Download from the real project
Get the ISO from the distro’s official site - Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Fedora - not a random “driver pack” mirror that bundles adware. Prefer HTTPS. On the download page, look for checksums (SHA256). Verifying the checksum proves the file you got matches what the project published. That step stops both corruption and some supply-chain nastiness.
On Windows you can use certutil or a small checksum utility. On an existing Linux box, sha256sum is built in. If the hash does not match, delete the ISO and download again. Do not install mystery bits.
Write the USB (do not just copy the file)
Dragging an ISO onto a USB stick in File Explorer does not make it bootable. Use a purpose tool: Rufus or balenaEtcher on Windows, Startup Disk Creator or dd carefully on Linux. In Rufus, follow the distro’s recommended mode (often DD image mode for Ubuntu-family ISOs).
Use a quality USB stick of 8 GB or larger. Cheap failing sticks cause “install randomly dies at 40%” tickets that waste evenings. Label the stick with the distro name and date so it does not get reformatted as a photo dump later.
Firmware settings that block USB boot
Modern PCs may have Secure Boot, fast boot, or USB boot disabled. Enter firmware setup (often Del, F2, or Esc at power-on - your model’s manual wins). Temporarily allow USB boot. Many mainstream distros support Secure Boot; if the stick is invisible, try another USB port (motherboard ports beat front-panel hubs).
On Windows, use “Advanced startup” to boot from USB if the one-time boot menu is hard to catch. If the machine only shows a black screen from the stick, reflash the ISO or try another stick before blaming Linux.
Live session first
Almost every beginner ISO can “try before install.” Boot the live desktop, connect Wi‑Fi, open a browser, and confirm the trackpad and display resolution look sane. If Wi‑Fi is dead in the live session, fix that problem before you erase anything - the installed system will use the same drivers.
This is also when you confirm you can read your backup drive. Then, and only then, run the installer. Patience here is professionalism, not fear.
When to stop DIY
When the stack exceeds DIY - drive failures, dual-boot disasters, locked accounts, or a machine that must be online for work tomorrow - contact CCPCREPAIR in Tahlequah. We do diagnostics with a flat quote after we know what is wrong. Call 918-228-5889 or use the form.
← Linux is easy series · All guides · Book a diagnosticField notes from the shop
At CCPCREPAIR in Tahlequah we see the same pattern repeatedly: people succeed with Linux when they slow down for backups, pick a mainstream distro, and treat the first week as landing the plane - updates, browser, printer - before theming and experimental drivers. They fail when they skip the backup, click through erase-disk options, or paste sudo commands they cannot explain.
Keep a live USB of the same distro in a drawer. It is a recovery tool as much as an installer. When something will not boot, the live session is how you copy files off and read logs without making the problem worse. That habit alone separates calm operators from emergency tickets.
If you share a machine with family, write a one-page note: distro name, username model (not the password), whether the disk is encrypted, and where the backups live. Future you - or a technician - will move faster with that sheet than with a vague memory of a YouTube video from three months ago.
Continue the series in order when you can, but jump ahead if you already know the topic. Every page ends with abort criteria and a path to contact the shop when risk climbs. Linux is easy when honesty about hardware and data comes first.