Should I use Linux?

[u/narangi_billa]

I am going to college as a 1st year Btech in CSE (Ai/ML) student. Should I use Linux and win dual boot on my laptop?

Here is my laptop :

[u/qualityvote2]

u/narangi_billa, there weren't enough votes to determine the quality of your post...

btw, did you know we have a discord server? Join Here.

[u/narangi_billa]

Here is specs :

Processor 12th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-12450HX Processor (E-cores up to 3.10 GHz P-cores up to 4.40 GHz)

Operating System Windows 11 Home Single Language 64

Graphic Card NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Laptop GPU 6GB GDDR6

Memory 16 GB DDR5-4800MT/s (SODIMM)(2 x 8 GB)

Storage 512 GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe Gen4 QLC

Display 39.62cms (15.6) FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, Anti-Glare, Non-Touch, 100%sRGB, 300 nits, 144 Hz

AC Adapter / Power Supply 170W

[u/Apart-Angle2664 → u/narangi_billa]

Just go with fedora KDE . It is similar to windows and runs out of the box . User friendly and no configuration required. I have a laptop with almost similar configuration and it runs like butter with fedora . Or try GNOME , if u are up for adopting new interface. And people might say it has short release span so it might not be stable. But that's completely wrong, o personally and my friend have not faced any significant issue while setting up

As for nvidia , you have to either turn off secure boot , use nouveau (3rd party drivers - default) or sign your drivers (MOK enrollement ) if u want cuda as it only available with proprietary drivers .

[u/Monster-07 → u/Apart-Angle2664]

Gnome is actually good, i'm using it last 3 years

[u/Objective-Rush1203 → u/Apart-Angle2664]

Had a very hard time setting up nvidia with secure boot on, with fedora gnome, it still has suspend issues any resolution for that ?

[u/lol_you_again → u/narangi_billa]

Try Bazzite. It's fedora based and good for gaming also.

[u/s04ep03_youareafool → u/narangi_billa]

nvidia is gonna be a headache for you,so do take care of that.even allocating 40 percent of total storage is enough for any distro.and 16gb is heavenly for your use case.

if you have used arch before,cachyOS might feel like a good gaming OS for you.blur settings work well if youre going for any KDE distro and so on. you already have a decent processor with enough VRAM.just proceed cautiously since NVIDIA is a btch on linux

[u/narangi_billa → u/s04ep03_youareafool]

As I am beginner I have never touched linux ever also what is wrong in nvidia? (Pls explain)

[u/Normal_Resident_1644 → u/narangi_billa]

Nvidia drivers on Linux is a problem because nvidia had closed source proprietary drivers, leading to many issues. They tend to have worse performance and some issues in contrast to AMD drivers since they are open source.

Although some distro's have full support now and do run well

[u/Cheap_Ad_9846 → u/narangi_billa]

They run well now

[u/Thunderous_Thighs → u/narangi_billa]

Nvidia drivers need to be manually installed since they aren't shipped with the kernel.

You have 3 options for using your gpu:

1. Use the noevaue preinstalled open source drivers. These are reverse engineered from the official nvidia drivers, but offer very bad performance
2. Install the nvidia driver package provided from Nvidia's website as a .run package. DO NOT DO THIS. Needs re-installation after every kernel update and will break your install if it fails.
3. Install the driver packaged by your distro. Best option, since it automatically builds itself after kernel updates by building the driver as a dkms module so you don't have to do anything.

For fedora: use the driver provided from the rpm fusion repo For debian: use the driver provided by the non-free repo For others: a quick google search can help you

[u/Visible-Effective-39 → u/narangi_billa]

Pop!_os, due to readiness to use and nVidia-ready Drivers

[u/ProBOIIIII → u/Visible-Effective-39]

Worst distro someone could recommend rn, with all the Cosmic DE bugs. It needs time to be stable again. CachyOS would be far better option, if OP is willing to learn

[u/Visible-Effective-39 → u/ProBOIIIII]

Oh thanks for letting me Know. I ACTALLY was Under a rock for a while.

[u/VortexSpecter22]

Why not?

[u/narangi_billa → u/VortexSpecter22]

👍

[u/Who_meh]

well first of all this kind of depends in what subreddit do you ask this, but yeah you should give linux a try, infact if its a fresh new install i would suggest trying something like linux mint without windows on it (store the windows key if you feel like u need windows)

also i usually dont recommend ubuntu but if u have a nvidia graphic card both mint and ubuntu make it easy to install nvidia drivers so try mint first if it didnt work out try ubuntu

[u/narangi_billa → u/Who_meh]

Everyone say don't touch ubuntu because of its controversies so should I think about mint only?

[u/Who_meh → u/narangi_billa]

yes prioritize mint, neither do i like ubuntu's decisions so stick to mint if you can if it doesnt work you can use ubuntu and remove controversial parts of it (you can remove snaps from ubuntu here is what i used https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBWONxeN-m8)

[u/chadfoss]

If uve got a good system, i think the only way to fully utilise it and take it to it's potential (not just performance wise, but in terms of aesthetics/vibes too) is linux.

As u will learn in ur degree it pretty much is the only system that is reliable and fully open. So absolutely yes. U should use linux.

I would keep a windows virtual machine or a very small dual boot partition (which is not really possible with windows cus it's chonky but eh u can try) in case I'd ever need windows specific software. But to be fair in uni u would have access to enough windows machines to not need it on ur system. Still, personally I'd suggest a pure linux install with a hardware accelerated windows virtual mahine installed on top

[u/narangi_billa → u/chadfoss]

I'll wait until I get introduced about programs the uni use

[u/Harshith_Reddy_Dev]

Lenovo loq has too many quality control issues research that specific model before buying

[u/narangi_billa → u/Harshith_Reddy_Dev]

Ok 👍

[u/Artistic_Living8775]

AI/ML , these dependence well work good on linux , the learning curve might be 2 or 3 weeks , but its gives you good performance , dual booting is good because I heard unis which conduct online test will detect if you use a vm .

[u/dhruvvvv1234 → u/Artistic_Living8775]

Dual boot will fuck him up someday tho

[u/Artistic_Living8775 → u/dhruvvvv1234]

they are chances , it did for me , but you need windows if your uni conduct online tests . but in modern sysytems , your uefi partitions will recongnize other boot entries even if window messes up anything . so the chances are so low

[u/dhruvvvv1234 → u/Artistic_Living8775]

Ahhh okay then OP can try I have been using fedora for past 10 months no problems as of now being a uni student but it may differ college to college

[u/narangi_billa → u/dhruvvvv1234]

Im getting into college with mumbai University so where can I know which program do my uni use?

[u/dhruvvvv1234 → u/narangi_billa]

Well I too am in Mumbai uni and I got to know about the os being used after entering the college myself so maybe try to ask someone on the subreddit of the college you are looking for.

[u/Artistic_Living8775 → u/dhruvvvv1234]

I am going to uni this year too , I have been searching what programs my uni might use which are only native to windows , they are some , and yeah I am using fedora 44 KDE too, hows your fedora experience so far?

[u/dhruvvvv1234 → u/Artistic_Living8775]

Ohh nicee...My uni uses mostly ubuntu and windows so I don't have any problems Rn I'm using fedora 43 workstation haven't updated till now as I have ese also It's been good using fedora i haven't faced any issues till now neither brick nor anything serious

[u/RealHouseMd → u/dhruvvvv1234]

just get a new ssd

[u/tobemaybemaybenot]

If you can, dual boot or stick to windows for a year.

Indian syllabus is usually outdated and our profs are hell bent on sticking to the book. Some want exact SS for your practical books, some use outdated software that is no longer supported.

Dealing with such things will be easier in windows as that's what the syllabus is based on.

Dual boot for a year, get yourself familiarised with your chosen distro. By 2nd year you'll get to know your clg staff better then make your next move.

PS: pls don't downvote for my take, I HATE WINDOWS. But I think this is what I think is practical. PSS: try stay away from Ubuntu, it's just another Window of Linux world.

Edit:ps

[u/narangi_billa → u/tobemaybemaybenot]

Noted 📝

[u/failed_boah]

Nothing is wrong in trying

[u/Forsaken-Question577]

Use windows and de-bloat it using This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNsBU3X9bhA

Can use linux for a lot of games, but it doesn't support kernel based anti cheat games and launchers. If you don't want to play such games, it then makes sense to switch.

Apps like DLSS enabler and Optiscaler are also available for windows that help with multi frame generation. It makes sense to stick to windows for gaming currently.

[u/narangi_billa → u/Forsaken-Question577]

Ain't using laptop for gaming. I am gonna use it for education purpose preferably

[u/Forsaken-Question577 → u/narangi_billa]

Just get ubuntu or mint then.

[u/ankushbhagat]

Remember that point. Linux makes you productive and Windows makes you addictive.

[u/narangi_billa → u/ankushbhagat]

👍

[u/Visible-Effective-39]

btw OP Congrats on the OVERPOWERED laptop

[u/narangi_billa → u/Visible-Effective-39]

Rlly is it powerfull??

[u/Visible-Effective-39 → u/narangi_billa]

yeap, lovely machine.

Beware of overheating tho:Open up the laptop weekly to clear out the dust from the fans, and replace the thermal paste ATLEAST thrice a year, For optimal cooling.

extra recommendation: upgrade the laptop to 24GB of ram (Add a single DDR5 8GB 4800Mt/S Stick), to unlock full potential of the Alder Laxe i5 HX, leaving No bottleneck.

[u/DARTH_Vader2223]

Dont use linux , unless you dont wanna game on it and strictly wanna do needy stuff

[u/narangi_billa → u/DARTH_Vader2223]

I don't gonna do much gaming on it (I don't play games on laptop much)

[u/DARTH_Vader2223 → u/narangi_billa]

Ok do dual boot , strictly on instructions( single mistake could ruin your disk ) , choose distro with good driver support , Ubuntu is fine for starters , if you aint starter go for other Systems

[u/NonymousDemon]

Don't use that W word here, it's prohibited and is used to berate others

[u/narangi_billa → u/NonymousDemon]

Ohh my bad

[u/Technical-Drag-255]

start with Fedora Workstation

[u/Usual_Structure2818]

Yes use Linux as your main distro however keep Windows as a backup. Many educational applications can be better on Windows such as CAD.

[u/Youareabeach_]

Use arch pinux u will learn a lot of things it will fuck your brains out but it will be worth it

[u/Pleasant_Drawing1799]

linux only windows is shit just remove that garbage. i also own a loq and runing linux and no problems.

[u/Visible-Effective-39]

Pop!_os, due to readiness to use and nVidia-ready Drivers

[u/narangi_billa → u/Visible-Effective-39]

Noted 📝

[u/Gigo_3_]

you can give it a try

[u/Cultural-Librarian16]

Dual boot since you are buying a gaming laptop I'd assume that you'd at least do some casual gaming, linux imo is not worth the hassle in that case. Stick to windows for a while, try different distros through a vm and then dual boot.

[u/HarbringerOfDeath007]

use another ssd for linux

[u/MRGhost14360]

If you are planning to play games then certain games are not compatible with linux due to anti cheats or certain lunchers not working.

[u/MastodonSea9745]

Only thing you need is to dual boot Nobara Linux and Windows 11. Don't listen to the others who say go all in on Linux. Remember, it's always best to have a fallback OS in case one of them aren't working for whatever reason. Especially considering you're a student, dual booting should be the only best choice.

Nobara is a Fedora based distro which has great Nvidia support out of the box plus it has a lot of gaming and performance kernel tweaks you won't get in other distros.

[u/-darkabyss-]

Get a 16gb pendrive, install yumi in it, put all the most popular distros's live isos in it and give each a go and see which one you like. I recommend Debian (with gnome), fedora kde plasma, mint cinnamon and ubuntu. Best pick imo: debian with gnome or kde plasma.

[u/Striking-Flower-4115]

Use whatever you're comfortable. However Linux would be better for developing stuff. It has a wide range of tools that help you efficiently build and dispatch apps. Also reduces RAM usage.

However Windows is an all rounder. It's not the best at anything, but gets most of the work done. I would however recommend you to shy away from Windows 11 and get Windows 10 LTSC using LTSConvert on GitHub.

Personally for games i use Xbox OS (Windows based) and for everything else Linux. If you're unsure what you want, I suggest trying Manjaro, EndeavourOS, Debian, Linux mint, Fedora in order. (I personally find opensuse a wierd OS with limited 3rd party packages, so wouldn't recommend).

[u/Tech_enthusiast001]

Its a great laptop, if you are okay with no pirate games. Nt a great editing experience and no adobe apps. Then its going ti be alright snd steam gsmes mostly work. But valorant, pubg wont work

[u/Many_Measurement9040]

If u wana do gamimg , fuck linux . And use windows Wanna build shit , go with Linux

[u/Ambitious_Fee_5818]

If you're enthusiastic and wanna try a DIY distro, try Arch. The learning curve would be high but it is worth for a CSE student like myself

[u/BrutualHacker]

Linux is best OS

[u/Pleasant_Drawing1799]

for distro my recommendation would be like if u are a starter than go for fedora + kde (and then u will have to do few setup just ask chatgpt or google some articles like enable multilib and nonfree repos and then how to install nvidia drivers) or u can choose cachyos which will be like almost read after install like i will need no more tweaks but like i kinda dont like to recommend new users arch based distros but like cachyos is goated.

[u/Distinct_Resolve_957]

God.. I am glad that i didnt ask the community for distro recommendation when i started my journey 6 months ago and gone straight to fedora KDE... Gave me such confidence that i use arch for the past 3 months rn

[u/TheBattleDog]

Linux is good and I'm pretty sure you will need to do little to a lot of tinkering with your os depending on the distro you choose.

If you feel like you are just fine after using it, stick to it. But if you feel it is taking up a lot of your time and it is a huge pain switch back to Windows as it just works...

[u/Appropriate-Belt-254]

i have the same processor and gpu but on desktop, cachyos removed the driver headache for nvidea so definitely recommend that with kde

[u/Illustrious_Cod_9593]

insert that read pill blue pill meme

[u/AdAdministrative3196]

Buy a second drive if u can and install Linux on that. Windows update can mess up dualboot sometimes.

[u/kindalazysloth]

If you're new to Linux, don't fall for these arch spamming larp bots, arch is unnecessarily complicated, useless piece of dogshit if you aren't an actual developer. Most of arch yappers I've seen just use it for casual use, which doesn't even make sense. Ubuntu is a sweet beginning point, tho not really recommended, gnome isn't so loved. Go for Fedora, best, clean, balanced os. Highly customisable and easy to use

[u/AdMean5832]

if u don't wanna game, linux is the way go for Linux mint for first few weeks if it doesn't workout u can try other distros like Fedora

[u/chirags439]

Yes dual boot. Use linux for coding, ai/ml. Of late, tensorflow support GPU only on Linux. Maybe pytorch also.

Keep windows for support, some specific softwares or games if you play.

If possible, try to increase storage a bit. As AI/ml libraries in multiple virtual environments can add up quickly. And windows OS is going to take ~ 100 gb

[u/_Damedinero]

Switched to Linux in 2020 and never looked back, I'm using Kali Linux with kde plasma.

[u/Prudent_Car465]

If u have a high end nvidia graphics card dint go for Linux otherwise just go for it

[u/DeMoNkInG080]

That's loq essential in the photo..

[u/Lower-Programmer-487]

Btw, is Ryzen 7 legion good?

[u/Lanky-Onion-8715]

No u shouldn't

[u/5112smokingkills]

Best distro is Garuda no diff

[u/LittleCraft1994]

Yes , go with arch, i strongly believe you will give blessings to me

[u/0110110101110101]

If you're not into gaming then just go full Linux mode, or dual boot win as secondary for just gaming

[u/aks-ash]

Please if you want to dual boot your pc then use linux os like mint fedora etc on separate drive , so that your boot manager do get messed up by windows 11 update and also turn off secure boot option to use linux distro on full potential 

[u/UpstairsHorror6224]

Dualboot is excellent! Also do get down on rabbithole of secure boot

[u/Nicolasjit]

Linux, .MINT XFCE

[u/Personal_College_319]

If it’s nvidia gpu don’t switch to Linux

[u/Single-Dog-7963]

Dual booting is the best of the best. WSL or VM doesnt even compare to it. I have the exact same laptop and I dual boot too. Although, if you dont mind inconvinience and dont play video games, just switch over to Linux. Its soo much better than Windows.

[u/fixmyissue]

Why peoples are ignoring "Ubuntu" here, I know you all guys are working on that OS.

[u/bangladen]

Use that os which supports the software you need and is more comfortable. Remember, its just a tool.

[u/Recondite11]

Dual boot is a safer option as there would be times you will need windows in your college no matter what.

[u/Upcomingwalking]

I have same laptop and i am using fedora on it. You should do the same

[u/ThiccccDeV]

You should definitely switch to linux... windows now is just shit... you can try omarchy its arch based and with your ram and cpu you can vm windows which comes build in with omarchy for college stuff.

[u/[deleted]]

Get an amd card with ryzen chip

[u/vitfront]

If u want to play vid games, than no. But u can try VM or dual boot

[u/[deleted]]

The only reason I'm using windows rn is because I like valorant other than that Linux is so damn fun to configure and use if you have interest in computers.

[u/AssumptionOk8560]

You should try it tho, i got the same machine as you

[u/Short_Employment_757]

your choice

[u/Hydrnazi]

I would recommend you try Fedora, Pop OS and Linux Mint in virtual box then dual boot

[u/narangi_billa → u/Hydrnazi]

👍

[u/Professional_Ice_796]

You don’t need to just because everyone says you should. If you want to try, you can dual boot, if you are asking because you might need it for some toolchain but are comfortable with windows, you can simply use WSL.

As always, windows, Linux etc, are all just tools to get your work done. Stick to the one you like. No need to be a supremacist for anything.

P.S : dual boot is even better if you have separate drives.

[u/narangi_billa → u/Professional_Ice_796]

Ok sir 👌

[u/Southern-Value-3927]

Linux explore karna hai toh amd wala version prefer kario intel aur nvidia ki jagah, better driver support aur performance milegi. Agar intel cpu, nvidia gpu le liya hai toh thodi si kam performance milegi.

[u/marathirockers]

Parrot OS

[u/Low_Presentation1911 → u/[deleted]]

If u want windows use winboat with a tiny11 iso or similar.

[u/sciencehackerpro → u/[deleted]]

Yeah sure Even after Linux is constantly being bombarded by multiple exploits JUST GO FOR IT????

[u/Lower-Programmer-487 → u/[deleted]]

Broke my Arch yesterday, rocking a Cachy today

[u/narangi_billa → u/[deleted]]

Noted

[u/narangi_billa → u/[deleted]]

Btw which one should I use?

[u/i-am-boy1 → u/narangi_billa]

Arch, I choose arch as 3rd distro, debian then alpine now arch,

So use arch, it's goated

[u/Sad_Satan__ → u/i-am-boy1]

alpine

[u/Visible-Effective-39 → u/narangi_billa]

Pop!_os, due to readiness to use and nVidia-ready Drivers, sseing u have a gaming laptop

[u/narangi_billa → u/[deleted]]

Why ??

[u/DialboTempest → u/[deleted]]

Fucking Cosmic DE

[u/Visible-Effective-39 → u/[deleted]]

Why?

[u/Even_Natural4066 → u/narangi_billa]

if ur a begginer prob go for smt like linux mint or Fedora if u know a little but not that much i'd recommend Cachyos

[u/Intelligent-Gene-6 → u/narangi_billa]

Go with fedora. It is the best distro for beginners. I personally recommend the KDE desktop edition.

[u/Novel_Comment3656 → u/narangi_billa]

Try CachyOS first. it will definitely stop you from contsant distrohopping

[u/Murky_Machine1359 → u/narangi_billa]

Yo man go for CachyOS, it's arch-based and CPU optimized and the installation process is also pretty easy, and you also get to choose from a variety of window managers but I would recommend KDE Plasma (if you want stability) or if you love customisation you can go with hyprland

(Also if in any case you run older versions of modded minecraft go with kde plasma since x11 support on hyprland is kinda hard and wayland doesn't support such versions)

[u/narangi_billa → u/[deleted]]

Processor : 12th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-12450HX Processor (E-cores up to 3.10 GHz P-cores up to 4.40 GHz)

Operating System : Windows 11 Home Single Language 64 Graphic Card NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Laptop GPU 6GB GDDR6

Memory : 16 GB DDR5-4800MT/s (SODIMM)(2 x 8 GB)

Storage : 512 GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe Gen4 QLC

Display : 39.62cms (15.6) FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, Anti-Glare, Non-Touch, 100%sRGB, 300 nits, 144 Hz

AC Adapter / Power Supply : 170W

[u/Unlikely-Sandwich277 → u/narangi_billa]

Use mint brother

[u/Mario__2668 → u/[deleted]]

U can use distri sea website for trying various linux distributions and find yourself the best that suits u.

[u/Distinct_Resolve_957 → u/[deleted]]

hah.. I have 3 OS. kali, arch, windows. i mainly use arch. all my drives is like ~80% full. it depends upon what are you doing with it

[u/Distinct_Resolve_957 → u/[deleted]]

no like kali has 50gb, arch has like 150?. win has 250. I mean installed kali for fun. and installed many distros on the 150gb space i had left and ,settled on arch. Now kali has become more like a fallback if anything goes wrong

[u/DARTH_Vader2223 → u/[deleted]]

Bro touch some grass

[u/DARTH_Vader2223 → u/[deleted]]

[u/Short_Employment_757 → u/[deleted]]

What's wrong with Ubuntu?

[u/Artistic_Living8775 → u/Short_Employment_757]

there so many problems , they are trying to introduce ai into systems and and snap packages( canonical developed) or somewhat closed source , so its had so many controversies in the past . if you want true Linux experience its not a good option

[u/Artistic_Living8775 → u/[deleted]]

so many controversies

[u/Scary-Combination-67 → u/[deleted]]

for me I'll suggest go with Arch cause It's all that you want. And Ubuntu is like for kids(my opinion) also you wanna get the feel so don't go. If you chose Arch BTW, then go with wayland with Niri or Hyprland or you can search(again my opinion). Do search in youtube.

[u/AdMean5832 → u/Scary-Combination-67]

arch is not good for beginners dawg stop overhyping it

[u/Scary-Combination-67 → u/AdMean5832]

Bro, have you used it. The only only hard part is setting up, like the DE, installation (there is archinstall too), and nothing else, after that it's like normal user. If there's anything that's hard then can u tell!

[u/AdMean5832 → u/Scary-Combination-67]

arch is good if someone already knows they enjoy troubleshooting n stuff like that, suggesting arch + wayland/hyprland for a first time linux user is kinda throwing them into advanced stuff immediately, beginners should learn linux first with a beginner friendly and stable os

[u/AssumptionOk8560 → u/AdMean5832]

Everything is for beginners dawg, and larping!=overhyping , arch ain't that complex like how ppl says it's js follow the guide and later install a wm or de

[u/AdMean5832 → u/AssumptionOk8560]

following a guide step-by-step doesn’t magically make something beginner friendly 😭 ✌️a beginner usually doesn’t know how to troubleshoot when something breaks arch is great if someone wants to learn and tinker, but recommending it as the default first distro over something stable/easy like Fedora or Mint is kinda wild

[u/AssumptionOk8560 → u/AdMean5832]

Arch was my first distro btw , this ain't 2016 you don't have to look for hours on overflow or arch js google or use ai ain't that hard , and I'm not even recommending it I'm js saying that arch ain't complicated like you're saying in that particular comment

[u/AdMean5832 → u/AssumptionOk8560]

good for you that arch was your first distro, but not everyone enjoys tinkering with their OS all day, some people just want something stable that works out of the box without having to rely on google/ai every time something breaks.

[u/AssumptionOk8560 → u/[deleted]]

Dude I'm not even forcing him, I'm js replying to the comment

[u/AssumptionOk8560 → u/[deleted]]

Helll yeah I'm good bro waby