The command prompt to be exact. Which is presumably a version of MS-DOS. Which makes me wonder if you can’t simply boot MS-DOS or FreeDOS — assuming you can find a copy that boots under UEFI. It’s certainly lighter then a whole Windows iso and you can include the firmware with it on a tiny FAT partition.
In the somewhat distant future you’re looking to switch to Linux. Okay, the question of distros can wait.
What you want to do in the not-too-distant-future if possible is start finding FOSS alternatives to the software you use. Stuff like LibreOffice and Krita have Windows versions, so in the meantime start learning and using those apps. Because that’s the real pain point.
As for distro…distros don’t really matter. Most of the user experience comes from the desktop environment, and that’s a matter of preference so personal that the real answer is “try several and use the one you like.”
I would recommend using one of the distros backed by a big company or have very long track records. They are less likely to break on updates, and have a higher chance of supporting any uncommon hardware you may have.
Fedora
Ubuntu
Mint
Pop OS
If you have new hardware (e.g. GPU newer than 6 months) you will probably have issues. Follow the recommendations from the hardware supplier, or use something arch based. I used Manjaro a while when I got new hardware.
Besides those tips, you should decide which desktop environment you like best. I prefer gnome, as I enjoy to spend time in apps and not on in settings. Others prefer customization. Have a look at youtu.be/09cYQJBgKEs?si=KX8FZeMRcMlPTzG2
Why not use fwupd? (link is the Arch wiki but should be relevant for any distro). I've been using fwupd to keep my Dell XPS15 BIOS updated for the last few years, with no problems at all.
Doesn’t work on all dell laptops. Doesn’t on my inspiron. But dell bios has a “update bios from flash” option. So copy the .exe file into a fat32 USB and flash it there.lol. Done. I’ve done it a million times.
Does Dell… not offer a way to update the bios via flash drive or network? The fuck? Every board I’ve ever owned had the option to at least flash from USB.
They do. Even back in their pre-UEFI days, it was possible to flash BIOS from a properly-formatted USB drive by holding down a magic key combination at power on. But it was not exactly publicized as a supported method.
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