Linux for beginners

[Mad B]

So I want to experiment with Linux so I decided I want to create a partition on my laptop. Primarily I use my laptop for school and basic coding projects.



Here is my model: Samasung 50u3c/530u4c/54c/30u.


4gb

i53317u cpu (1.7ghz)

I have no cd drive so I'd need something I can launch in windows or maybe boot from a usb.

 

[Eximo]

Google USB Linux boot, Ubuntu has a decent guide as I recall. You don't even actually need to install it, you can run off the USB stick completely if you want. Loading it onto a partition would make it persistent and depending on your plans, you can add it to a boot menu so you can select between Windows and Linux.

 

[delaro]

You can run Linux from just a Thumb drive without even installing.

Here is what you will need

Thumb Drive normally I use 8gb or better since I buy them in bulk.

Linux Live - this will set up your thumb drive as bootable
http://www.linuxliveusb.com/

Pick the Linux Distro you wish to use.

Linux Lite- Overall a good Distro for beginners but by far not the only one, I install this one often because of all the included packages and speed.
https://www.linuxliteos.com/

Peppermint - Lite weight easy to run Distro
http://peppermintos.com/

Zorin - A great OS although the really good versions are paid
http://zorin-os.com/free.html

Lubuntu - A lite wieght version of Ubuntu 14.04, Very good and not entirely hard to figure out.
http://lubuntu.net/

1. Download and install Linux Live
2. Pick the OS you want and Download
3. Run Linux lite, pick the OS and let LL set it up.
4. Reboot PC and pick the option you want, Run in Persistent Live mode "No Install", Dual boot with windows or install over windows. The Distos will partition for you no need to do that yourself.

 

[Aristotelian]

Be very careful with this. I have read reports of Samsung laptops being bricked by people attempting to install Linux. Another example of manufacturers inexplicably keeping people tied to Windows. For now you would be better off trying to run Linux within a "virtual machine" through Windows using a program such as Virtualbox.

 

[Mad B]

Be very careful with this. I have read reports of Samsung laptops being bricked by people attempting to install Linux. Another example of manufacturers inexplicably keeping people tied to Windows. For now you would be better off trying to run Linux within a "virtual machine" through Windows using a program such as Virtualbox.

Thanks. I actually think I won't be going forward with this experiment.

 

[Eximo]

Perfectly safe to do a USB boot it only writes to ram and saves nothing if you just want to play around.

A common test I use on questionable computers as well. If they run Linux, then I know the computer is working and there something wrong with Windows.

If you are still concerned, get a second drive. Take your Windows drive out, install Linux on the other drive and never have them in the machine at the same time (A bit extreme, but it guarantees that Linux can't accidentally overwrite anything on your Windows drive.

 

[Aristotelian]

Perfectly safe to do a USB boot it only writes to ram and saves nothing if you just want to play around.

A common test I use on questionable computers as well. If they run Linux, then I know the computer is working and there something wrong with Windows.

If you are still concerned, get a second drive. Take your Windows drive out, install Linux on the other drive and never have them in the machine at the same time (A bit extreme, but it guarantees that Linux can't accidentally overwrite anything on your Windows drive.

From what I am reading, this is incorrect. For these Samsung laptops, simply booting Linux via UEFI will cause the problem--it does not have to be installed on the HDD to cause the problem.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2013/02/11/linux-samsung-deaths-2/1

 

[delaro]

Be very careful with this. I have read reports of Samsung laptops being bricked by people attempting to install Linux. Another example of manufacturers inexplicably keeping people tied to Windows. For now you would be better off trying to run Linux within a "virtual machine" through Windows using a program such as Virtualbox.

Persistent mode "no install" in Linux Live will not Brick the device, everything is running off the USB and with USB 3.0 it is fast. Also with that bug just running Windows alone could brick the device. Either way it is a pretty low change of this happening.

 

[Eximo]

Yeah, that article basically says Samsung has screwed up their code when they wrote their BIOS. Not really pointing any fingers at a particular OS.

 

[Aristotelian]

Be very careful with this. I have read reports of Samsung laptops being bricked by people attempting to install Linux. Another example of manufacturers inexplicably keeping people tied to Windows. For now you would be better off trying to run Linux within a "virtual machine" through Windows using a program such as Virtualbox.

Persistent mode "no install" in Linux Live will not Brick the device, everything is running off the USB and with USB 3.0 it is fast. Also with that bug just running Windows alone could brick the device. Either way it is a pretty low change of this happening.

That is not what the linked articles say, if I understand them correctly. It has to do with booting a USB stick (Linux or Windows) in UEFI mode in the BIOS. Doesn't matter if you install the OS on the HDD or not for these Samsung laptops.

 

[Eximo]

That was the initial issue reported, booting a USB Linux distro and bricking the system was relational not causal. Basically the issue is with any UEFI supported OS. If it writes a crash dump to the UEFI memory, the system will brick. So as long as the computer never has a hard crash all is good.

Went a little further and the root issue seems to be Samsung having setup some OEM specific functions that use the same memory area. With Linux it doesn't need to write as much to cause the issue, which is why it was initially thought to be limited to Linux and that Samsung implementation.

What Garrett proved was that a Windows application could cause the exact same issue. Just had to be written to do something silly like write outside of the allocated memory (something only possible in older languages that don't offer protection against doing just that)

 

[delaro]

From personal experience you will get more Hard crashes from Windows especially Windows 8.1 than current versions of Linux.

 

[Eximo]

Haven't had a hard crash on a Windows system in about 5 or 6 years. And then I had Windows 7 in build mode and I was trying to get a modified 32bit driver to load in 64bit. Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 have treated me pretty well if that has been your experience.

I must admit though I haven't done as much in Linux since I now work as a Windows admin more or less.