Nwe Linux Convert

Steven Carpenter

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I'm not a techie, no good with computers, don't know any command line prompts, and fed up with Windows OS. I've been using a Chromebook for the past 3 years because I never needed any software. But over the past two months I've been learning Python on Sololearn. Now that I'm somewhat well versed I needed the hardware to download Python so I bought: Lenovo - 130-15AST - AMD A6 Series - 4 GB Memory - AMD Radeon R4 - 500 GB Hard Drive. The OS on this thing should not be lagging after only 5 hours of use; the windows bar and cortana search won't even work. So here I am hoping to switch to Linux and be done with Windows OS for good. Some basic questions:

Which Linux distribution do ya'll think can work best with the hardware I have on my Lenovo; from what I've read so far this probably won't be an issue. I'm thinking Mint.

Which Linux distribution would work best with Python, MySQL, SciPy, MatPlot, and Excel? I have no interest in gaming or video.

After I download the Linux OS can I uninstall/permanently delete Windows 10?

Thanks for your help.

P.S. I still love my Chromebook.
 


Congratulations the Chromebook runs Chrome OS which is based on the Linux Kernel.

can I uninstall/permanently delete Windows 10?
BEWARE totally deleting Windows until you are absolutely sure that you don't want it. You could dual boot for a while or run one OS virtualised on the other.

The only thing that does not run natively on Linux. I think, is Excel. It can be run in your Browser is you go to the website. Or you can run in Linux under Wine. Or use an Linux alternative.
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/install-microsoft-excel-linux/
 
So here I am hoping to switch to Linux and be done with Windows OS for good.

I love it when they talk dirty like that :D:D

G'day @Steven Carpenter and welcome to linux.org :)

(Wizard appears in a puff of smoke humming Queen's "We Will Rock You" and substituting Linux lyrics)

Well, Steven, you've got input from the UK, and now Australia.

If you have a 16GB or so USB stick spare, it's worth using it to make a Win 10 Recovery stick, then if you want to sell the computer later, you can put The (Win)Dozer back on.

Or you can download the .iso for free as I understand.

You could dual boot for a while or run one OS virtualised on the other.

Dual booting is reasonably simple to set up and is a very valid option that will give you the full performance potential of the LInux Distro to compare against the sluggishness of the Dozer.

VM option is viable, but with 4GB RAM, of which you might only be able to sling 2GB or so to the VM, you won't get a full idea of performance. But it is easy to blow away, you just delete the VM.

Wubi-uefi might be a better option, if you are prepared to just try Ubuntu in the beginning.

Only involves a folder being created on your C Drive, sets up a dualboot scenario, and if you want to get rid of it all you need to do is blow away the folder later (and a couple of files if you are neat).

https://github.com/hakuna-m/wubiuefi/wiki

There is mention there of Ubuntu MATE being supported, you might like that better than the standard Ubuntu, which is described as Desktop aka GNOME.

I trialled an install of Wubi-uefi a few months ago on my Win 10 and here's how it looked in File Manager



MiN7g6j.png


SCREENSHOT 1 - Wubi on Wizard's Dozer

The highlighted files and folder are what you would clean up if you removed it. Easy Peasy.

I watched the Ubuntu install (GNOME), it went through picture-perfect in only a few minutes. If you were doing it, on completion you would reboot the computer and be presented with what is called a Grub Menu featuring both Ubuntu and Windows to choose from.

I can't do that part in my environment, because I run 60 to 80 Linux at a time (26 on this Dell), and my setup overrides the Wubi. But I used the original Wubi in 2013 and 2014 and it was great.

See what you think and ask any questions, we have our "lights on" (green flashing) to show when we are online.

BTW if you go WUBI the one you would choose is the one listed as Ubuntu 18.04.1LTS (Long Term Support - 5 years, ends April 2023)

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 


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