If you have been tempted to move your PC off Windows, Linus Tech Tips has made a beginner's guide that walks through the whole switch, from picking a version of Linux to getting your games running. This is a summary of the steps Linus Sebastian recommends and the cautions he stresses, with timestamps so you can jump to the part you need. The advice is his; read it alongside your own setup.
Why people switch
Linus opens with the reasons people give for leaving Windows: privacy worries, updates that arrive at bad moments, and ads in the operating system (00:00). His pitch for Linux is everyday performance and usability (00:51).
Step 1: choose a distribution
A Linux "distribution" is a packaged version of Linux with its own look and tools. Linus points to tools that help you compare them, including ones that let you try a distribution in your web browser before downloading anything (01:57). His view is that the choice is personal, like picking a car or an outfit, and nobody should dictate it for you (02:15).
Step 2: make a bootable USB
You download the distribution's disk image and write it to a USB stick with a flashing tool (03:23).
Step 3: back everything up
This is the step to take seriously. Linus covers backing up to a NAS, cloud storage or a separate drive (03:56), and gives one piece of advice that could save your data: physically disconnect every drive you are not installing to before you start (05:01). It removes the risk of wiping the wrong disk.
Step 4: boot and install
You'll need to enter your PC's UEFI firmware settings, put the USB stick first in the boot order, and deal with Secure Boot (05:08). Linus says the installation itself is the simple part (05:37).
Step 5: learn the new layout
Linux has one file tree starting at a single root, rather than drive letters (06:31), and he explains what the main system folders are for (07:31). His advice is to leave system folders alone unless you are following a trusted guide (08:26), and to commit to the change rather than running back to Windows the moment something feels unfamiliar (06:24).
Step 6: install your software and games
Most software comes through graphical app stores and the Flatpak system (08:41). For Windows-only programs he covers compatibility layers and, if all else fails, dual-booting (09:55). For games, he points to Valve's Proton through Steam and to launchers such as Heroic and Lutris for other stores (11:18).
The big caveat for gamers
Linus is clear that games using kernel-level anti-cheat are the hard limit. In his view, dual-booting is the only completely bulletproof way to keep playing those (10:38). Check your must-play multiplayer games before you commit, and keep Windows on a separate drive if any of them won't run.
A simple plan
Try a distribution in a browser or from the USB stick first, back up and unplug every other drive, install, give yourself a couple of weeks before judging it, and keep a dual-boot option for anti-cheat games. That is Linus's guide in five lines.
Viewers were enthusiastic: several said they had just switched, one long-time Linux professional called it a good, concise introduction for newcomers, and another reminded readers to save their BitLocker recovery keys before wiping drives.
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