Hi! Thanks for reading.
I’m sure all of us Linux users revel in the countless articles coming out about the enshittification of Windows, reporting on how Microslop is utilizing more and more vibe coding, transforming PCs into rental clients, and more.
While I’m happy to call myself a Kubuntu-ist, many of my family members still daily drive Windows 11 on their PCs. I can only imagine how their UX is declining day over day.
This makes me want them to witness the freedom of Linux!
So, what are your easiest ways to set up dual boot between W11 and your favorite distro?
Seems like a GUI would be best for non-tech savvy people. Something like rEFInd or Clover (I come from the Steam Deck dual boot world, and am somewhat familiar with this one).
Are there any risks with changing the default Windows Boot Manager? I’ve heard that Windows updates can mess things up, but that if you install Windows first, that can save some headache down the road.
Bonus if you have a favorite distro for non-tech savvy people that needs minimal configuration!
I was using X and Y to refer to Windows/Linux.
I do currently dual boot, using UEFI + grub2 (and also macos bootloader+asahi linux), and yes, it definitely is a personal disdain. The various bootloaders themselves don’t really change the experience that much its that you have to choose your OS during the boot process that cause the UX friction.
It may be the same as a user login screen, but it doesn’t take the place of one. So you press the on button -> wait a bit -> choose your OS -> wait a bit more -> choose your user -> wait a bit more. That extra step in there just really gets on your nerves, especially if you just want to turn on the PC and get on with something. If there was a way to set the boot choice before pressing the on button (like a physical toggle switch or something), that would be slightly better, but afaik, that doesn’t exist.
I’m not telling you to shut up, but I would suggest caution, it only takes one bad experience to irreparably damage your families opinion of linux, sometimes its better to let them come to you when their ready. But USB to demo the experience is definitely a good way to go about it. But when they are ready, I’d go all in on the distro of choice and spend some time with them to iron out all the issues. A little hand holding early on will save you a lot of headache later.