Score:0

Ubuntu installation on PC

ng flag

As a long time Windows user I'm thinking of giving an Ubuntu a try to install it as my main OS on my PC, but before I can do that there are a couple of questions related to that I need answers for

namely:

  1. How demanding is Ubuntu on system resources as opposed to Windows 10
  2. After the installation would I need to install any additional software, any drivers(display, network, sound, etc)
  3. Would I need to update the system myself or is it automatic like on Windows

any tips, guidance are all appreciated

thank you

edit: PC specs

  • CPU: i3 4160 @3.60 GHZ
  • Memory: DDR3 8GB DUAL
  • Graphics: Geforce GT 730
  • Storage: HDD 1TB
user535733 avatar
cn flag
The Ubuntu installer includes a risk-free, no-commitment "Try Ubuntu" live environment so you can answer #1 and #2 for yourself. We do not know your usage or your hardware, so you are asking us to guess. Use the tool designed to answer those questions.
user535733 avatar
cn flag
#3 is a combination of yes and no. Updates are very much unlike Windows. ALL of Ubuntu is very unlike Windows in many ways. To Windows, you are a *customer*. To Ubuntu, you are a *community participant*. Advice: If you want to be a customer, then stick to Windows. If you are ready for something more, then try Ubuntu.
Will avatar
id flag
My experience is that Ubuntu is *much* less resource heavy than Windows. (My interest in Linux came from a Microsoft laptop advert a few years ago when the character was singing the praises of her new laptop. The old one was getting a bit slow she said ... after all, it is 2 years old! I wanted to move away from anything suggesting 2 years is a reasonable lifespan for a computer). I've put Ubuntu on a 10 year old desktop that would barely load Win 10 and it works at least as fast as my wife's 2 year old PC running Win 10. But as user535733 said, you can try it - that's really worth doing.
Score:2
do flag

Like user535733 said - try the "no obligation trial" by booting the ubuntu USB/CD and having a play. It will be slower than a full install because its running from slower disk, but you should be able to get a decent feel for it.

How demanding is Ubuntu on system resources as opposed to Windows 10

For my usage, a lot less in a lot of areas, but more in others (running VMs, running builds). For general internet browsing, email etc its likely to be less.

After the installation would I need to install any additional software, any drivers(display, network, sound, etc)

Ubuntu is one of the really nice distros that mostly "just works", unless you have really brand new hardware. I'd expect it all to just work after install, with no downloads needed. *Though you might want to separately install nvidia non-oss drivers (if you're not playing games, dont bother)

Would I need to update the system myself or is it automatic like on Windows

Unlike windows, its up to you. Install unattended-upgrades and you're done, or do it manually when its convenient.

Score:1
se flag

I'll give an answer to each of your questions:-

  1. Generally, all Linux distributions like Ubuntu are less heavy on system resources than Windows and Mac-OS. The Linux kernel has been designed to be as efficient as possible and that's one of the reasons why most servers run Linux. I guess you've heard of Ubuntu Servers, etc. Even Microsoft Azure runs on top of Linux servers.

  2. As of now, you wouldn't need any additional driver updates post-installation. You'll only have to update your system so as to sync the software repositories. And don't worry about the how and the time it takes, you can continue using your PC as the updates install. It'll take like 15 minutes depending on your internet connection. Even for proprietary drivers like the NVIDIA ones, they are supported out of the box in the latest kernel.

  3. Linux is free. Yes, free as in 'free beer' and free as in 'freedom'. You'll only get a prompt that the system needs an update upon which it will be up to you to decide whether or not to update your system. You can update it from the package manager GUI (similar to the App store in Windows but more robust) so don't be intimidated by the terminal.

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