Hey, so, in light of Microsoft killing off Windows 10 in October (https://digipres.club/@misty/114190352645015060)...
If you want more people to use Linux, now would probably be a good time to start talking to your friends and relatives about how Linux will still work and get updates and, most importantly, *offer to help them setting it up and keeping it working*.
And ideally, take notes of what problems they run into, because those notes are going to give you a pretty good idea of what needs changing for Linux to become more widely usable to people. Maybe you could even contribute some of the fixes yourself!
Also, importantly: your friends and relatives are probably not going to care about the gory internal details of a Linux system.
They won't care that there are different "desktop environments", or about the distinction between a DE and a WM, or about different UI toolkits, package managers, whatever. Just skip all that.
What they *are* going to care about is whether it will update automatically, whether the UI matches what they expect, whether they can change the colors, whether the things they need work and are reachable with a single shortcut. They will care about what the system does *for them*.
For example, instead of asking "what desktop environment do you want, GNOME or KDE?", boot a few different live images for them that use different desktop environments (or one that lets you swap) and ask them which one looks the best to them. Then install with that one.
Likewise, don't ask what "distro" they want; pick a distro that will be able to run most things out of the box, and that you are sufficiently comfortable providing support for. If they unexpectedly end up a Linux nerd, they can always switch later.
You are just installing "Linux" for them, configuring it for them based on their preferences, and telling them that you can explain more about any part of it if they're curious to know more. That's it.
Provide details if they ask, but not if they don't, or you'll just overwhelm them. Providing details upfront just makes most people assume that all of it is 'required knowledge', even if that's not what you meant.
@joepie91 I still want to make the switch to Linux, but I just don't know where to start and what to do (I'm quite tech savvy and even I feel completely overwhelmed 🫣)
@bumblebeedc Have you already tried something in the past, and gotten stuck on something specific? Or is it literally "no idea what the first step even is"?
(It doesn't really matter what the problem was exactly, it'll just give me a better idea of your background with it and what sort of stumbling blocks you might encounter)
@joepie91 the latter, I just don't know where to begin 😅
@bumblebeedc Are you currently using Windows or macOS?
@bumblebeedc Right, so then the process would look something like this:
1. Download a "live" ISO for something like Ubuntu or Pop! OS (you can try both and see which one you prefer most).
2. Either burn it to a DVD, or flash it to a USB drive of some sort (microSD card in a reader works too), using Balena Etcher: https://etcher.balena.io/ -- note that this will erase whatever is currently on the card/thumbdrive.
2b. (Alternatively, you can use Ventoy to put multiple ISOs on one drive: https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html)
3. Reboot PC, go to the boot menu using your computer's specific key combination (usually briefly displayed on startup). If it doesn't say, boot into the BIOS/setup instead, there is usually also a menu there.
4. Then select the card/thumbdrive as the device you want to boot from. It will now boot into a 'live' installation of the distro you picked - it won't install anything on your system or delete any data on it, it runs *entirely* off the thumbdrive/card.
5. If you're happy with how the chosen distro works, you can usually install it directly from the booted system, often there's a shortcut on the desktop. This *will* make changes to your system.
6. In the installation, carefully check what it says about the changes it will make to your disk or filesystem; by default it *should* resize your Windows partition, and install the Linux distro next to it, giving you a choice each time you boot.
If it suggests *replacing* it instead, make sure it's okay for your Windows installation (and all the personal files on there!) to be deleted.
If it suggests resizing, then it *should* not break your Windows installation, but it's always good to have a backup regardless because the process is not perfect.
7. Once the installation is complete, you should now be able to reboot your system and boot into the new Linux installation :)
I haven't used distros like Ubuntu for a long time, so I probably won't have much advice for Ubuntu-specific things; but there is a lot of online help to be found for Ubuntu, and Pop! OS specifically tries to be easy to use, which is why I suggested those specific options.
Installing software is going to differ a bit between distros; usually there's going to be something named "Install packages" or "Software center" somewhere, and that's the main way to do it.
Is that helpful? I can provide more guidance if you get stuck on something, of course, but this should be enough to at least get a working installation and tinker around with it.
If you don't want to install it yet, you can also just keep using the booted 'live system' off the thumbdrive/card indefinitely, and stop after step 4; it won't save any changes or files you make, but everything like "installing software" should work fine, it just disappears after you shut down. So should be good for trying things out.
@joepie91 thanks, going to bookmark this toot ☺️ Hopefully I can start tinkering someday soon (maybe when the little one starts at daycare next month, as long as I haven't got a new job I will get one free day a week for myself 😁🎉)
Convincing people to give Linux a try is going to be a lot easier when there's a direct, chargeable-to-creditcard cost associated with continuing to use Windows, the thing they are familiar with.
That's your strategic advantage. Just make sure not to waste it by being condescending or patronizing, and always prioritize *their* needs in the process, not yours.