In the last UCRMN newsletter, I addressed the issue of the coming “end of life” for Windows 10 computers that are deemed incompatible with the newer Windows 11 operating system. It is estimated that about 240 million or so computers will then be considered obsolete, and the landfill is probably their eventual new home, as the amount of recycling is dismal (12.5 to 20 % at best). So, a little effort on your part will help avoid this problem and save you a lot of money. The solution is to put a Linux operating system on the supposedly obsolete computer. As I mentioned in part 1, I have been doing this changeover since 2011.
Part 1 instructs you how to create a boot-able USB stick thumb drive that will be needed. Go back to that issue and read the instructions and view the video links. Now that you have that USB, we enter the only frustrating part of the process, namely getting your old computer to boot from that USB on starting it up. The problem is that there is no standard pattern to get into the “boot menu” to do this function. Every manufacturer seems to do it differently. Sometimes you just need to press a “function key, like F1, F12 etc. at the start up. Other computers use the delete key or the escape key. One laptop that I had was so kind as to actually quickly ask me at the startup to just quickly press “enter” and it would give you the choice of the computer’s hard drive, or USB. You need to check out your computer’s manufacturer to find out with a “Google“ search. Once you select it to boot from the inserted USB drive that you created, you can set it up on the Internet, hard wired or wireless, and take Linux Mint for a test drive. If you don’t like it, turning off your computer and pulling out the USB will return you machine to the old operating system. However, since we obviously need a new system for 2025, just double click the “Install Mint” icon and away you go. The instructions are simple. Make sure to check the box for the added media codecs, so that everything will work up to your expectations. I have included a couple of video links to help you view the process, so that there won’t be any surprises.
Be sure to check out the software available to you in “software manager” for Audacity, VLC Player, OBS, Zoom, Kdenlive, etc. There are many free software programs to make Linux Mint work for you at no extra cost. Some of them are mentioned in earlier articles available online at ucrmn.ca
Don’t forget that these software programs can be easily removed, so you can experiment to find one that suits your particular needs. Also, please keep your system updated. It will remind you with a panel icon that looks like a shield.
Here is the link to the Linux Mint webpage with written installation instructions.
https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html
Rev. Martin Dawson (retired in Cornwall, PEI)