- 10 Dec, 2025 *
With the discontinuation of Windows 10 and Windows 11 being generally pretty mediocre, Linux has been getting quite a bit of attention. However there are a LOT of distros and use cases, so here is the Ultimate Guide!
Picking a distro
For beginners there are a lot of conflicting recommendations, but it truly comes down to where you are in your Linux journey. For this guide, we’ll be installing Linux Mint. It’s perfect for beginners who don’t want to mess with a command line and is very stable and customizable. It also works great on older PC’s.…
- 10 Dec, 2025 *
With the discontinuation of Windows 10 and Windows 11 being generally pretty mediocre, Linux has been getting quite a bit of attention. However there are a LOT of distros and use cases, so here is the Ultimate Guide!
Picking a distro
For beginners there are a lot of conflicting recommendations, but it truly comes down to where you are in your Linux journey. For this guide, we’ll be installing Linux Mint. It’s perfect for beginners who don’t want to mess with a command line and is very stable and customizable. It also works great on older PC’s.
Installation
To install Linux Mint to your computer, you need a USB flash drive and a .iso file of Linux Mint.
Next you’ll need a copy of Rufus to write the OS to the USB stick. Select your .iso file and USB stick, and then press Start!
To start the installation, you first need to enter your BIOS. Power off your computer, and then hold your BIOS key. It’s normally F2, Delete, F4, F8, or F12. If that doesn’t work look up the BIOS key for your computer. Then go to your Boot options, and make sure your USB stick is first in the priority list. The BIOS usually will have instructions on how to do this. Once you’re done, exit and save changes. The computer should now boot into the Linux Mint live environment. Once you’re in. double click on the "Install Linux Mint" icon on the desktop. THIS WILL ERASE ALL DATA ON YOUR DISK! MAKE A BACKUP BEFORE PROCEEDING! Continue through the setup process and select options that suit you best. Once all options are selected, sit back and let it install.
POST INSTALLATION
Once the installation has finished, Linux Mint will show a dialogue which will help you setup and customize Linux Mint. You may also want to check out the Software Manager to get apps for your installation. And that’s pretty much it! If you need any more help, check out the Linux Mint Discord server. or ask in r/linux4noobs. Good luck in your Linux journey!