Ultimate Linux Guide
So, your interested in linux? You want to ditch Microsoft but all the guides on the internet tell you to use one distro, and another guide tells you to use another? This guide will help you get started with the Linux ecosystem and how to become a comfortable Linux user (no coding knowledge or command-line knowledge needed!)
First of all, we are going to start with the distro. We are going to be using Arch Linux. I'm sure you have heard from MANY people that arch is so hard to install. Let me tell you, we aren't going to be installing Arch Linux the normal way. We are going to be using a little tool called archinstall that comes preinstalled into every Arch Linux installer.
First of all, we are going to want to make a bootable USB. This means that instead of booting from your SSD/HDD, you will boot from a USB. First of all, go to https://archlinux.org/download/. Then scroll down to find a mirror (place to download) that is in your country. Forget about verifying the iso. If you care about security, you can do that, but it saves time not doing it.
Second of all, go to https://etcher.balena.io/ and download balenaEtcher. DO NOT INSTALL RUFUS AND DO NOT USE RUFUS! IT IS NOT FOR LINUX AND ITS VERY SLOW. Then open it, select the archlinux .iso file. Then select your usb you want to use. Then click flash! Wait for it to flash and then verify. Make sure you backup all of your files to cloud storage provider such as google cloud. Dont use onedrive. Your using linux to escape the shacles of onedrive and gain the power of Linus Torvalds.
Thirdly, you are going to want to go into your laptop/pc's UEFI BIOS settings. This isn't anything complex, however it might seem a bit scary. First, shut down your computer. Then, as soon as you turn it on, start RAPIDLY AND FRANTICLY PRESSING YOUR ESCAPE KEY AND DELETE KEY!!!!!!!! If that doesen't work, either search for the bios key for your laptop brand/pc's motherboard or try f10, f11 or tab (plz dm me if your motherboard has a tab bios key. I will send you a new motherboard.). Then, navigate to your boot order. (Make sure your usb is plugged in.). On an MSI motherboard, it will be in the main settings under boot, and in the top-middle right. In hp bios's, it will be in one of the categories at the top. I think its boot. Then, make sure you change that to boot from the usb. Put that at the top of the list, or first in the list.
Then save your changes and get out your bios. If you have done this correctly, you will be met with either a very loudly beeping GRUB screen or a nice GRUB screen with the arch logo. Make sure you go to install arch without compatibility or speech stuff. Then once it has done its loading stuff which may take a while, type in archinstall. Make sure your keyboard is right, make sure your partioning is automatic and set to ext4 with a seperate home partition if it lets you (YOU DO NOT NEED DISK ENCRYPTION!! TRUST ME. IT MAKES LIFE DIFFICULT IF YOUR SYSTEM BRICKS ITSELF). Then go to profiles, and select minimal. Please follow an archinstall guide for the full stuff but its super easy and there are no hidden steps here.
Go ahead and click install, once its done select shutdown and boot arch linux or smth similar. Then when prompted, remove your USB. Make sure you remembered your user and password! Type in your username and then password. Not just your root password. Then use iwctl (execute: sudo pacman -S iwctl if it isnt already installed) and follow an iwctl toutorial to do that. Its super easy. Then do git clone https://github.com/HyDE-Project/hyde-config.git (sudo pacman -S git base-devel if it isn't already installed. This installs git and base-devel for you.) Then do ls. This lists the directorys (folders) where your currently working (your working directory). Now do cd, followed by the name of the directory that looks like its called Hyde. If it has a space, do (this is an example), cd "LINUS TORVALDS FOREEVER". That is if it has spaces and thats the name of your directory. The speech marks indicate a space in the text.
Now do ./install.sh (DONT RUN THIS OR GIT AS SUDO. IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT THAT IS, THEN LOLLLL). Wait for it to complete, if asked for an aur helper, choose yay. If asked for a choice of fish or zsh, pick fish. Then choose the themes for the stuff and continue. Then type in reboot and voila. Login and click the keyboard in the top right on the third dock thing to learn the keybinds. super (windows) +a opens the app switcher.
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY!!!
If you dont know what to do now, then lolll