Lightest Linux distros, easy for noob, with virtual winOS?

[pamojja]

Well let me say this, as a user of over 20 yrs Linux has become increasingly simple to install, in the last 5 years I must have done over 100 installations on kit from 2 to 23 yrs old, the only failures I have had, are on the oldest kit that drivers are no longer readily available, [ok some have needed tweaking to get wi-fi /graphics @sound working but that's part of being a Linux user]

I realized it also with an online friend, who said he installed LinuxMint on the computer of his old parents, and they could handle it always just fine. But should it in these cases not also be realized, to get a linux installed easily, it needs maybe 20 years of Linux experience? Or if one hasn't got such an experienced Linux son (or father), simply hire a system administrator?

And if therefore cost of money or time is a hindrance, better eat the bitter apple and stay with windows?

 

[pamojja]

When everything is completed restart the computer and from the boot menu whichever F-Key it is boot from the USB flash drive.
You should see a menu if you followed the installer correctly and see Linux displayed on monitor.

Works just as with Ventoy. Did you have already such bad experience as I now do with Ventoy?

 

[The Duck]

Works just as with Ventoy. Did you have already such bad experience as I now do with Ventoy?

I've never used Ventoy.
I've used Etcher and Gnome Disk Utility no problem with either.
Most every new Linux user can and usually does experience some difficulty installing their first Linux distro although not always.
In the 9 years of using Linux I've had a bad experience every once in awhile with using or installing Linux.

 

[pamojja]

I've never used Ventoy.

Then you must understand, that your suggestions of installation working better with Etcher and my hardware then Ventoy, is highly speculative. Not really out of any experience, or how the majority does it. I'll try it anyway, at one point. Thanks.

 

[Brickwizard]

it needs maybe 20 years of Linux experience? Or if one hasn't got such an experienced Linux son (or father),

All you need to install Linux [apart from a suitable computer, installation medium ] is time and patients, over the years I have talked many people who I have never met, and who were solely windows/apple users to install Linux to their machines. One occurrence which kept me up for 27 hrs [due to time differences] passing instructions via this forum, lead to my being asked to write my "how do I guide" how many other people have used it to install Linux I don't know, but the site admin tells me that it has the most hits on his site of all the tutorials,
Last weekend I got a panic message from a lady in Wales who had been trying to set up a wireless printer for 3 weeks, and got to the point of wanting to bin it, I told her to calm down, and sent her instructions in a not techspeak format, within an hour I had a message back it was all working fine.
Moral.. if you do not understand exactly what you are doing, and are not patient, you are going to struggle. But you do not have to have experience or be a Linux geek to succeed, just willing to take advice and learn.

 

[The Duck]

All you need to install Linux [apart from a suitable computer, installation medium ] is time and patients,

Moral.. if you do not understand exactly what you are doing, and are not patient, you are going to struggle. But you do not have to have experience or be a Linux geek to succeed, just willing to take advice and learn.

 

[The Duck]

I've never used Ventoy.
I've used Etcher and Gnome Disk Utility no problem with either.
Most every new Linux user can and usually does experience some difficulty installing their first Linux distro although not always.
In the 9 years of using Linux I've had a bad experience every once in awhile with using or installing Linux.

Then you must understand, that your suggestions of installation working better with Etcher and my hardware then Ventoy, is highly speculative. Not really out of any experience, or how the majority does it. I'll try it anyway, at one point. Thanks.

I just created a Ventoy USB drag and drop the iso of choice and reboot from the Ventoy USB and test as a live working Linux distro.
I only did live tests as I didn't want to install over my existing Linux Mint install.

 

[pamojja]

I only did live tests as I didn't want to install over my existing Linux Mint install.

Yes, as experienced, Ventoy works for that very straightforward. I wouldn't been able to test through so many distros without.

That doesn't mean necessarily Ventoy is to blame, when even perfectly running live distros afterward repeatedly fail to install properly.

 

[pamojja]

All you need to install Linux [apart from a suitable computer, installation medium ] is time and patients,

And in which way I don't have a suitable computer? - or not plenty of ISOs as installation medium? - by now 3 weeks time and patience to test 80 distros? 3 of which could be installed within the windows partition (Q4OS, endless and absolute), and 2 distros with full installation on their own partitions, tried twice (Magaia and Easy). First with online actualization, second without, third with the special straightforward copy instructions for EasyOs, and fourth with a usual ISO-writter from within?

You guys spend up to 20 minutes for an installation? When I didn't get deterred by a single 8 hour installation fail, but I'm the inpatient?

Whom are you kidding? It would make no difference if I tested double that in double the time, as someone not succeeding in getting Linux up and running: I must be really impatient, not spending enough time? What an actionable logic?

Most every new Linux user can and usually does experience some difficulty installing their first Linux distro although not always.

Most new Linux user usually experience difficulty installing? Only a few hours before, I was the only exception?

Hasn't it dawned on you that with as many attempts to install and the amount of failures you have reached that maybe the way you are going about this is all bungled.

I told her to calm down, and sent her instructions in a not techspeak format, within an hour I had a message back it was all working fine.
Moral.. if you do not understand exactly what you are doing, and are not patient, you are going to struggle. But you do not have to have experience or be a Linux geek to succeed, just willing to take advice and learn.

And what I did the last 3 weeks here? Getting specific instructions from only one very patient with me @z7vl7abxc - about how it could work to get audio or wlan working, still failing? How to partition? Following those exact instructions..

- But no: you don't need to be a geek? Just willingness to learn from a geek? - And despite indeed following advice here during the last 3 weeks (I wouldn't have gotten that far without), since it still didn't work, I still must not have followed advice and learn?

What an actionable logic, again?

 

[PuppyHome]

Well, that escalated quickly.

 

[The Duck]

I just created a Ventoy USB drag and drop the iso of choice and reboot from the Ventoy USB and test as a live working Linux distro.
I only did live tests as I didn't want to install over my existing Linux Mint install.

Yes, as experienced, Ventoy works for that very straightforward. I wouldn't been able to test through so many distros without.

That doesn't mean necessarily Ventoy is to blame, when even perfectly running live distros afterward repeatedly fail to install properly.

I agree Ventoy is not the problem and it was never implied that Ventoy ever was the problem.
I only used Etcher as an example and nothing more because it is what I've used and know to work and have never had a problem using Etcher.

 

[pamojja]

that escalated quickly.

Until now, gladly no serious fallacies in discussion - like ad-hominem attacks - happened. Well done everyone. Just more or less preconceptions. That isn't escalation. That's rather normal, along with rational replies in discussions.

 

[The Duck]

Yes, as experienced, Ventoy works for that very straightforward. I wouldn't been able to test through so many distros without.

That doesn't mean necessarily Ventoy is to blame, when even perfectly running live distros afterward repeatedly fail to install properly.

That doesn't mean necessarily Ventoy is to blame, when even perfectly running live distros afterward repeatedly fail to install properly.

That doesn't mean necessarily Ventoy is to blame, when even perfectly running live distros afterward repeatedly fail to install properly.

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repeatedly fail to install properly.

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Think about it

 

[pamojja]

I agree Ventoy is not the problem and it was never implied that Ventoy ever was the problem.

You said I do it wrong and as a rare exception to all new to Linux installers. Latter you reversed that stance again, and suddenly most new to Linux experience difficulties installing too.

The only indication for what I did wrong - you advised Etcher instead. That was implyed in your opinion and advise what most are using and which made it work. And not even true. Thereby you didn't have to say, but clearly implied Ventoy is the problem. Only one image-writer can be used at a time. If not Ventoy, then Etcher. Your advice and clear concomitant implication.

Think about it

The only irrational thought which comes to mind, after following all reasonable advice here for the last 3 weeks - let me think - is doing the opposite than advised? Can't be. Enlighten me.

Or asked differently: which of the many reasonable advices given in this thread, I didn't follow through?

Etcher? - which advise to use instead of Ventoy you just reversed again?

By maintaining preconceptions with question marks only, and not replying but ignoring any rational counterargument, what is your aim here? Ask yourself.

 

[pamojja]

Entertainment? Having and cheering for more beer?

 

[pamojja]

Wanted to use an hour I have, for an further install trial. Took an other different old USB-stick for that, and thought of trying LXLE or Robo linux install. Interestingly now for me, they both show the same installation dialog to choose on which partition to install. One can choose one for the boot-loader, and where to go for the main install. Everything formated and choosen, and clicking on install now, it opens a dialog, saying: There hasn't been a root-filesystem determined, please adjust it in the partitioning menu (translated from German interface).

While I see a reset and a change button there, but no direct way to determine root. So I assumed GParted must be mend for this task. Where I do see a Mount Point column, and with the ext4 for installation given as /media/custom/47abe9f7-b0ee-415f-8ba0-3331c2d7072bcl - but none for the vfat boot partition. Right clicking on it, there are some actions greyed out, like mount. But nothing I can see to determine the root-filesystem.

How can that be done before starting to install from within live Robo or LXLE?

 

[z7vl7abxc]

While I see a reset and a change button there, but no direct way to determine root.

this is from an lxle virtual machine while running the installer: if you highlight the main partition and click on the Change button, there may be a "Use as" field with a drop-down menu to the right that says "do not use this partition". if i click "do not use this partition", i get a set of filesystem options. at the top is "Ext4 journaling file system" (fairly commonly used for lots of distros). if i choose that, a new field labeled "Mount point" shows up further down in the window with an empty drop-down menu to the right. if i click on that empty drop-down menu, i can choose / for a system with just one root partition (other than the esp).

https://imgur.com/a/g1rsTYQ

 

[pamojja]

Thanks so much. Mount point would be: \ as in your picture. Upon choosing the upper selection flipped back to the ventoy vfat partition. Just clicked the right one again, and the dialog continues.

edit: I'm writting this from within RoboLinux during installation

 

[z7vl7abxc]

you're quite welcome and good luck. that installer is the one that i had mentioned sometimes uses the wrong esp, but hopefully that won't happen for this install.

 

[pamojja]

and the dialog continues.

edit: I'm writting this from within

80 minutes later, the progress bar for copying files is passing 3/4. I guess that is just normal from an old Ventoy-stick to target an other old USB-stick.

sometimes uses the wrong esp, but hopefully that won't happen for this install.

Thinking of it, Mageia's installer was similiar. Only difference was, that I let it take over formatting of the SD and later USB. Therefore not the break for considering a root-filesystem.

It however, installed it within the windows efi boot system, and as a useless relique is still there.