This is my third attempt. Partly to rage quit Windows, and partly to gain utility and control with some professional AV software.
I have converted an old Asus netbook to Ubuntu netbook remix and used it for a while. I was impressed with how much better that tiny thing ran with Linux than Windows. But in the end it still had less power than a TI-84. So I stopped using it, and never really learned Linux proper.
I dual boot my Chromebook, so I can use gimp for photos on vacation, but everything I do with the Linux partition is cut and paste from articles by people who know what they’re doing. (I was motivated to post here by a meme about that.)
I’m thinking of dual booting my main desktop, because I need Windows for some fairly processor intense A/V software I use for work. So what would be a good distro to look into for a novice and where should I look for a tutorial? I would ultimately like to see if I can use Linux to run my AV software in emulation and add drivers for some professional audio interfaces. I’m fed up with windows and trying to see how far I can get without it. Your help is appreciated in advance, and if this is inappropriate for this topic, let me know and I’ll delete it.
This, absolutely. VirtualBox is free for home users as well, and supports hardware graphics acceleration. Hardest part of running Linux is installing it - can practice at no risk and try out various distros until you’re confident with it. Can even practice with a recovery disk and make sure that you can get back up and running if you cack it up.
Also, make sure that you’ve got an install DVD / USB stick somewhere safe, just in case you do ever need it. Bit embarassing to be unable to start the only computer you have in the house.