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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• I installed Ubuntu on an old Dell laptop to see if Linux could really replace Windows.  
• I had difficulty installing the OS, so I had to troubleshoot.
• Once fixed, I enjoyed an OS that was cleaner and simplier than Windows 11.

Back in 2023, Microsoft announced it would formally end support for Windows 10, seemingly to push more users onto Windows 11. The tech giant has softened that stance a bit by offering purchasable updates through October 12, 2027. But the fact remains that Windows 10 will soon be a thing of the past. Some users have made the jump to Windows 11 while others opted to extend the life of the OS through third-party services like 0patch. A growing number of people, however, chose a different path entirely: leaving Windows behind in favor of Linux.

Also: I’ve tested many portable Linux distros, but PorteuX is the one I keep on my USB drive

To me, Linux has always felt like an operating system reserved for programmers, IT administrators, and hobbyists — something niche. But as Microsoft steers users toward Windows 11, Linux has started to look less gimmicky and more like a legitimate escape route. In 2025, Linux broke the 5% threshold of the desktop market. That’s huge because it means an ever-increasing number of people are adopting the system, and the number continues to grow.

I’ve always been curious about Linux. So after years of procrastination, I finally decided to install Ubuntu on my old Dell Latitude 5400 laptop and see for myself what the experience was actually like.

Why I chose Ubuntu

With the dozens, if not hundreds, of Linux distributions available for free download, which one should you get? I settled on Ubuntu, primarily because of its reputation as a very beginner-friendly distro. People have praised the system for its approachable interface and supportive community.

Also: Inside Canonical’s plan to make Ubuntu 26.04 the Linux desktop that finally goes mainstream

Given my luck and history with technology, I expected to run into problems (spoiler: I did), so I wanted a distro that came with plenty of helpful advice. Ubuntu also has a reputation for running well on older hardware, making it a good fit for my aging Latitude 5400.

Installing Ubuntu: Confidence, confusion, and relief

Installing Ubuntu is generally straightforward. First, head to Canonical’s official Ubuntu website and download the ISO file. Now you can’t just copy the ISO onto a flash drive and install Ubuntu on a laptop. It has to be turned into bootable installation media first, which is where Rufus comes in. Rufus is a free utility tool that creates bootable USB drives for installation. The Canonical Ubuntu website goes into more detail, but essentially, you “upload” the ISO to Rufus and hit Start at the bottom to begin conversion. The whole process took me eight minutes to complete.

From here, I plugged the flash drive into the Latitude 5400, restarted the laptop, and repeatedly pressed F12 to open the boot menu. It’s here that I encountered the biggest obstacle of the entire experiment.

The laptop booted into the GNU GRUB (Grand Unified Bootloader), where I selected the “Try or Install Ubuntu” option. Instead of launching the installer, I was greeted by a blank screen. At first, I assumed this was normal. Maybe Ubuntu needed a few extra minutes to get going. Five minutes turned into 10. Then 30. After an hour of staring into the endless abyss, it became clear that something had gone very wrong.

Also: How to create a bootable Linux USB drive

Like any frustrated tech user, I turned to the internet. I searched Reddit, browsed the official Ubuntu forums, and dug through multiple troubleshooting guides looking for anyone who had run into the same problem. Along the way, I tried several recommended fixes.  

• I tried a different flash drive. A helpful commenter online suggested that my old drive might be corrupted. I reattempted the installation with a fresh stick, but nothing. The blank screen came back.
• One thread on the Ubuntu forums told me to enter the BIOS and disable Secure Boot. I tried that and zip. Ubuntu still didn’t work.
• I eventually found the “nomodeset” method. In the GRUB bootloader, you hit the ‘E’ key to enter a command editor. The process states to add “nomodeset” at the end of a line that begins with “linux /boot/vmlinuzlinux /boot/vmlinuz”. I did that and nothing again.

At that point, I admitted defeat. I tried a few more fixes I found online, but each one ended the same way: a black screen. Frustrated, I shelved the Dell Latitude 5400 for nearly three weeks and moved on to other things. When I finally came back to it, I decided to give the internet one last chance before throwing in the towel — and thanks to the extremely helpful Linux community, it paid off.

I came across a December 2024 thread of someone dealing with a totally blank screen after selecting “Try or Install Ubuntu”, just like me. The pinned comment stated to go back into the GRUB bootloader, type in “nomodeset acpi=off” after “quiet splash,” and hit Enter. I did just that, and — lo and behold! — the Ubuntu installation began. I had successfully fixed the issue.

Also: 5 tiny Linux tools I can’t live or work without

To my understanding, Ubuntu was running into an issue with the laptop’s graphics card.

According to this Linux forum post, more recent versions of Ubuntu moved the video mode settings into the kernel so the OS can display a high-resolution splash screen during boot. On some hardware configurations, that particular kernel may be incompatible with certain graphics cards, resulting in a blank screen. Typing “nomodeset” essentially tells the kernel to not load those video drivers. Regarding acpi=off, it’s a similar story. The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface may not be compatible with your computer. Disabling it bypasses this issue, thus allowing a clean installation.

I hope my experience saves you several hours of troubleshooting. However, this doesn’t seem to be a widespread problem. So far, I’ve encountered the blank-screen issue only on my Dell Latitude 5400. I’ve since installed Ubuntu in a virtual machine, and the process took even less time and was completely hiccup-free.

What using Linux actually feels like

Once I got past the installation issues, Ubuntu itself was surprisingly easy to set up. The process is very similar to installing Windows 11. You’re asked to choose a language, keyboard layout, accessibility options, and a few privacy settings before dropping you onto the desktop.

Also: After 30 years with Linux, here’s my way of convincing Windows users to switch

It’s at this point that I expected the real learning curve to begin. I’d thought I would spend most of my time in the terminal, searching online for command-line fixes. But that didn’t happen. Instead, I found a remarkably clean operating system. There were no prompts asking me to finish setting up an online account, no OneDrive reminders, no Microsoft 365 advertisements, and no notifications urging me to switch browsers. Ubuntu simply booted up and let me use my computer.

Unlike Windows, where certain settings can be buried beneath multiple menus, Ubuntu makes it easy to adjust system settings. I appreciated Ubuntu’s take on the Start menu, splitting pinned apps between the application drawer in the upper right-hand corner and the dock along the left side of the screen. Even as a lifelong Windows user, I quickly learned to navigate my new desktop within minutes.

Performance was another pleasant surprise. Even on my aging Dell Latitude 5400, Ubuntu felt snappy. Apps launched quickly, windows opened without hesitation, and the system felt lighter than Windows 11. My laptop had been given a second chance at life.

Writer’s take 

Going into this experience, I expected Linux to be an operating system I’d constantly have to fight with. Between its reputation for being geared toward programmers and the hiccup I ran into during installation, I assumed I’d spend more time troubleshooting than actually using the laptop. Instead, I came away genuinely impressed.

Ubuntu delivered an experience that was far more polished and approachable than I expected. Everyday tasks like browsing the web, installing applications, changing system settings, and connecting peripherals felt intuitive enough that I never had to stop and figure out what to do next. I’ve been more confused using MacOS than Ubuntu.

Also: This is my favorite Linux distro of all time – and I’ve tried them all

That said, I’m not ready to replace Windows on my primary PC. Windows 11 still has clear advantages in software compatibility and the tools I rely on for work. But Ubuntu completely changed my perception of Linux. What I once dismissed as an operating system for programmers now feels like a practical, polished alternative for everyday computing.

More importantly, I don’t see this as a one-time experiment. I plan to keep using Linux, continue learning its ins and outs, and who knows — maybe one day it’ll become my primary OS.