Noob question: what to arrange before switching to linux

EDIT: I am thrilled with so many awesome responses! I’m taking notes and looking into all the recommendations. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to help me out (and many others, i’m sure), i’m glad i asked!

Hi,

I’m getting ready to switch to Linux. I’m looking for a kind of checklist of what to do beforehand. When i search online, there is a lot of advice on which distribution to choose and how to set it up, which i already know, but my question is the step before. I made a list of which programs i currently use (almost all have a linux variant or i can use them in the browser) and i am making screenshots of their settings. I have basically everything important backupped, both on my ProtonDrive and on a private server in the house. Is there anything else i need to prepare before switching? I wouldn’t want to overlook something.

(I already have the distribution and am trying it out, but my plan is to actually install debian and without dual boot. Also, many, many years ago i already used debian but then i had the luxury of someone who basically arranged everything for me)

Currently, i run windows 10 with Nvidia GeForce. I already am in the process of degoogling and de-microsofting so to speak, so i don’t use google drive or onedrive, or MS Office anymore (nor a lot of other things).

Apologies if this is not appropriate for this community. Have a great day :-)

muhyb,

You’re all good to go.

Just wanted to add this though: Pick some of your USB stick and make it your emergency Linux live install media.

Also it would be a nice idea to set your /home directory to a seperate drive, it’s like using D: on Windows.

Good luck on your journey!

Maturi0n,

Honestly, besides backupping my data from Windows and choosing a distro that fit my needs, I didn’t really do any preparation.

Kjatten,

If you dont know what to do, then dual boot it with Linux

random65837,

Don’t complicate something simple, back up (your) user level stuff, and switch. That easy.

Not sure what landed you on Debian, but at least run Testing/Unstable. (“Unstable” on Debian isn’t unstable). Absent that, you’ll be real behind on basically everything.

I ran Debian on servers for years, and even in the case of servers its just too damn behind the times. If you start force upgrading things so that’s not an issue, then you’re basically running Ubuntu. I think I read in replies you’re going with KDE? May seriously want to consider Kubuntu. While I dumped Ubuntu for desktops years ago (still run Ubuntu Server) and went to Arch based desktop distros, for a newer Linux User, Ubuntu based distros are going to have the least amount of headache attached.

Endorkend,
@Endorkend@kbin.social avatar

If you plan on using something like Gentoo, building Gentoo and running it in a VM a couple times tends to be a smart play.

I've been using Gentoo for ages, as I'm a stickler for stripping down everything to its bare minimum and even I tend to first have a couple runs at building and running it on new hardware, from within a VM.

Going in knowing the intimate details of the hardware you use is always going to be a big plus.

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • linux@lemmy.ml
  • localhost
  • All magazines
    •
    Loading…
    Loading the web debug toolbar…
    Attempt #