Finally, I got around to installing Linux.
Here’s what I learned.
Originally I was going to do a dual boot dual drive system which would require adding another drive to my PC box.
Problem was if was an HP small form factor and it did not have any vacant PCI slots.
I could have worked around that but it would require some cabling that I really did not want to do.
After I thought about it for awhile which was months, I decided to pick up a used PC on Ebay which could not have properly run Windows 11.
Got a Mini form factor Dell Optiplex 7040 for less than 60 bucks with tax and shipping.
That would have been in the neighborhood of what new SSD and cabling would have cost for a dual boot drive system upgrade.
The nice thing about this was there was no risk of messing up my Windows 10 machine and the data on it.
The You Tuber Digital Scriptorium had the best install of Zorin 18 that I have seen.
I did a clean install on the Dell with no problems.
It’s faster and just smoother than my ten year old Windows machine was.
I bought a switch which allows to me to use just one keyboard and mouse for both machines.
Since I have a two monitor set-up I can run both at the same time although you have to switch the mouse and keyboard back and forth.
I was using open source software such as Open Office and Gimp on my windows machine and I don’t think it will be difficult to transfer open office files to Libre whic came installed on Zorin 18 or I could install Open Office.
I was very fond of the music player Music Bee which does not have a Linux version.
I’m using VLC to play a stream from Classic FM UK my favorite internet radio station.
Although I may just keep using my Windows 10 machine offline for a word processor, music player for my digital library, and Microsoft Solitaire.
I’m not sure about Bluetooth as the computer came with a dongle plugged in.
But I really don’t use Bluetooth on my PC.
It’s a little advanced but I’ve had plenty of PCs with a single hard drive I dual booted windows/Linux from. If Windows is existing, Linux will resize the hard drive partition and create another partition and install itself alongside windows. SOME Linux installers actually make it very easy. You click a button that says Install alongside Windows. Other installers require you to decide what size the partitions will be.
I’m fairly comfortable with it because I used to use Fdisk for reformatting a hard drive for a fresh Windows install. This was back when Windows, 3.1 & 95 had to be done that way. Fdisk would be on a 3.5” floppy disk. Boot from that and the rest is commands you have to enter. I used MSDOS before that to print business receipts on a DOT Matrix printer. Had to set that up using Word Perfect which was an MSDOS program.
People complain about needing to use commands in Linux, which you really don’t need to any more, yet don’t realize the Microsoft started as MSDOS before there was a “window”(Graphic User Interface).