LinuxQuestions.org
Latest LQ Deal: Latest LQ Deals
Home Forums Tutorials Articles Register
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Laptop and Netbook
User Name
Password
Linux - Laptop and Netbook Having a problem installing or configuring Linux on your laptop? Need help running Linux on your netbook? This forum is for you. This forum is for any topics relating to Linux and either traditional laptops or netbooks (such as the Asus EEE PC, Everex CloudBook or MSI Wind).

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 04-14-2023, 05:06 AM   #1
methylacetate
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Apr 2023
Posts: 4

Rep: Reputation: 0
Linux on laptop questions


Hello there! What can I face with if I install Linux on laptop with Windows or pre-installed Linux (I'll replace these ones with new Linux)?
 
Old 04-14-2023, 05:21 AM   #2
fatmac
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Sep 2011
Location: Upper Hale, Surrey/Hants Border, UK
Distribution: Mainly Devuan, antiX, & Void, with Tiny Core, Fatdog, & BSD thrown in.
Posts: 5,525

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Usual problems are secure boot/UEFI needs changing on new laptops, but if using old MBR laptops, installation usually goes smoothly.
 
Old 04-14-2023, 05:31 AM   #3
syg00
LQ Veteran
 
Registered: Aug 2003
Location: Australia
Distribution: Lots ...
Posts: 21,155

Rep: Reputation: 4125Reputation: 4125Reputation: 4125Reputation: 4125Reputation: 4125Reputation: 4125Reputation: 4125Reputation: 4125Reputation: 4125Reputation: 4125Reputation: 4125
This is like asking "I've got a new car but am going to replace the engine - What can I face".

Guess what sort of response you'll get.
 
1 members found this post helpful.
Old 04-14-2023, 07:03 AM   #4
methylacetate
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Apr 2023
Posts: 4

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 0
Quote:
Originally Posted by fatmac View Post
Usual problems are secure boot/UEFI needs changing on new laptops, but if using old MBR laptops, installation usually goes smoothly.
Do you mean that I should turn off secure boot?
 
Old 04-14-2023, 07:03 AM   #5
methylacetate
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Apr 2023
Posts: 4

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 0
Quote:
Originally Posted by syg00 View Post
This is like asking "I've got a new car but am going to replace the engine - What can I face".

Guess what sort of response you'll get.
Interesting thought.
 
Old 04-14-2023, 07:20 AM   #6
hazel
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Mar 2016
Location: Harrow, UK
Distribution: LFS, AntiX, Slackware
Posts: 7,691
Blog Entries: 19

Rep: Reputation: 4495Reputation: 4495Reputation: 4495Reputation: 4495Reputation: 4495Reputation: 4495Reputation: 4495Reputation: 4495Reputation: 4495Reputation: 4495Reputation: 4495
Quote:
Originally Posted by methylacetate View Post
Do you mean that I should turn off secure boot?
Most people here do that. But some big distros like Fedora and Ubuntu can run under secure boot.
 
Old 04-14-2023, 11:42 AM   #7
iPad
Member
 
Registered: Oct 2016
Distribution: iPadLinux
Posts: 81
Blog Entries: 1

Rep: Reputation: 45
Here's what I did, when I just recently borrowed a laptop from SJ Library (bios locked):

http://OSboxes.org/virtualbox

(sadly, Vbox v7 needed me to find & install some Win10 C++ piece and then some piece of python, but I found them okay)
A couple distros seem to need a bit more video memory than 16MB.

It only takes a couple GB of download time, and then a minute to un-7z the .vdi (be sure to choose 'Use existing virtual disk')

You can try many (pre-installed!) Linux distros, in a just few minutes, without fighting with M$/UEFI.
Reddit /r/linux4noobs is a wasteland of people crying that they broke something and "HelpMe: it don't boot no more"!

Have you used Linux before and visited distrowatch.com?
 
Old 04-14-2023, 12:24 PM   #8
methylacetate
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Apr 2023
Posts: 4

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 0
Quote:
Originally Posted by iPad View Post
Have you used Linux before and visited distrowatch.com?
Yes, there is Ubuntu on my PC. And I'm going to install OpenSUSE or Manjaro instead that one.

And yes, I've visited distrowatch.com right now.
 
Old 04-16-2023, 07:11 AM   #9
beachboy2
Senior Member
 
Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Wild West Wales, UK
Distribution: Linux Mint 21 MATE, EndeavourOS, antiX, MX Linux
Posts: 4,009
Blog Entries: 33

Rep: Reputation: 1471Reputation: 1471Reputation: 1471Reputation: 1471Reputation: 1471Reputation: 1471Reputation: 1471Reputation: 1471Reputation: 1471Reputation: 1471
methylacetate,

I suggest that you also look at the Arch-based EndeavourOS as well as Manjaro:
https://endeavouros.com/

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?di...tion=endeavour

Have a look at the EndeavourOSratings page:
https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?re...stro=endeavour
 
Old 04-18-2023, 02:46 AM   #10
aragorn2101
Member
 
Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Mauritius
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 567

Rep: Reputation: 301Reputation: 301Reputation: 301Reputation: 301
Quote:
Originally Posted by methylacetate View Post
Yes, there is Ubuntu on my PC. And I'm going to install OpenSUSE or Manjaro instead that one.

And yes, I've visited distrowatch.com right now.
Hi,

Since you have Ubuntu on a machine, we expect you know how Linux works a little bit and how to install.

People mentioned about UEFI. Yes, UEFI might be an issue if you are not prepared for certain things. To be honest, UEFI has been around for long enough now and it has become a common industry standard, such that most Linux distributions (especially the popular ones) and the most popular bootloader, GRUB, can work well with it. So, your Linux distribution will most probably work out of the box.

Some issues people get during installation is most likely due to a feature of UEFI: Secure Boot. If you buy a laptop with Windows, your machine will most certainly be in Secure Boot mode, i.e. it should prevent any other OS or installer to boot apart from Windows (which would have been registered in the UEFI firmware using special keys). So, you will need to get in the UEFI firmware (new fancy term for BIOS setup) and disable Secure Boot. The Linux bootloader can also work with Secure Boot but it can only be registered into the UEFI firmware after installation. So, you can have a look at that later, it's not necessary.

Secondly, Windows like to hibernate instead of properly shutdown (to make the user believe it is super fast at startup and shutdown ), so you will need to disable Fast Startup in Windows before attempting installation. It is found in Windows' Power Settings, I think.

Furthermore, I always recommend booting into Windows first, doing the above, and resizing the Windows partition or any other Windows partitions to make space for your Linux and other stuff. You can later use GParted to make further partitions. Linux-based disk management software like GParted or gdisk are much more efficient and safe.

When installing, just choose your EFI partition to place the bootloader and everything will be fine.

Finally, when installing Linux on new hardware, sometimes there are issues with the WiFi adapter or sound output or graphics, due to missing or older drivers. These issues can be solved subsequently by installing appropriate drivers or updating the kernel.

All the best.
 
1 members found this post helpful.
Old 04-25-2023, 01:56 PM   #11
OasisBEE8
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Apr 2023
Posts: 2

Rep: Reputation: 0
Always considered Linux is great for laptops.... But I got a laptop and just cant install anything on it... Totally dissapointed..
 
Old 04-25-2023, 08:13 PM   #12
colorpurple21859
LQ Veteran
 
Registered: Jan 2008
Location: florida panhandle
Distribution: Slackware Debian, Fedora, others
Posts: 7,399

Rep: Reputation: 1595Reputation: 1595Reputation: 1595Reputation: 1595Reputation: 1595Reputation: 1595Reputation: 1595Reputation: 1595Reputation: 1595Reputation: 1595Reputation: 1595
If ubuntu installed and runs on the laptop without any issues, most distros should install with little to no problems.
 
Old 04-26-2023, 12:39 AM   #13
Crippled
Member
 
Registered: Sep 2015
Distribution: MX Linux 21.3 Xfce
Posts: 595

Rep: Reputation: Disabled
Disable secure boot in the BIOS and then you can install the Linux distro of your choice.
 
Old 04-26-2023, 01:03 AM   #14
enigma9o7
Senior Member
 
Registered: Jul 2018
Location: Silicon Valley
Distribution: Bodhi Linux
Posts: 1,409

Rep: Reputation: 564Reputation: 564Reputation: 564Reputation: 564Reputation: 564Reputation: 564
Installing an operating system is a complicated thing; like @syg00 implied, it's like installing a new engine in a car!

It takes training and experience before one can swap out a car engine, plus it requires many specialized tools that a bigger won't likely have. And you can't just throw in any old engine, you must find one for your specific vehicle unless you want to do lots of extra customization work. So don't even consider trying it yourself - don't think being an intelligent person able to read the screen in front of you and follow directions is enough!
 
Old 04-29-2023, 05:31 AM   #15
triplum.fm
Registered User
 
Registered: Mar 2023
Posts: 60

Rep: Reputation: 33
Quote:
Originally Posted by OasisBEE8 View Post
Always considered Linux is great for laptops.... But I got a laptop and just cant install anything on it... Totally dissapointed..
Installation is not the problem. For many Linux and Windows users, the issue with laptops is rather the cooling when the hardware is under heavy load. However, there is a solution for Intel CPUs from SkyLake on.
 
  


Reply



Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Questions, questions, and more questions NinjaBaby Linux - Networking 3 12-14-2004 11:25 AM
Questions Questions Questions extremebfn Linux - Networking 6 09-03-2004 12:15 AM
Questions, Questions, Questions Nappa Slackware 6 11-18-2003 02:56 PM
questions,questions,questions harddrive37 Linux - Networking 1 07-21-2003 10:21 PM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Laptop and Netbook

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:25 PM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration