Do not leave Windows for Linux -- try dual boot or a VM instead
Over the years, I have suggested leaving Windows for Linux many times, with some readers saying I sound like a broken record. In hindsight, however, that was arguably a foolish thing to suggest (in some cases, at least). No, that doesn’t mean I have soured on Linux -- quit the contrary. Actually, I am as enthusiastic as ever!
So, have I changed my tune? Well… not entirely. I still think people should install Linux, but instead of replacing Windows, I would suggest dual-booting instead. This way, you get the best of both worlds -- Linux and Windows on one machine. I suppose if you find you don’t ever use Windows, you could get rid of it down the line. But even if you don’t use Windows, why bother getting rid of it? You might find having a Windows installation handy one day. Hey… you never know.
To set up a dual-boot system, I would recommend the excellent guide from Tom’s Hardware found here. As far as choosing a Linux distribution, I would suggest using Ubuntu (download here) if you are a beginner.
What if you want to try Linux, but you are too scared to set up a dual-boot system? Well, if you do not want to partition your drive, you can sometimes dual-boot using multiple drives; understandably, however, even that can be a daunting affair. You know what? That’s totally fine. You should not feel embarrassed. Thankfully, there is another great option.
Alternatively, you can run a Linux distribution from within Windows using a virtual machine or the inbuilt WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). Yes, folks, instead of having Windows and Linux side-by-side, you can run Linux from inside Microsoft’s operating system! And yeah, it works great.
Quite frankly, before you dedicate the time and resources to setting up a dual-boot system, running Linux from within Windows is arguably the smarter way to get your feet wet. You can always set up a dual-boot later, once you know you like Linux enough to do so.
As stated earlier, if you are new to Linux, my advice is to give Ubuntu a try. In fact, the maker of that Linux distribution, Canonical, has a handy guide for setting it up in a virtual machine with VirtualBox. You can find the guide right here. It’s easy and fun to set up -- you’ll be running Ubuntu in no time!
As you can see, if you want to try Linux, there is no need to leave Windows. Whether you dual-boot or run a virtual machine, neither option is wrong. I mean, why not have your cake and eat it too?
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