
Try a live disc. 0 risk and you'll have your questions answered.