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What to know before Dual Booting Windows + Linux? (lemmy.ca)
submitted 2 years ago* by to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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I'm looking to finally use Linux properly and I'm planning to dual boot my laptop. There's enough storage to go around, and while I'm comfortable messing around I'd rather not have to run and buy a new device before school while fixing my current one.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VaIgbTOvAd0

This was the general guide I was planning to follow, just with KDE Plasma (or another KDE). I was going to keep windows the default, and boot into Linux as needed when I had time to learn and practice.

I assume it should be the near similar process for KDE Plasma?

I'm ok with things going wrong with the Linux install, but I'd like to keep the Windows install as safe as possible.

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[–] 7 points 2 years ago (1 child)

Have a think about how you want to arrange your data. While you can access windows partitions and files under Linux (and vise versa), it's better not to be constantly be mounting your windows C drive from another OS. Plus, if you're mid-update, or had to restart suddenly, windows will happily mark your drive as read-only.

I use 4 partitions for a dual boot. Sizes are based on a 1TB drive.

  • Windows C (100GB or so, OS drive). Only mounted by Linux if I have a big problem.
  • Windows D (NTFS formatted, my main storage partition. Mounted all the time by Linux. 700GB or so)
  • Linux root (50GB or so, EX4 formatted)
  • Linux storage (remaining space, EX4 formatted used for big programs, games, home folder)

This way, Windows OS is separate, main storage is accessible to both without tripping over permissions, linux root drive is separate from storage so reinstalling isn't so painful if something goes very wrong.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    This is probably some of the best advice here. Keep the drives (if possible, if not partitions) each OS is on separate from the other. Have a 3rd drive (or partition) as the bulk of your storage that both can see and use.

    I'd also suggest reversing your plan of mainly using windows and hopping to linix when you want to and make it Linux default and windows when you have to. You'll learn more immersing yourself in Linux that way, and you'll find whatever issues or software that force you back to windows (if any). The other way around you'll feel that Linux doesn't do anything you need it to and likely spend very little time in it at all. Habits are hard to change.

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