Episode 468 路 How to try Linux without affecting your current system Pt. 1

Larry Bushey Larry Bushey

Today, we're tackling a question we hear a lot: "How can I try Linux without messing up my current computer?" It's a great question, and the answer is often simpler than you might think. One of the easiest ways is to use a USB drive.

Bash Command for Creating a Bootable USB Drive:

sudo dd bs=4M if=/path/to/your/linux.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress oflag=sync

Explaining the Bash Command 馃榾

  • sudo: Gives you administrator privileges to write to the drive.
  • dd: The data duplicator command.
  • bs=4M: Sets the block size to 4 megabytes for faster writing.
  • if=/path/to/your/linux.iso: Specifies the input file (your ISO).
  • of=/dev/sdX (or of=/dev/diskY): Specifies the output file (your USB drive). Be absolutely certain this is correct!
  • status=progress: Shows the progress of the operation (Linux only).
  • oflag=sync: Ensures data is written to the drive before the command finishes.
The following resources are mentioned in this episode:
  1. Ubuntu Mate: https://ubuntu-mate.org/
  2. ZorinOS: https://zorin.com/os/
  3. Linux Mint: https://www.linuxmint.com/
  4. Rufus: https://rufus.ie/en/
  5. Etcher: https://etcher.balena.io/
  6. dd Man Page: https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/dd.1.html
  7. 4 things to help you start using Linux in record time: https://goinglinux.com/do-these-4-things-to-begin-using-linux-on-your-computer-in-record-time/
  8. Our theme music is made with Suno AI: https://suno.com
Episode Time Stamps
00:00 Going Linux #468路 How to try Linux without affecting your current system Pt. 1 
02:20 Bill is still running Zorin OS 
02:27 Larry and Bill discuss switching from Ubuntu Cinnamon to Linux Mint and about open source funding 
09:18 Reid wrote about supporting open source 
12:08 Daniel asked about Fedora 
14:55 Liz commented on the state of the world 
22:35 David switched from Zorin back to MATE 
27:10 Frank wrote with a quibble about our Office Suites episode 
29:27 Gus provides a solution for a cheap Linux Backup 
35:38 goinglinux.com, goinglinux@gmail.com, +1-904-468-7889, @goinglinux, feedback, listen, subscribe  
36:35 End

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