Contents:
Windows Backup and Boot Media Creation
BIOS Settings
Try Linux
Partitioning
Installing Linux and Video Example to Install Pop!_OS 20.04
If any point of the guide, you are unable to follow, kindly refer to the video here.
1. Windows Backup and Boot Media Creation
The first and most crucial step is to back up your stuff, since it is good practice and nobody like lost data.
Once done we can proceed with the installation, which is to select your favorite distribution (we recommend Pop!_OS 20.04), download it and use the tool Etcher to write the iso you downloaded on your USB device (Please note: everything on that drive would be erased), this would create a bootable media, which would later be used to install Linux.
2. BIOS Settings
To boot (to launch Linux) from the USB Device, which you created in step 1, you need to change these three settings in your BIOS:
Secure Boot: Disabled
USB Boot: Enabled
Legacy Boot: Enabled (only do this if you have an older machine, i.e. before 2012, otherwise choose UEFI)
After changing these settings, insert your boot media (USB Device) and mash your boot menu selection key on your keyboard (if you don't know yours, check this list, maybe it'll save you some goggling stuff around) and select the USB device (usually, will appear as: "UEFI device" followed by the distribution name of the Linux you flashed on it) and press enter to boot.
Wait for some time and you should be greeted with Linux welcome screen.
3. Try Linux
Now, try it to see any obvious deal breaking bugs for example: the Wi-Fi not working or in case of laptops, the internal interface devices not working. Even though these can be fixed by a kernel update, which you can perform by following after you install Linux by following this guide. If you do not want to continue further, then don't worry, just change the BIOS settings you changed in step 2 back to their original values and you are good to go. But if you are still wanting to install Linux, then proceed to Step 4.
4. Partitioning
To install Linux, you have two options, either to install Linux only or Dual boot, both are described individually below:
4A. Linux Only Install
After you tried your Linux distribution, you can proceed with the installation which is just an application in the app list, it should guide you to select the language pack and keyboard layout, further it usually provides with an option to automatically install Linux, which erases everything from the drive and installs Linux only, of the option does not appear, then you need to create 3 partitions. The manual partitioning needs to done by using partitioning tool in Linux, which has an option usually on the bottom left as follows:
Boot Partition; filesystem type: fat32, size: 512MB
Swap Partition; filesystem type: Linux Swap, size: half the size of your RAM
Root Partition; filesystem type: ext4, Size: rest of the drive
For example, for a system with 128GB drive and 8GB RAM, the formatting would be as follows:
Boot Partition; filesystem type: fat32, size: 512MB
Swap Partition; filesystem type: Linux Swap, size: 4GB
Root Partition; filesystem type: ext4, Size: 123.5GB
4B. Dual Boot
If you want to dual boot Linux, then decide how much storage you want for each of the operating system, and partition according to the partition's sizes mentioned below:
Boot Partition; filesystem type: fat32, size: 512MB
Swap Partition; filesystem type: Linux Swap, size: half the size of your RAM
Root Partition; filesystem type: ext4, Size: size you want for Linux Distribution
5. Installing Linux
After partitioning, there would be an option to install Linux in the selected drives, click that and wait for the option to restart your computer to appear, when it does click it. You take your USB Drive as soon as the computer turns off. Now, you will be greeted in Linux, finally installed on your system. Finish the initial setup that would pop up and you are done. Now, I understand not everybody would be willing to read all of this, so as an example, I have attached a video in which I install Pop!_OS 20.04 on my laptop in both Linux only and dual boot mode.
---Insert Video---
Also, to optimize your Linux install for gaming, check out how to optimize Linux for gaming.