Re: [LUG] New Linux user in Fowey Cornwall

On Mon, 18 Oct 2021, 19:13 maceion@xxxxxxxxx, <maceion@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 18/10/2021 18:51, comrade meowski wrote:
> On 18/10/2021 18:31, Michael Everitt wrote:
>> On 18/10/2021 18:28, Paul Sutton via list wrote:
>>> Hi All
>>>
>>> I had an e-mail from a potential new Linux / Free software user in
>>> Cornwall, she
>>> hasn't started with it yet, but I did suggest starting off with
>>> LinuxMint as it
>>> seems to 'just work'. Plus for new users it is pretty easy to use,
>>> has good
>>> support (forum,irc etc) as well as a strong user base.
>>>
>>> I just wondered if anyone in that area would be able to provide some
>>> install help
>>> please. I know the install guide is at
>>>
>>> https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
>>>
>>> But I don't know much about this EFI/UEFI thing. So if that needs
>>> disabling or
>>> whatever you do. I can't help with that.
>>>
>>> Once it is installed myself and others can try and provide some
>>> support remotely.
>>>
>>> If anyone can respond who is local to Fowey, I can put you in touch.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> Paul
>> How far into Cornwall - we have the Plymouth LUG approaching ...
>>
>> EFI should be mostly covered by the Mint installation procedure,
>> although, getting to
>> boot a non-native install media could be tricky. Who's conversant with
>> the latest
>> Windoze tom-foolery?!
>>
>> Cheers,
>> veremitz/Michael.
>>
>>
>
>
> EFI has got nothing to do with Windows... it's just the modern
> replacement for crappy old BIOS firmware and has actually been the
> standard on all new PCs for well over a decade. The last thing anyone
> wants to do is turn it off and willingly go back to prehistoric firmware
> literally from the last century...
>
> It gets confused a lot with Secure Boot which is part of the UEFI spec:
> that's the bit which mandates the system boots from a signed
> installation image and nothing more. You can be the person who signed
> that image if you set it up that way but more normally and in the
> default state it will indeed trust a valid Microsoft signature. All of
> this is optional and can be disabled but even that's not necessary as
> most of the sensible Linux distros have had support for Support Boot as
> well for ages. Mint for example has supported the default installer
> image booting with Secure Boot on since 19.1 a couple of years ago so
> there won't be any problems. Unless you're mixing in an Nvidia CPU as
> well in which case there will be problems but that's because of
> complicated Linux kernel tainting issues and is actually a Linux/Nvidia
> problem, not a Secure Boot problem.
>
> So in short, any newish system probably shipped with EFI on and Secure
> Boot enabled by default. As long as you're not using Nvidia and are
> using a mainstream friendly distro like Mint, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora etc
> everything will work just fine left like that. Loads of distros eschew
> Secure Boot though, probably more than support it: off the top of my
> head Gentoo, Arch, Devuan, Void and NixOS don't.
>
> The new users biggest problem will probably be backing up and preserving
> her stuff from Windows if there's a pre-existing install. It's fine to
> re-partition the laptop's sole disk to make room for the Linux system if
> she wants to keep Windows around for dual booting but don't try and
> re-partition the disk if it's been bitlockered: the Mint installer
> should refuse to even try but if it does there will be tears. Bitlocker
> has been enabled by default for years on Windows so if repartitioning is
> involved make sure whoever walks her through the install checks...
>

PLEASE, PLEASE
Install Linux Mint on an *External USB Drive* with GRUB on the external
USD Drive.
It is much safer for a newbie than a 'dual single hard disc boot"

This preserves her Windows machine as Windows (It owns that internal
hard drive)
When she boots with the *external USB hard Drive* plugged in she has an
independent Linux system.

I use this for all my old pupils! (Xubuntu for lite use) (Mint for some
depends on the RAM they have and age of machine)
Big advantage they preserve and can go back to their Windows machines if
wanted.

PS This is how I have ben running my own machines since about 2006.
Only the Vista era ones have had Windows removed and Linux installed to
internal drive, BUT they all have Knoppix USB key available as
alternative OS.
--
Regards
Eion MacDonald

No. If I am helping then I will discuss the options available to her, the pros and cons of each option, and leave the decision as to which approach is best for her... to her!

I have been multibooting Linux weigh other systems since 1999, on x86 x64, and briefly PPC (both Old World and New World). Partitioning, slicing, and bootloaders is not unfamiliar territory.

Please understand that just because you find an approach the best FOR YOU this does not mean it is the best approach for everyone.

Grant. :|