How to Install Linux on Windows 10
How to Install Linux on Windows 10
How to Install Linux on Windows 10
How to Install Linux on Windows 10
Linux is a family of open-source operating systems in computers. It is based on the Linux kernel and is free to download. It can be installed on Mac or Windows computers. Here’s how to install Linux on Windows 10 PC.
If you want to dual boot Linux and Windows, you’ll need to create a place for your Linux OS to reside. To do this, you’ll need to partition your main hard drive. Here’s how to do it:
How to Partition Hard Drive in Windows 10
Open Windows Search Bar. It’s the magnifying glass-shaped icon in the lower-left corner of your screen.
Then type “DISKMGMT.MSC” in the search bar and press Enter.
Right-click on your main hard drive and choose Shrink Volume.
If you have more than one drive, be sure to choose the one that says Primary Partition. This will usually be labeled as the C: drive.
Then choose how much you want to shrink your drive. It is recommended that you set aside at least 20GB (20,000MB) for Linux.
Finally, click Shrink.
Once you have a specified location to install Linux, you need to write a Linux distro to a USB thumb drive or external drive 4GB or more. Here’s how to do it:
How to Create a Linux Bootable USB
Download a Linux distro in ISO format. An ISO file is a disc image. Some of the top choices are Ubuntu, Mint or Fedora. They are free to download from each distribution’s main website. In this article, we are talking about Ubuntu.
Insert the USB drive into your computer. You may be asked to format your drive. This will erase all data stored on your drive, so be sure to back up your files before you begin.
Download Rufus. You can find the latest version of the application here.
Open Rufus and select your USB drive from the Devices list. If you don’t know which drive to use, take out all the other drives until you have only one drive to choose from.
Under Boot Selection, click the Select button and choose the ISO file you downloaded earlier. Do not change other default settings.
Finally, click on Start. If you get a pop-up message asking you to select the mode you want to use to compose the image, choose ISO.
Then wait for Rufus to mount your ISO file on your drive. This may take some time, so be patient if the progress bar gets stuck.
Note:Â This will erase all data on your drive, so be sure to back up your important files.
How to Install Linux from USB
Now that you have your Linux distro on USB, here’s how
Insert bootable Linux USB drive.
Click on Start Menu. It’s the button in the lower-left corner of your screen that resembles the Windows logo.
Then while clicking on Restart, hold down the SHIFT key. This will take you to the Windows Recovery Environment.
Then choose a device.
How to Install Linux on Windows 10
Find your device in the list. If you don’t see your drive, select EFI USB Device, then select your drive from the next screen.
Your computer will now boot Linux. If your computer reboots to Windows, either there was a problem with your drive, or you may have to change the settings in your BIOS.
Note: Changing BIOS settings may damage your computer if you don’t know what you are doing.
Select Install Linux. Some distros also allow you to try out the OS before installing it here.
Go through the installation process. It depends on which distro you are trying to install. These details can include your WiFi network, language, time zone, keyboard layout, etc. You may also need to create an account with a username and password. Be sure to write down any details, as you’ll likely need them in the future.
Most distros will allow you to partition your drive or erase it and do a clean install during the installation.
Note:Â Erasing your disk will mean that you will lose your settings, files and the Windows operating system. Select Erase only if you have saved copies of all your files before starting the installation process.
Reboot your computer when prompted. If your system has more than one OS, after rebooting you will be taken to the GNU GRUB screen. This screen allows you to choose which OS you want to boot.
If you don’t see the GRUB screen when you boot your computer, you can try moving your Linux distro to the top of your boot list in the BIOS.
When you’re done, you can do a hardware check. In some cases, you may need to download additional drivers for certain hardware to function. The option to download drivers can be found in the system settings of your new Linux OS. After verifying that your hardware is working properly, you can start exploring and using your Linux distro.
Then you are caught up. Make use of your Linux on your computer. 0 0 0.
How to Install Linux on Windows 10
