# How to install Linux on your computer, step by step

> Install Linux step by step: choose a distribution, make a bootable USB stick, try it live, then install it alongside Windows or replace it, and update.

- URL: https://computese.com/how-to-install-linux-on-your-computer-setp-by-step/
- Author: Duong Quan Nguyen, CEO, Computese
- Published: 2024-08-13
- Updated: 2026-09-25
- Topics: IT support

## In short
- To install Linux, choose a distribution, back up your files, write its ISO image to a USB stick of 8 GB or more, start the PC from the stick, try the live desktop, then install alongside Windows or over it and run the updates.
- As of September 2026, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is the safe default: free security updates until April 2031, on a 2 GHz dual-core PC with 6 GB of RAM and 25 GB of storage. Linux Mint 22.3 runs on 2 GB of RAM and is supported until April 2029.
- Keeping Windows? Save the 48-digit BitLocker recovery key first and shrink the Windows partition from inside Windows. Changes to the partition table or the boot manager can make Windows ask for that key.
- Leave Secure Boot on: Ubuntu starts through a Microsoft-signed shim and installs signed drivers. Update the PC's firmware first, because Microsoft's 2011 certificate for third-party boot loaders expired on June 27, 2026.

To install Linux on your computer, choose a distribution (Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is the safe default), back up your files, write its ISO image to a USB stick of 8 GB or more, and start the PC from that stick. Try the live desktop, then install alongside Windows or over it, and finish with updates.

The steps are the same on a laptop or a desktop, and Linux Mint and Fedora follow the same order with different screens. This guide uses Ubuntu as the worked example, as of September 2026, and spends its time on the parts that go wrong: a BitLocker-encrypted Windows you want to keep, Secure Boot, and choosing the right disk. If you are setting up Windows instead, see our guide to [setting up Windows 11 on a new computer](https://computese.com/how-to-set-up-windows-for-a-new-computer/).

## What you need before you start

- **A PC or laptop that meets the requirements** in the table below. [Ubuntu's main download](https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop) is for Intel or AMD 64-bit processors, with an ARM 64-bit image alongside it.
- **A USB stick of 8 GB or more.** It will be erased. The current Ubuntu image alone is 5.9 GB.
- **A backup** of everything on the computer you want to keep.
- **If Windows stays:** its BitLocker recovery key, and at least 25 GB of free space to give Linux.
- **An internet connection**, ideally. The installer works offline, but online it downloads updates and third-party drivers, such as NVIDIA's graphics drivers, as it goes.

Will your hardware work? Canonical keeps a list of [Ubuntu certified hardware](https://ubuntu.com/certified): laptops and desktops tested for reliability and performance with Ubuntu. If yours is not on it, the live session described below is the real test, and it changes nothing on the computer.

## Choose a Linux distribution

A Linux distribution is the complete operating system: the Linux kernel plus a desktop, apps, an installer and a way to receive updates. The popular ones install the same way, so the choice comes down to how long each release is supported and what your hardware can run. The current releases, as of September 2026:

| Distribution           | Current release                         | Support and upgrades                                                  | Minimum hardware                                                            |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS       | 26.04.1 (26.04 released April 23, 2026) | Free security updates until April 2031; longer with Ubuntu Pro        | 2 GHz dual-core CPU, 6 GB RAM, 25 GB storage                                |
| Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" | Released January 13, 2026               | [Supported until April 2029](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=4981)      | 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended), 20 GB disk (100 GB recommended)                |
| Fedora Workstation 44  | Released April 28, 2026                 | Upgraded in place to each new Fedora release                          | 4 GB RAM and 40 GB disk recommended                                         |
| Debian 13 "trixie"     | 13.7 (13.0 released August 9, 2025)     | Full support until August 9, 2028; long-term support to June 30, 2030 | See [Debian's release information](https://www.debian.org/releases/trixie/) |

Ubuntu is the worked example here because Canonical documents the problems that stop an installation: BitLocker, Intel RST and Secure Boot. Ubuntu Pro, which extends security maintenance, is [free for personal use on up to five machines](https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop). [Linux Mint 22.3 is based on Ubuntu 24.04](https://linuxmint.com/rel_zena_cinnamon.php) and comes with [three desktops](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/choose.html): Cinnamon (the most full-featured), MATE (more traditional) and Xfce (the lightest). Fedora Workstation ships the latest GNOME desktop, [GNOME 50 in Fedora 44](https://fedoramagazine.org/announcing-fedora-linux-44/).

Linux is also an option for an older PC. [Windows 10 reached end of support](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-of-support) on October 14, 2025, and [Windows 11 requires a TPM 2.0](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-specifications) and a UEFI, Secure Boot capable PC. None of the requirements in the table include a TPM. For a machine with 2 GB of RAM, [Ubuntu's release notes](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.04/) recommend a lighter official flavour, Xubuntu or Lubuntu, and Linux Mint's Xfce edition is the lightest of its three.

## Back up, and prepare Windows if you are keeping it

Installing Linux rewrites the drive's partition table and the firmware's list of boot entries, which is exactly where a mistake costs data. Copy the files you want to keep to an external drive or cloud storage, and sign in to your browser's sync account so bookmarks and passwords come back by themselves. [Ubuntu's installation guide](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/tutorial/install-ubuntu-desktop/) asks for the same before anything else.

If Linux will replace Windows, that is all the preparation you need. If Windows stays, three more checks follow.

### Save the BitLocker recovery key

[Windows turns on device encryption](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/encryption/device-encryption-in-windows), which is BitLocker applied automatically, when a PC is set up with a Microsoft account or a work or school account. Open Terminal as administrator and check:

```powershell
manage-bde -status C:
manage-bde -protectors -get C: -Type RecoveryPassword
```

[The second command shows the recovery password](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/operating-system-security/data-protection/bitlocker/operations-guide), a 48-digit number. If the key was backed up to a Microsoft account, you can also read it at `aka.ms/myrecoverykey` from any other device; for a work or school account, try `aka.ms/aadrecoverykey`. Write it down, or store it anywhere except on this PC: [Microsoft Support cannot retrieve or recreate a lost key](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/encryption/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key).

Why it matters: the TPM unlocks the drive by itself only while the start-up chain matches what it expects. [Microsoft's list of events that trigger BitLocker recovery](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/operating-system-security/data-protection/bitlocker/recovery-overview) includes changes to the NTFS partition table, changes to the boot manager and firmware upgrades, which is exactly what a dual boot installation does.

![A chain of start-up steps runs from a firmware chip to a padlocked Windows drive while a security chip below checks each step. A new orange boot loader has joined the chain, and a key waits beside the padlock.](https://computese.com/images/blog/how-to-install-linux-on-your-computer-setp-by-step/measured-boot.d5c5be1034-1536.webp)

*BitLocker unlocks by itself only while the start-up chain matches what the TPM expects, so a new boot loader or a changed partition table can bring up the recovery screen.*

Ubuntu's installer cannot read an encrypted partition, so it cannot resize one. Since Ubuntu 25.04 [it can still install alongside BitLocker](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.04/summary-for-lts-users/) if the drive already has enough unallocated space, so make that space from Windows first (next step). If the installer still shows a "Windows BitLocker is enabled" alert, you have two choices: install Linux on a separate drive, or turn encryption off in Windows (Windows 11: **Settings > Privacy & security > Device encryption**; earlier versions: **Control Panel > System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption > Turn off BitLocker**) and wait for decryption to finish. [Canonical warns](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/how-to/turn-off-bitlocker-in-windows/) that some Windows versions will not let you turn BitLocker back on afterwards, so check yours first.

Before a firmware update, choose **Suspend protection** in the BitLocker control panel. The drive stays encrypted, and protection resumes automatically when the PC restarts.

### Make room for Linux

[Shrink the Windows partition from inside Windows](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/disk-management/shrink-a-basic-volume), which moves files out of the way without deleting anything. In Disk Management, right-click the C: volume, choose **Shrink Volume** and enter the amount to free. Some files cannot be moved, such as the paging file and shadow copies, so Windows may offer less than you ask for.

![A drive drawn as one long bar: a small boot partition, a large padlocked Windows partition pushed shorter by an arrow, and an orange empty section after it where Linux will be installed.](https://computese.com/images/blog/how-to-install-linux-on-your-computer-setp-by-step/shrink.041f3b28af-1536.webp)

*Shrinking Windows from inside Windows is the safe way to make room: files move, nothing is deleted, and the installer finds empty space it can use.*

Give Linux at least the 25 GB Ubuntu requires. [Linux Mint's guide](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/partitioning.html) notes that the system itself takes about 15 GB and grows as you install software, and suggests 100 GB when you can spare it.

### Check the storage controller mode

Some PCs run their drives in Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) mode, which Ubuntu does not support; the installer stops with an RST alert. In Windows, open Device Manager and look under **IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers**. If it does not say **Standard SATA AHCI Controller**, follow [Canonical's steps to switch Windows to AHCI](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/how-to/reconfigure-windows-to-use-ahci/) first: a registry change, a start in safe mode, then the firmware setting. Changing only the firmware setting can leave [Windows unable to start](https://computese.com/how-to-troubleshoot-common-pc-problems/), with the stop code INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE.

## Download Ubuntu and verify the ISO image

Download Ubuntu Desktop from ubuntu.com. As of September 2026 the file is `ubuntu-26.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso`. From the same release folder on releases.ubuntu.com, download `SHA256SUMS` and `SHA256SUMS.gpg` into the folder that holds the ISO image, then check that the image matches:

```bash
# Linux, or macOS with coreutils installed
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS 2>&1 | grep OK
```

```powershell
# Windows PowerShell: compare the Hash with the ISO's line in SHA256SUMS
Get-FileHash .\ubuntu-26.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso
```

`Get-FileHash` [uses SHA256 by default](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/get-filehash), the same algorithm as the list. A match proves the download is intact. Checking `SHA256SUMS.gpg` with GnuPG also proves the list was signed by Ubuntu, and [Canonical's verification tutorial](https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/how-to-verify-ubuntu) walks through it. [Fedora publishes the same kind of signed checksum file](https://fedoraproject.org/workstation/download/) next to each of its images.

## Create a bootable USB stick

[A bootable stick is not a copy](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/how-to/create-a-bootable-usb-stick/) of the ISO file: an image writer rewrites the whole stick, and everything on it is erased. Use the tool for the system you have now:

| You are on          | Tool                                               | Notes                                                                                   |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Windows             | Rufus                                              | Accept "Write in ISO Image mode". Writing usually takes around 10 minutes.              |
| macOS               | balenaEtcher                                       | Download the arm64 version on an Apple silicon Mac. Select image, select target, Flash. |
| Ubuntu              | Disks (Restore Disk Image) or Startup Disk Creator | Disks can also write images of other systems, Windows included.                         |
| Any Linux, terminal | `dd`                                               | For advanced users: one wrong device name overwrites a drive.                           |
| Fedora, any system  | Fedora Media Writer                                | Needs a 4 GB stick and writes a live Fedora you can try, then install.                  |

If a stick made with Rufus later refuses to start, write it again with **Partition scheme: GPT** and **Target system: UEFI (non CSM)**, which suits modern PCs with legacy compatibility turned off.

On Linux, `dd` does the same job without a graphical tool. List the drives with `lsblk`, find the stick by its size, and replace `sdX` with its name:

```bash
lsblk
sudo umount /dev/sdX*
sudo dd if=ubuntu-26.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M conv=fsync status=progress
```

## Start the computer from the USB stick

Plug the stick into the computer you are installing on and restart it. Many PCs start from the stick by themselves. If yours starts Windows instead, restart and hold the one-time boot menu key as the maker's logo appears: [F12 is the most common](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/tutorial/try-ubuntu-desktop/), and Esc, F2 and F10 are common alternatives. A brief message at start-up often names the key, and so does the manual. Then choose the USB stick from the list.

![Inside a laptop, a firmware chip sends a solid arrow to an orange USB stick in the side port and a dashed arrow to the internal drive, which it skips for this start.](https://computese.com/images/blog/how-to-install-linux-on-your-computer-setp-by-step/boot-order.ad597a59ac-1536.webp)

*The one-time boot menu changes nothing permanent: you choose the stick for this start, and the installed system stays as it was until you decide to install.*

You can also get there from Windows: **Settings > System > Recovery**, then **Restart now** next to Advanced startup (or hold Shift while you choose Restart). Among [the recovery environment's tools](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/windows-recovery-environment), **UEFI Firmware Settings** restarts into the firmware, where you change the boot order and Secure Boot. On an Intel Mac, hold the Option (Alt) key as it starts and choose the drive labelled **EFI Boot**.

### Secure Boot and UEFI

Leave Secure Boot on. [Most x86 PCs ship with Microsoft's certificates](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/security/security-features/platform-protections/secure-boot/) in their firmware, so Ubuntu starts through a small first-stage loader called shim, signed by Microsoft, which then checks the GRUB boot loader and the kernel, both signed by Canonical. Since Ubuntu 18.04, Secure Boot also covers kernel modules, and an unsigned module is not loaded. That is why drivers should come from Ubuntu's own tools rather than a vendor's installer.

If your machine needs third-party drivers built during installation, the installer asks you to set a password. At the first restart, a text-mode screen called MokManager appears: choose **Enroll MOK**, check and confirm, and type that password. This enrols a Machine Owner Key (MOK), so Secure Boot accepts drivers signed on that machine.

> [!NOTE]
> Secure Boot's certificates are changing. Microsoft's UEFI CA 2011, the certificate behind third-party boot loaders, expired on June 27, 2026, and is being replaced by the Microsoft UEFI CA 2023. PCs keep starting without the new certificates, but [Microsoft notes](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/servicing/os/secure-boot/2025/06/windows-secure-boot-certificate-expiration-and-ca-updates) that third-party boot loaders are among the scenarios that may be affected. Install Windows updates and your PC maker's firmware update before you start, and suspend BitLocker for the firmware update.

For the rare "Secure Boot violation" after installing, [Linux Mint's guide](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/efi.html) gives two fixes: reinstall while connected to the internet but without the third-party software option, or turn Secure Boot off in the firmware settings. Try the first one first.

## Try Linux before you install it

The installer opens with the same first screens whether you try or install: language, accessibility, keyboard layout and network. Then choose **Try Ubuntu**. You get a working desktop running from the stick, and nothing on the computer's drive changes. The installer stays one click away, as an **Install Ubuntu** shortcut on the desktop.

Use the live session to test the hardware that matters on your machine:

- **Wi-Fi and Bluetooth:** connect to your network and pair a headset or mouse.
- **Sound, microphone and webcam:** play a video and make a test call.
- **Display:** check the resolution and the brightness keys, and plug in an external monitor if you use one.
- **Laptop controls:** touchpad gestures, the keyboard backlight, and closing and opening the lid.

Two things are expected to be worse than after installation. [The live session runs from the USB stick](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html), so it is slower, and [it uses only open-source drivers](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/tutorial/try-ubuntu-desktop/), so an NVIDIA graphics card runs without its proprietary driver until you install. Anything else that fails here is worth researching before you commit.

## Install Ubuntu, screen by screen

From the live desktop, open **Install Ubuntu**, or choose it straight away on the try-or-install screen. On a laptop, keep the charger connected.

1. **Language, accessibility and keyboard.** Pick them as in the live session.
2. **Network.** Connect if you can. It is optional, but the installer then downloads updates and drivers as it goes.
3. **Try or install.** Choose **Install Ubuntu**. An Intel RST alert here means the controller mode step above is still needed.
4. **Type of installation.** Choose **Interactive installation**. The automated option reads an autoinstall configuration from another USB stick, a web server or Landscape, for setting up many machines the same way.
5. **Apps.** **Default selection** installs the essentials; **Extended selection** adds office tools and utilities. Everything is available later from the App Center.
6. **Proprietary software.** Tick both options: third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware, and support for additional media formats.
7. **Disk setup.** The one decision that can delete data, covered in the next section.
8. **Account.** Your name, the computer's name on the network, a username and a strong password. Keep **Require my password to log in** on for any laptop that leaves the house.
9. **Time zone.** Detected automatically when you are online.
10. **Review and install.** Read the summary, especially the disk lines, then click **Install**.

When it finishes, click **Restart Now**, remove the USB stick when asked and press Enter. Enter your disk encryption passphrase if you set one, enrol the MOK if MokManager appears, and log in.

## Dual boot or replace Windows: choose the disk setup

If you only need Linux command-line tools on a Windows PC, you may not need either: [Windows Subsystem for Linux](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install) runs a distribution such as Ubuntu directly on Windows, without a [virtual machine](https://computese.com/how-to-set-up-a-virtual-machine-on-your-pc/) or a dual boot. For a full Linux desktop, install it on the disk.

Ubuntu's installer offers these options on the disk setup screen:

| Option                           | What it does                                                                      | Choose it when                                                   |
| -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Install Ubuntu alongside Windows | You pick the drive and set Ubuntu's share with a slider. Existing files are kept. | Windows stays on the same drive                                  |
| Erase disk and install Ubuntu    | Ubuntu takes the whole selected drive, and encryption options appear              | Linux replaces Windows, or gets a second drive of its own        |
| Manual installation              | You create, format and assign partitions yourself                                 | You need a specific layout, such as a separate `/home` partition |

For a dual boot on a PC with two drives, the simplest layout is Windows on one and Linux on the other: choose **Erase disk** and select the second drive. Either way, the Linux boot menu then lists Windows as well, and you choose at each start. If you are building a new PC that will run both, [install Windows first](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/multiboot.html): Windows does not detect other systems and overwrites the boot sequence when it installs, while Linux installers detect Windows and add it to their menu.

> [!WARNING]
> Erase disk gives Ubuntu the entire selected drive, and everything on it is deleted. On a PC with more than one drive, check the size and model of the drive you select before you continue.

**Encryption.** With Erase disk, and [since Ubuntu 25.04 in dual boot setups too](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.04/summary-for-lts-users/), you can encrypt Ubuntu. **Encrypt with a passphrase** is [Canonical's recommended option](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/reference/advanced-disk-setup-features/): it uses LVM (Logical Volume Management) with disk encryption, and you type the passphrase at every start. **Use hardware-backed encryption** keeps the key in the TPM and unlocks by itself; it works only on recent PCs, is [still labelled Beta in Canonical's documentation](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/explanation/hardware-backed-disk-encryption/) as of September 2026, and gives you a recovery key at the end of the installation. Store the passphrase or recovery key away from the computer: without it, the data cannot be recovered.

**Partitions, if you go manual.** A Windows PC that starts in UEFI mode uses a GPT partition table, and a Linux installation on it involves:

- **The EFI system partition (ESP):** the FAT32 partition the PC starts its operating systems from. [Windows created one of at least 200 MB](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/configure-uefigpt-based-hard-drive-partitions) (300 MB on drives with 4K sectors). Leave it as it is, and never format it in a dual boot.
- **A root partition (`/`):** the system itself. [Linux Mint's guide recommends ext4](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html) and 100 GB or more.
- **Optionally, `/home`:** your files on their own partition, so the system can be reinstalled without touching them. [Linux Mint's guide advises novices against it](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/partitioning.html), because one wrong format during installation wipes the data.
- **Optionally, swap:** Linux Mint's guide suggests a swap partition as large as your RAM. It is used for hibernation and as a safety buffer when memory runs out.

## After the first boot: updates, drivers and the firewall

Do these before you move your files in:

1. **Install updates.** Open **Software Updater**, or press Ctrl+Alt+T and run the commands below, then restart.

   ```bash
   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
   ```

2. **Check drivers.** Open **Additional Drivers**, or list and install the recommended ones from the terminal. Ubuntu's tools install pre-built, signed drivers that work with Secure Boot. [Canonical recommends them over drivers downloaded from NVIDIA](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/how-to/graphics/install-nvidia-drivers/), which might overwrite Ubuntu's and break Secure Boot.

   ```bash
   sudo ubuntu-drivers list
   sudo ubuntu-drivers install
   ```

3. **Turn on the firewall.** [Ubuntu's default firewall tool](https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/how-to/security/firewalls/), ufw, starts out disabled. Once enabled, [its default policy denies incoming connections](https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/resolute/man8/ufw.8.html) and allows outgoing ones, which suits a desktop or laptop.

   ```bash
   sudo ufw enable
   sudo ufw status verbose
   ```

4. **Set up snapshots or backups.** Linux Mint's guide makes [system snapshots with Timeshift](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/timeshift.html) one of the first tasks: choose RSYNC and a drive, and later snapshots only store what changed. Whatever the distribution, back up your home folder to a second place.
5. **Finish in Windows.** If you turned BitLocker off to install, turn it back on from Windows if your version allows it, and save the new recovery key.

## Fix common installation problems

| Symptom                                                    | Likely cause                                                             | Fix                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| The PC starts Windows, not the USB stick                   | Boot order, or a stick written in a mode the PC will not start           | Use the one-time boot menu or UEFI Firmware Settings; rewrite with Rufus using GPT and UEFI (non CSM)                                                                                              |
| Black screen or a frozen logo when starting from the stick | Graphics hardware that does not work with the default open-source driver | On Linux Mint's stick, [choose compatibility mode](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/boot_options.html), or edit the entry and replace `quiet splash` with `nomodeset` |
| Installer alert: Intel RST                                 | The drives are in RAID (RST) mode                                        | Switch Windows to AHCI with Canonical's steps before changing the firmware setting                                                                                                                 |
| Installer alert: Windows BitLocker is enabled              | The installer cannot read the encrypted partition                        | Shrink Windows first to leave unallocated space, use a second drive, or turn off BitLocker                                                                                                         |
| Windows asks for a BitLocker recovery key after installing | The boot manager or partition table changed                              | Enter the 48-digit key from `aka.ms/myrecoverykey` or your note                                                                                                                                    |
| "Secure Boot violation" after installing                   | A boot component or driver the firmware does not trust                   | Reinstall without the third-party software option, or turn Secure Boot off; install drivers only with `ubuntu-drivers`                                                                             |
| The PC starts straight into Windows, with no menu          | The firmware's boot order puts Windows first                             | Move Ubuntu first in the firmware settings, or run `sudo efibootmgr` from the live session to see and change the order                                                                             |
| INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE after switching to AHCI           | The firmware was changed before the Windows registry                     | From Windows recovery, open Command Prompt and follow Canonical's repair steps, which start with `bcdedit`                                                                                         |

The `efibootmgr` fix has a quirk worth knowing: Linux Mint registers itself in the firmware under the name **ubuntu**, so look for that entry, not "linuxmint".

For a team rather than one computer, the work is less about the installer and more about keeping every machine consistent: set-up, encryption, patching and a record of what everyone has. Our [IT support service](https://computese.com/services/it-support/) covers device set-up for new starters, disk encryption and patching for operating systems and apps, with devices and admin rights written down so the knowledge stays with the business.

## Key terms
- **Linux distribution**: A complete operating system built around the Linux kernel, with a desktop, apps, an installer and an update system, released and maintained as one product. Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Fedora and Debian are distributions.
- **ISO image**: The single file a distribution is downloaded as. It holds the live system and the installer, and has to be written to a USB stick with an image writer, not copied onto it.
- **Live session**: Linux running straight from the USB stick without being installed. Nothing changes on the computer's drive, and it runs slower than an installed system.
- **LTS (long-term support)**: A release that receives security and maintenance updates for years rather than months. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is supported for five years, until April 2031.
- **UEFI**: The firmware on modern PCs that replaced the BIOS. It keeps a list of boot entries and the order in which to try them, and offers a one-time boot menu.
- **Secure Boot**: A UEFI feature that runs only boot software signed with keys the firmware trusts. Most x86 PCs trust Microsoft's certificates, so Ubuntu boots through a Microsoft-signed shim.
- **EFI system partition (ESP)**: The small FAT32 partition a UEFI PC starts its operating systems from. Windows creates one of at least 200 MB, or 300 MB on drives with 4K sectors.
- **Dual boot**: Two operating systems installed on one computer, such as Windows and Ubuntu, with a menu at start-up to choose which one runs.
- **BitLocker recovery key**: A 48-digit number that unlocks a BitLocker-encrypted Windows drive when the TPM will not, for example after the partition table or the boot manager changes.
- **MOK (Machine Owner Key)**: A key generated on your computer and enrolled at the first restart, so that Secure Boot accepts third-party drivers built and signed on that machine.

## Common questions

### Can I install Linux without removing Windows?

Yes. Install it alongside Windows in space you free by shrinking the Windows partition, or on a second drive, and choose the system at each start. To try Linux with no changes at all, run it live from the USB stick. If you only need Linux command-line tools, the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) installs Ubuntu by default on Windows 10 version 2004 or later and on Windows 11.

### Which Linux distribution should a beginner install?

Ubuntu 26.04 LTS or Linux Mint 22.3. Ubuntu has free security updates until April 2031, and Canonical documents the problems that stop an installation, such as BitLocker and Intel RST. Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu 24.04, is supported until April 2029 and runs on 2 GB of RAM, which suits an older PC.

### How much disk space and memory does Linux need?

Ubuntu Desktop 26.04 LTS asks for a 2 GHz dual-core processor, 6 GB of RAM and 25 GB of free storage. Linux Mint 22.3 needs 2 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended) and 20 GB of disk (100 GB recommended). Fedora recommends 40 GB of disk and 4 GB of RAM for most of its variants.

### Do I need to turn off Secure Boot to install Linux?

Usually not. Ubuntu boots through a Microsoft-signed shim and a Canonical-signed boot loader and kernel, and its driver tools install signed drivers. Turn Secure Boot off only if a Secure Boot violation persists after the fixes above, and update the PC's firmware first, since Microsoft is replacing its certificate for third-party boot loaders.

### Can I install Linux on a Mac?

On an Intel Mac, start it with the USB stick inserted while holding the Option (Alt) key and choose EFI Boot. On Apple silicon, Ubuntu's documentation points to the community Ubuntu Asahi project, which Canonical does not support; Ubuntu Asahi 25.10 runs only on M1 and M2 Macs.

### Will installing Linux delete my files?

Only if you choose to erase the disk, or format the wrong partition in manual mode. Installing alongside Windows keeps existing files, but any change to a drive's partitions can go wrong, so back up first, as Ubuntu's own guide advises.

## Sources
1. [Install Ubuntu Desktop](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/tutorial/install-ubuntu-desktop/), Canonical (Ubuntu Desktop documentation)
2. [Download Ubuntu Desktop](https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop), Canonical
3. [Ubuntu Certified hardware](https://ubuntu.com/certified), Canonical
4. [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS release notes](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.04/), Canonical
5. [Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" released](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=4981), The Linux Mint Blog
6. [Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" Cinnamon release notes](https://linuxmint.com/rel_zena_cinnamon.php), Linux Mint
7. [Linux Mint Installation Guide: Choose the right edition](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/choose.html), Linux Mint
8. [Download Fedora Workstation 44](https://fedoraproject.org/workstation/download/), Fedora Project
9. [Announcing Fedora Linux 44](https://fedoramagazine.org/announcing-fedora-linux-44/), Fedora Magazine
10. [Debian "trixie" release information](https://www.debian.org/releases/trixie/), Debian
11. [Windows 10 end of support](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/end-of-support), Microsoft
12. [Windows 11 specs and system requirements](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-specifications), Microsoft
13. [Device Encryption in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/encryption/device-encryption-in-windows), Microsoft Support
14. [BitLocker operations guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/operating-system-security/data-protection/bitlocker/operations-guide), Microsoft Learn
15. [Find your BitLocker recovery key](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/encryption/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key), Microsoft Support
16. [BitLocker recovery overview](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/operating-system-security/data-protection/bitlocker/recovery-overview), Microsoft Learn
17. [Ubuntu 26.04 LTS summary for LTS users](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.04/summary-for-lts-users/), Canonical
18. [Turn off BitLocker in Windows](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/how-to/turn-off-bitlocker-in-windows/), Canonical (Ubuntu Desktop documentation)
19. [Shrink a basic volume](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/disk-management/shrink-a-basic-volume), Microsoft Learn
20. [Linux Mint Installation Guide: Partitioning](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/partitioning.html), Linux Mint
21. [Reconfigure Windows to use AHCI](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/how-to/reconfigure-windows-to-use-ahci/), Canonical (Ubuntu Desktop documentation)
22. [How to verify your Ubuntu download](https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/how-to-verify-ubuntu), Canonical
23. [Get-FileHash](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/get-filehash), Microsoft Learn
24. [Create a bootable USB stick](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/how-to/create-a-bootable-usb-stick/), Canonical (Ubuntu Desktop documentation)
25. [Windows Recovery Environment](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/backup-recovery/windows-recovery-environment), Microsoft Support
26. [UEFI Secure Boot](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/security/security-features/platform-protections/secure-boot/), Canonical (Ubuntu security documentation)
27. [Windows Secure Boot certificate expiration and CA updates](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/servicing/os/secure-boot/2025/06/windows-secure-boot-certificate-expiration-and-ca-updates), Microsoft Support
28. [Linux Mint Installation Guide: EFI](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/efi.html), Linux Mint
29. [Try Ubuntu Desktop](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/tutorial/try-ubuntu-desktop/), Canonical (Ubuntu Desktop documentation)
30. [Linux Mint Installation Guide: Install Linux Mint](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html), Linux Mint
31. [Linux Mint Installation Guide: Multi-boot](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/multiboot.html), Linux Mint
32. [Advanced disk setup features](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/reference/advanced-disk-setup-features/), Canonical (Ubuntu Desktop documentation)
33. [Hardware-backed disk encryption](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/explanation/hardware-backed-disk-encryption/), Canonical (Ubuntu Desktop documentation)
34. [UEFI/GPT-based hard drive partitions](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/configure-uefigpt-based-hard-drive-partitions), Microsoft Learn
35. [Install NVIDIA drivers](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/docs/en/latest/how-to/graphics/install-nvidia-drivers/), Canonical (Ubuntu Desktop documentation)
36. [Firewalls](https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/how-to/security/firewalls/), Canonical (Ubuntu Server documentation)
37. [ufw(8) manual page, Ubuntu 26.04](https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/resolute/man8/ufw.8.html), Ubuntu Manpages
38. [Linux Mint Installation Guide: System snapshots](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/timeshift.html), Linux Mint
39. [Linux Mint Installation Guide: Boot options](https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/boot_options.html), Linux Mint
40. [How to install Linux on Windows with WSL](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install), Microsoft Learn