You need three things: a Linux download, a USB stick, and a computer to install it on. This guide takes you from choosing Linux to your first working desktop, without unnecessary terminal commands.
My preferred USB-writing tool is Fedora Media Writer. Despite the name, you can use its custom-image option to write other Linux installation images too. Fedora explains custom images here.
Read this first: The main installation path below replaces everything on your chosen installation disk. Back up your files before continuing. If you want to keep Windows, try Linux from the USB first and use a separate dual-boot guide before installing.
This guide is for a normal 64-bit Intel or AMD desktop or laptop. Apple Silicon Macs, ARM computers, and Chromebooks need different instructions.
1. Choose your Linux version
A distribution, or “distro,” is a version of Linux packaged with a desktop and apps. These are my picks:
| You want… | My recommendation | What to download |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday browsing, work, and a straightforward first start | Linux Mint | Cinnamon edition |
| A gaming-focused first Linux setup | Nobara | Official edition |
| Another gaming-focused option | PikaOS | KDE Plasma edition |
| More control, and you are comfortable troubleshooting | CachyOS | Desktop edition |
Unsure? Start with Mint Cinnamon. Nobara and PikaOS are my gaming recommendations, but gaming-focused Linux still cannot guarantee that every Windows game works. Check your must-play games first; some anti-cheat support depends on the developer. Valve explains Proton compatibility.
Check your hardware: PikaOS uses x86-64-v3 CPU optimizations, so check compatibility on older PCs. Its NVIDIA image is for RTX cards and GTX 1650 or newer; use the project’s guidance for older NVIDIA cards. Nobara’s current images support both standard and NVIDIA installations. PikaOS details · Nobara details
2. Get ready
- A USB stick: I suggest 16 GB or larger. Writing the installer will erase it.
- Your Linux ISO: Download it from the official link above. An ISO is the installation image; leave the downloaded .iso file intact.
- A backup: Copy important files to another drive or cloud storage, and confirm you can open them.
- Power and internet: Plug in your laptop. Ethernet can help if Wi-Fi does not work in the installer. CachyOS requires a stable internet connection for installation. CachyOS requirements.
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Need a USB stick? Browse 32 GB USB flash drives on Amazon. Choose the connector your computer supports. If you already have a suitable stick, use it; writing the installer will erase its contents.
If Windows uses BitLocker or Device Encryption, save its recovery key somewhere outside this computer before changing firmware settings.
3. Write the ISO to your USB stick
- Download and install Fedora Media Writer for your current operating system.
- Insert the USB stick. Unplug other removable drives to make choosing the right one easier.
- Open Media Writer and choose its custom image / local ISO option. Wording can vary by version.
- Select the Linux .iso file you downloaded.
- Select your USB stick. Check its name and capacity before writing.
- Start writing and approve the administrator prompt if asked. Leave the USB connected until writing and any verification finish.
- Safely eject the stick.
Do not just copy the ISO onto the USB. Media Writer writes the bootable installation image. If Windows offers to format the finished USB, cancel: the installer may use partitions Windows cannot read.
4. Start the computer from the USB
- Insert the finished USB into the computer you want to install Linux on.
- Restart and repeatedly press the computer’s boot-menu key as it powers on. Common keys include F12, F11, F9, or Esc; check your computer’s documentation.
- Select your USB. On a modern PC, choose its UEFI entry if two entries appear.
- Choose the normal start or live-desktop option in the Linux boot menu.
You should reach a desktop running from the USB. This is the live session; booting it alone does not install Linux. Mint’s USB boot instructions.
Secure Boot: what if the USB will not start?
Mint can normally be tried with Secure Boot enabled. Nobara’s instructions require disabling it, and CachyOS also requires it disabled for the installation path documented here. PikaOS has its own Secure Boot setup instructions.
Follow your chosen distro’s instructions and your PC manufacturer’s directions. Secure Boot verifies startup software; disabling it reduces that protection. Save your Windows recovery key first, then change only the required setting. Do not blindly re-enable it after installing a distro that needs additional setup.
Mint · Nobara · PikaOS · CachyOS · Microsoft’s firmware guidance
5. Try it before installing
Check that your mouse, keyboard, display, sound, and internet work. Open a website and test Wi-Fi if you use it. The USB desktop can be slower than an installed system.
If something important does not work, stop and check the distro’s hardware guidance before erasing your disk. To leave without installing, shut down, remove the USB, and start the computer normally.
6. Install Linux on your chosen disk
For the simplest first install, use a disk you are ready to erase. Your USB stick is the installer; the internal SSD or hard drive is normally the destination.
- Open the desktop’s Install shortcut or the welcome app’s installer.
- Choose your language, keyboard layout, and time zone.
- Connect to the internet. In Mint, enable multimedia codecs if you want common media formats supported.
- Choose the installation disk by its model and capacity. Read the disk options below.
- Create your username and a password you will remember.
- Read the final summary. Confirm only when the correct disk is selected and your backup is complete.
- Wait for installation to finish. Keep the computer powered on.
The disk choice is the important part. “Erase disk” removes the operating system and files from the selected disk. It does not mean “erase only the USB.” If keeping Windows, stop here rather than choosing erase.
- Mint: For this clean-install path, choose Erase disk and install Linux Mint. Official installation steps.
- Nobara: Follow its graphical installer’s disk-selection screens and check the final summary. Keep the new-user guide open for release-specific instructions.
- PikaOS: Its Automatically Partition The Drive path erases the selected disk. Select the destination, check the summary, then confirm. MSI systems have a documented BOOTX64 compatibility option. Official automatic-install guide.
- CachyOS: Use its installation guide for partitioning and boot-manager choices. Its documentation prefers manual partitioning for the Windows-alongside setup it covers; do not apply Mint’s disk instructions blindly.
7. Restart and finish setup
- Choose restart. Remove the USB when prompted, or after shutdown before starting again.
- Log in, connect to the internet, and run the distro’s update tool.
- Check its driver tool. In Mint, open Menu → Administration → Driver Manager, apply any recommended drivers, and restart. Mint driver instructions.
- Install apps through the software manager. On Nobara or PikaOS, follow the welcome app’s update and driver steps before starting your games.
Success check: The computer starts into Linux with the USB removed, and your internet, sound, and display work.
8. Quick fixes if something goes wrong
- Windows starts instead: Open the boot menu again and explicitly select the USB.
- USB is missing: Try another USB port, then rewrite the image if needed. Check the distro’s Secure Boot instructions.
- Black screen: Try a safe-graphics or compatibility entry if the boot menu offers one. Confirm you downloaded the image appropriate for your GPU.
- Installer cannot see the SSD: Stop. Check the computer manufacturer’s Linux/storage instructions before changing RAID, RST, or AHCI settings; changing them can stop Windows from booting.
- The installer returns after restarting: Remove the USB and restart again.
