Written by Felix

Hello...
handshake
 uncomfortably close whisper in ear
 "Don't worry. It gets better from here."

Installing Linux can be PAINFUL or BLISSFUL depending on what kind of distro you chose. It’s all up to you!

Choosing a Distro

Distro’s are all made with different uses of Linux in mind. Some are better depending on what you plan to use your computer for.

Get this:
THEY'RE ALL GOOD.
Seriously.

They're just different — each one comes with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Depending on how you want to use your computer, it makes sense to spend a few minutes looking into it and finding the one that suits you best.

As I mentioned in my video, I chose Linux Mint because it's SUPER easy to install and use.
You just write the Mint ISO file to a USB (I highly recommend keeping that USB — if you ever royally mess up later, you can boot Mint from the USB and save your system).

But...
there could be another distro that suits you even better.
Take a little time to research.
Because as fun as it is to distro-hop and try new ones,
getting it right the first time could save you a ton of effort and headaches later.

My Experience: From Mint to Arch

I actually recently had to swap out of my beautiful Mint to Arch on my desktop…
This was because Arch had the latest GPU driver support that Mint just didn't have yet. (Mint’s based on Ubuntu, and Ubuntu takes longer to update drivers.)

But installing Arch...?
PAIN.

I said in my video I had a god run installing Arch on my laptop.
Smooth. Easy.
I GOT LUCKY THE FIRST TIME.

On my desktop...
I decided I wanted to set up hibernation (basically saving your session to disk so you can power off).
And to do that, you need to manually set up swap files during install.

Should’ve been no biggie... (emphasis on SHOULD).
I made one small mistake... and from there it snowballed so bad I couldn’t even restart the install from scratch properly without errors. LOL.

There ARE prepackaged Arch-based distros like EndeavourOS or Manjaro that make installing Arch-style systems a million times easier.
So you don’t have to go full masochist mode if you don't want to.

Again:
THIS is why you wanna research a little first. 😂

Installing Linux Mint (Specifically)

Even Mint comes in three different versions:

• Cinnamon (the "standard" desktop)
  

• MATE (lighter and simpler)
  

• XFCE (super lightweight for old/low-end machines)

I chose Cinnamon, since it felt the most polished.
But in hindsight, I probably would've gone with MATE or XFCE — lighter, faster, and still awesome.

Installing Mint is so smooth.

Unlike Windows, which tries to make you sign over your soul...
Mint just installs.

• No weird telemetry settings.
  

• No "please log into your Microsoft account."
  

• No Candy Crush pre-installed (thank god).
  

Just you and your machine.

I was honestly surprised at how you don't even need the terminal anymore.
You can just search for the apps you want, right from the software manager.
Click. Install. Done.

Anyone still saying Linux is "too complicated" in 2025?
NO ARGUMENT.
That just isn’t true anymore.
Mint especially makes it so, so easy.

Why Linux Fits Everyone (Not Just "Tech Nerds")

Talking to friends about Linux made me realize:
A lot of people's ideas about Linux are outdated (it was the same for me, honestly).

They think:

• Linux = typing scary commands into a black terminal screen all day.
  

• Or that it's only for programmers hacking satellites in their garage.
  

That’s not true anymore.

Linux is whatever you want it to be:

• It can be a Windows replacement.
  

• It can be a Mac alternative.
  

• It can be a lightweight OS for an old laptop.
  

• It can be a coding powerhouse.
  

• It can be a hardcore gaming machine.
  

Linux is MANY things.
There’s a flavor of Linux that fits everyone.

You just have to try it out.
Jump in.
Mess around.
GO FOR IT.

You won't regret it.

I wrote more about Linux in me and Marzia’s monthly newsletter in our April Issue.

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter!

We hope you found this article interesting.

The Kjellbergs