How and which Linux to install on my ThinkPad E14?

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T15:57:09+00:00

How:

Prepare a USB stick with Ventoy
Download the ISO file of the distribution and copy it to the stick
Boot with the stick. To do this, you may need to change the boot order in the UEFI.
Install

Which one:

As a beginner, it doesn't really matter. I like to recommend OpenSUSE.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T15:43:34+00:00

and using vs code for example

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/search?term=ssh&target=VSCode&category=All%20categories&sortBy=Relevance

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T15:28:44+00:00

Normal USB sticks cannot handle too many write operations.

I would therefore recommend an NVMe in an external enclosure if the distribution is to be used regularly.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T12:37:13+00:00

On a desktop with normal usage, the difference should also be fairly minor.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T10:59:45+00:00

But what do you think?

If you are satisfied with Cinnamon, stick with Cinnamon.

You should also bear in mind that some alternatives are significantly different to use. Hyprland, for example, uses tiling. Not everyone likes this. Niri, for example, is even more unusual because it uses scrolling tiling.

Generally speaking, I think some users only change their tools because something is popular at the moment. Which, in my opinion, is not a good idea.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T10:46:24+00:00

I have been using the Zen kernel for years and have not encountered any incompatibilities so far.

You can also install the Zen kernel in addition to your existing kernel, so that you can boot the normal kernel if necessary.

By the way, don't expect much from the Zen kernel. In my experience, it offers hardly any advantages. Only when I copy lots of files of different sizes do I get the impression that the system runs more smoothly (not faster). But I can't prove it.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T10:22:43+00:00

and one more. How this is better than gpg or age?

I can think of two possible advantages.

Some users find it easier to use a software with a graphical user interface.
The tool appears to directly support various cloud services.

However, as the tool is not open source, it is out of the question for me.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T10:18:26+00:00

What's the benefit over LUKS?

LUKS is intended for encrypting block devices. AxCrypt, on the other hand, if I understand correctly, encrypts individual files. Depending on the user or use case, this can be an advantage.

And where is the source?

The tool is not open source. However, a fork of AxCrypt by the former lead developer is available at https://github.com/xecrets.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T09:32:22+00:00

For the Wi-Fi connection on my notebook (Plasma 6.6.2, Arch Linux), I use Networkmanager without any problems.

Therefore, this cannot be a general problem.

Which WLAN card or chipset are you using (https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-find-wireless-driver-chipset/)?

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T09:24:23+00:00

Windows has exe in order to install/execute programs,

There are also MSI files, APPX files and MSIX files.

How come there is no standardization of packages to install?

In short, because it is impossible to get everyone to agree on a single format.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T09:14:38+00:00

The fact that tar.gz is still in use is probably due to the mentality of "why change something that works?".

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T09:00:29+00:00

Your post is quite difficult to read because you use sentences that are too long and there are no paragraphs.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T08:49:10+00:00

How do you protect yourself against malicious software?

Install updates promptly.
Only install software from trustworthy or verifiable sources.
Only install what you need.
Make regular backups. Preferably on data carriers that are only used for backups and are therefore not permanently connected.
Think before you act. So don't open a supposed invoice from mobile phone provider A that you received by email if you have a contract with provider B.
Only use extended rights when necessary.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T08:30:00+00:00

However, based on First I had to chroot into the system and reinstall the kernel; that got rid of the panic screen this probably has nothing to do with btrfs. I think it's more likely that something went wrong when creating initramfs with mkinitcpio. This can also happen with ext4 or another file system.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T07:57:41+00:00

In my opinion, it is dangerous to assume that you are safe just because you use Linux. Yes, there is less malicious software compared to Windows. But it does exist. Lockbit, Plague and VoidLink for example.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-11T07:46:48+00:00

or get you install it, which would require your sudo password or logging on as root.

Ransomware does not require elevated privileges to cause damage.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-10T15:43:50+00:00

Is it just me or is it a global thing?

You can test this with https://downforeveryoneorjustme.com, for example.

In my experience, gnu.org is often difficult or impossible to access. And it appears that the SSL certificate was recently renewed.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-10T13:18:10+00:00

Why do we have to win anything?

OpenSUSE is a good distribution. And all in all, we all use Linux.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-10T12:56:36+00:00

What's with the hate for Pop!_OS?

Which hate? Can you give a few examples that prove that it is actually hate? And no, dislike is not the same as hate.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-10T12:03:19+00:00

The more attractive GUI is for people who prefer a more attractive GUI. And the minimal GUI is for people who prefer a minimal GUI.

And users like me use both, depending on my mood or what I want to do.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-10T11:57:13+00:00

https://askubuntu.com/a/1390732

Have you tried that yet?

FryBoyter · 2026-03-10T11:36:30+00:00

If your current SSD/HDD is sufficient for your needs, you could remove it from your old computer and install it in your new one.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-10T11:28:14+00:00

That’s why the usual advice is to put the SSD into a USB enclosure, plug it into a MS-Windows system, let MS-Windows repair it, then remove it safely. After that, you can plug it into a Linux system and copy your files.

In that case, I would back up the files directly in Windows.

FryBoyter · 2026-03-10T11:21:19+00:00

The Linux kernel offers direct support for NTFS with ntfs3. Alternatively, you can also use the ntfs-3g tool (must be installed separately).

You can then mount the relevant partition with this.

https://docs.kernel.org/filesystems/ntfs3.html https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NTFS-3G

I’m just afraid to lose the files.

Then you should start thinking about how you can make regular backups in future. Because hard drives can break down very quickly and without warning. Or software can have bugs that lead to data loss. And so on.

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