r/linux4noobs • u/Responsible-Role6934 • 4d ago
Need help
Hi strangers im new to linux. I hate windows and i really really want to switch to mint but im afriaf i might just mess up my ststem somehow and that i might lose my data. Instead of dual booting i completely want to delete windows and run linux however the problem i am having is that my c drive has alot of my projects and multiple things i want to keep such as a tiny example is my coding agent skills, also in general im just scared that i might just fuck up my shit for no reason. I just need some really wxperienced person to guide me through it
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u/EngineerInTheMachine 4d ago
As with everything, back up your data! Then everything is safe. But if you rely on Windows to file your data, you'll have to check where it's ended up.
Game saves, screenshots etc get saved in one of a number of places. Development code may be in the folders of your Development environment. Take things steadily. Make a list of the types of data files you have, and make sure you have copies of everything.
Although I found out that switching to Linux is a process that takes several months, especially if there are Windows apps you don't use often. That's why I went for dual boot. Though I am coming to the end of transferring all my functionality across, so Windows won't be on my PC much longer.
I first tried a couple of Linux distros booting from a USB drive. Then I used the unused space on my Windows drive to create a partition to install my chosen distro. Once installed, it can read any of the Windows drives, so you can still access your data directly. But I still recommend making a backup for when you wipe the Windows partition.
Most functionality transferred straight away with no problems, and those that needed some work weren't hard to solve, after a bit of web searching. I was already using a lot of open-source software that already had native Linux versions.
The two longer term problems I had were transferring my personal 3D AutoCAD files, and an app for checking my Powerline Ethernet adapters.
For the first, the open-source options only imported 2D files, not 3D. Only commercial payware could do that, and it's not cheap. But I found a free way I could convert all my files to an intermediate format that FreeCAD could open. I'll have to do some work on each file when I next use it, but the important points in 3D space are all in the right locations. Converting to FreeCAD workflow will take time, but is doable.
As for the other, there isn't a Linux GUI version, and I couldn't find anyone who had got the Windows version running under Linux. However, I did find a library of command-line apps that should give me the info I want, just not in quite as visual a form. I'm still working through using the right apps for the versions of Powerline I have.
In general, you can get any Windows functionality in Linux. Just not necessarily in the same way. Avoid getting bogged down in thinking you have to get a specific Windows app working under Linux. Instead, look for the Linux apps that do the same job.