In the midst of setting up a dual boot configuration on my laptop, I encountered a common hurdle: BitLocker encryption. This feature, which is enabled by default on most Windows 11 systems, posed a challenge for the Ubuntu installer. To move forward smoothly, I decided to temporarily disable BitLocker. The process was straightforward; I navigated to the Control Panel, accessed the BitLocker Drive Encryption settings, and clicked on “Turn Off BitLocker.” With this step taken, I was hopeful that the installation would proceed without further complications.
With BitLocker disabled, the next phase involved creating a bootable USB drive to install Ubuntu. For this task, I turned to Rufus, a well-regarded free program known for its efficiency in writing ISO files to USB drives. I utilized an SK hynix Tube drive, which, while appearing as a USB stick, functions as a USB SSD. In Rufus, I selected the option to list USB hard drives, ensuring my device was recognized. After choosing the GPT partition scheme and selecting the Ubuntu ISO, I initiated the process. Given the speed of the USB SSD, the operation was completed in mere minutes, setting the stage for booting from the flash drive and accessing the GRUB menu for installation.
The journey began with downloading Ubuntu 25.04, an ISO file available from the official Ubuntu website. At 5.8GB, the download was surprisingly swift, completing in about a minute thanks to the efficiency of the office network. This version, dubbed “Plucky Puffin,” is the latest iteration of the popular Linux distribution, known for its robust support and user-friendly interface.
As I contemplated which Linux distribution to install, the options were plentiful. From Ubuntu and Linux Mint to Fedora and Manjaro, each has its unique appeal. While Linux Mint is often recommended for its Windows-like interface, I opted for Ubuntu 25.04 due to its popularity and extensive support. Although I could have chosen the more stable Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, which offers five years of support, my curiosity for the latest features led me to select the newest version. I planned to install it on both my ThinkPad X1 Carbon and my custom-built desktop, equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X CPU, ensuring a robust performance across both machines.
