# Linux Install



## granfire (Apr 6, 2020)

I seem to come back to this at times, but I am not really into this sort of Frankenstaining my machines. 
Turn on and run, and I am happy (I lucked out on this whole C64 thing....)

SO I have this old laptop that needed some surgery. It's fine now, and turns on, but doe not boot into Windows. 
I have a reboot disc, no dice. 
But since it's been out of commission for a while, it has since been replaced, so I can play with it. 

The problem really is Can I just grab a version of Linux, and how do I get it on there?
I found an article that suggested putting Linux Mint on a USB stick (got plenty) and I presume to keep using it?
Or should I try to find in the non-cooperative machine some sort of factory reset?

The few things that it lets me do lead me to believe I could salvage it for some use!


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## MetalBoar (Apr 6, 2020)

granfire said:


> I seem to come back to this at times, but I am not really into this sort of Frankenstaining my machines.
> Turn on and run, and I am happy (I lucked out on this whole C64 thing....)
> 
> SO I have this old laptop that needed some surgery. It's fine now, and turns on, but doe not boot into Windows.
> ...


I started on Apple II's and C64's too. I was a Windows guy for a long time professionally and used it at home. I switched to Linux full time on my personal machine a couple of years ago after a Windows 10 update blew up my computer in the middle of an important project. Linux has it's warts but it's pretty easy for anybody with a little bit of interest in trying something new to set up and use these days. I even got my parents working on it after they had a similar problem with their Windows laptop and they're in their 80's and retired before computers really became a thing in the work place. I think you might enjoy trying it out even if you decide you'd rather have Windows on your old laptop in the long run. 

You can easily download Mint or Ubuntu (both good, well supported versions of Linux) and then create a bootable "Live" image with either of them that will let you try it out on your machine before you even have to install (link to instructions on how to do this with Ubuntu). If it works with your hardware and you like it there'll be a link right on the desktop to run the install. Every version of Linux is free to use or at least has a free version. Both Mint and Ubuntu are completely free to use and you can pay for support if you want it.

Now, if your laptop is still having hardware problems there's a good chance that trying to install Linux won't work any better than installing Windows. If you have any problems getting it to work describe what's happening (or not happening) and I'll see if I can help you figure out what's going wrong and whether it's worth fixing.


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 6, 2020)

granfire said:


> I seem to come back to this at times, but I am not really into this sort of Frankenstaining my machines.
> Turn on and run, and I am happy (I lucked out on this whole C64 thing....)
> 
> SO I have this old laptop that needed some surgery. It's fine now, and turns on, but doe not boot into Windows.
> ...



Memory stick or CD. Then boot to the memory stick or CD and run the install. Not sure what type of laptop you have but on a Dell you hit f12 as soon as you see the dell emblem show up on the screen and the newer HPs you hit the esc key as soon as you power on

This should get you to the boot menu


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## granfire (Apr 6, 2020)

Xue Sheng said:


> Memory stick or CD. Then boot to the memory stick or CD and run the install. Not sure what type of laptop you have but on a Dell you hit f12 as soon as you see the dell emblem show up on the screen and the newer HPs you hit the esc key as soon as you power on
> 
> This should get you to the boot menu


a cheap Lenovo, I think it ran Windows 10, but 8 for sure.


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## Buka (Apr 6, 2020)

I know nothing about computers, except how to play with them. But my buddy, who is a computer guru - his mom taught advanced computer science at Cal Polytech and his dad was a senior design engineer for IBM - turned me onto to Linux a long time ago. I even installed it myself on this computer about six years ago. Don't ask me how, I dunno'.

But if a complete and total idiot like myself can struggle through it, probably anyone can. But maybe it depends on what machine you're putting in on. Heck, I dunno'.


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## Dirty Dog (Apr 6, 2020)

As mentioned, just download whatever flavour of LINUX you want to use (I use Kali on one laptop, and Ubuntu on all the others) to a USB drive, plug it in and go. Boot the machine and start tapping ESC, F10, or F12 to get to the menu. Move the USB port to the top of the boot list, and continue. Once it's installed, you will no longer need the USB drive.
The current ubuntu is 17.10 so if you google ubuntu 17.10 desktop iso you will find it. If you want a different flavour, then search for that iso instead.


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 6, 2020)

granfire said:


> a cheap Lenovo, I think it ran Windows 10, but 8 for sure.



Depending on the lenovo could be F1 or F2 for BIOS, f12 for boot menu. at the Lenovo logon start repeatedly hitting f12 select boot device list, choose USB from list if that is what your OS is on and it will boot from the USB to install the OS.

Linux OS depends on your laptop. Most laptops will take any install but some need a smaller install. I cannot remember which one I had to install on an old dell because everything else took up to much space. However I tend towards CentOS, it is basically a version of RedHat, but free


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