Noob Question re linux

[chili]

Windows user here never looked at or watched linux until now, just watched a video about linux mint 19 and it looks pretty cool. Now i dont want to instal it on my laptop in case i cannot get on with it.

So could i instal mint 19 on a usb drive and run it from that ie turn laptop on windows 10 boots up as normal, insert usb run linux ? or would i be better off installing it to a virtual machine and running it that way?

any basic advice appreciated

thanks

 

[Buffalo2102]

Most linux distributions provide a "live" version that you can burn to a cd or usb stick. You need to boot to them though, you cant generally plug them in and run them while Windows is already running.

Another option would be to install Virtualbox and then install linux in a virtual machine. You could then run linux from within windows.

 

[FatRakoon]

If you want to go for the MINT distro you saw, just downlaod the ISO image and then use a program called RUFUS to then burn that ISO onto a Flash Disk ( 8GB or bigger ).
Then restart the PC / Laptop and boot from the USB Drive.

You can then run the distro from the flash drive. ( you can also burn the ISO to disk of course, but it will be even slower again )

You need to know, that as you are running it from the Flash drive, it will not be quick, but you will be able to fully test it out.

If you decide to install it, you then have the choice, of wiping windows, or shrinking the HD to give windows less room, to let Linux will go on, then providing everything goes well, you can choice windows or linux when the computer starts

I however never bother with dual booting... I dont like it.

I have different machines for different versions of whatever.

Has the handy bit of only having one operating system on one PC, but has the horrible side effect of having loads of PCs and Laptops that cost me a fortune LOL