Buying with laptop no OS and installing Linux... headache?

mitya · Mar 16, 2014

As the title says I'm thinking of buying an OS-less laptop and installing Linux. I am interested in whether this will likely lead to problems with things like - oh, I don't know - GPU drivers, wireless etc? Or should all that stuff just work, as it would have if the laptop had come with an OS?

Thanks in advance

p.s. I've never installed an OS before. Presumably I'll need Linux on a CD first.

pigulici · Mar 16, 2014

I just buyed a lenovo g510 for my sister and a lenovo y510p for me(both come with freedos), on g510 I put Win 7 SP1 Ultimate Ret 64 b + Linux Mageia 4 64b, on Y510p I put Win 7 SP1 Home Prem OEM 64 b + Linux Mageia 4 64b; from my experience the laptop with no OS, tend to be more user friendly when it is about to work with any OS, my advice look at what you can buy from your money and google that laptop model + linux word, at my those 2 on linux I never had to install any driver, it is already done after first reboot....

Mindweaver · Mar 16, 2014

Download Ubuntu, and burn it to a disk or use there USB installer. It's actually very simple and the installer for Ubuntu will do everything for you.

Liquid Cool · Mar 16, 2014

mitya...

If you're not familiar with it, Linux Live USB is a very easy program to use. It can even download the .iso for you. If you're not too familiar with Linux, I'd take Mindweaver's suggestion on using Ubuntu to get started.

http://www.linuxliveusb.com/

Good luck,

Liquid Cool

AlienIsGOD · Mar 16, 2014

Ubuntu gets my vote as well, very easy to use and navigate.

Devon68 · Mar 16, 2014

When I installed Linux on my old rig I used: LinuxLive USB Creator 2.8.23
and then ran Linux mint from a USB because I didn't have a HHD then . Didn't need any drivers at all.

Norton · Mar 16, 2014

Liquid Cool said:
mitya...

If you're not familiar with it, Linux Live USB is a very easy program to use. It can even download the .iso for you. If you're not too familiar with Linux, I'd take Mindweaver's suggestion on using Ubuntu to get started.

http://www.linuxliveusb.com/

Good luck,

Liquid Cool

Pendrive Linux is also super easy to use to setup a USB flash drive for a Linux installation:

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

Aquinus · Mar 16, 2014

I've personally used Linux Live USB Creator to make bootable flash drives.

I agree that Ubuntu is a good place to start, but I'm not a huge fan of unity. I would recommend Ubuntu Gnome. So far I've been fairly happy with it.

Jetster · Mar 16, 2014

Are there laptop venders that will sell without windows? If so which ones?

Liquid Cool · Mar 16, 2014

Agreed Norton....pendrive is good and from experience...I think it's probably better, but it's not as pretty!

I've actually been playing with linux all night. Moving everything I have over to PCLinuxOS KDE. It just runs a lot smoother on my older rigs.

Best,

LC

AlienIsGOD · Mar 16, 2014

Aquinus said:
I've personally used Linux Live USB Creator to make bootable flash drives.

I agree that Ubuntu is a good place to start, but I'm not a huge fan of unity. I would recommend Ubuntu Gnome. So far I've been fairly happy with it.

thats what im using atm the 14.04 LTS beta.

mitya · Mar 16, 2014

Thanks for all the replies, guys. I hadn't known there were so many versions of Linux to consider; in my ignorance there was just Linux.

How about re: GPU drivers? Anyone come up against issues with Linux + GeForce graphics cards? All I've learned from research is that Linux apparently doesn't work with something called NVidia Optimus - no idea if that applies to my proposed GT740M GPU or not.

As for vendors that ship laptops without Windows, sure; ebuyer.com for one.

pigulici · Mar 16, 2014

Mine have nvidia gt755m, so I think it will work with gt740m too...

micropage7 · Mar 16, 2014

ubuntu and you can run live cd before decide to install it
just take newer os, it has better performance and features

pigulici · Mar 16, 2014

Most of linux have live cd...

Aquinus · Mar 16, 2014

pigulici said:
Most of linux have live cd...

There are plenty of disks that are installation only, such as Ubuntu Server, Ubuntu alternate installer, and afaict, most installation media is install only for Debian unless it specifically says "livedvd" or "livecd" on the disk image. It's worth making sure that you have a live disk because not all distros use them or have them on the same disk.

mitya · Mar 16, 2014

Thanks again, all. Can I just bring this back to a newbie's perspective, though: from what I'm hearing I can install Linux - of which there appear to be several versions - via USB or CD. I'm assuming in the case of the latter, you burn the CD yourself, right?

Jetster · Mar 16, 2014

Yep, you download the ISO file and burn it with Imageburn or some other program

BrooksyX · Mar 18, 2014

I would recommend lubuntu, it is a stripped down version of ubuntu and with a better UI. I am a huge fan of ubuntu myself but as others have said I don't like unity. I usually do a minimal command line install of ubuntu and then add lxde for the ui.

Ja.KooLit · Mar 18, 2014

linuxmint gets my vote. Have started ubuntu but since they move to unity, it is like windows 8 metro apps.

linuxmint cinnamon is my kind. It is like a tweak gnome.

http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

as for linux, you can install using USB or CD/DVD. I prefer USB though as it is faster installation and or when you use the live desktop.

mitya · Mar 18, 2014

Thanks, all. Version suggestions noted; I had no idea there were so many versions. On basis do you decide which to install - just personal preference re: UI etc? How many variants are there?

Aquinus · Mar 18, 2014

mitya said:
Thanks, all. Version suggestions noted; I had no idea there were so many versions. On basis do you decide which to install - just personal preference re: UI etc? How many variants are there?

There are a lot. For starters I would go with Ubuntu Gnome. Let us know what you think about it and what you dislike about it and we can better recommend something from there. Everyone's preference is different.

mitya · Mar 18, 2014

Thanks. And I could run games via Wine with an NVidia GPU on Ubuntu Gnome, could I?

Arjai · Mar 18, 2014

mitya said:
Thanks, all. Version suggestions noted; I had no idea there were so many versions. On basis do you decide which to install - just personal preference re: UI etc? How many variants are there?

+1 @night.fox

For ALL Linux versions, "Distros", see here. Along the right side, half a page down...You can see that MINT is quite popular. I have it on one of my cruncher's and was my introduction to Linux.

Ubuntu is also very popular and have another Cruncher using that.

I would recommend Mint to start. Ubuntu when you need it.

My 2 cents.

mitya · Mar 19, 2014

Thanks. And re: Wine / NVidia - should be OK on Mint?

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Buying with laptop no OS and installing Linux... headache?

mitya

pigulici

Mindweaver

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Liquid Cool

AlienIsGOD

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Devon68

Norton

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Aquinus

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mitya

pigulici

micropage7

pigulici

Aquinus

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mitya

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Ja.KooLit

mitya

Aquinus

Resident Wat-man

mitya

Arjai

mitya

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