“GPG might warn you that the Linux Mint signature is not trusted by your computer. I then get two seemingly-conflicting messages.īut the installation guide assures me that if the fingerprints match, I’m good to go. First I use the WSL’s built-in gpg command to import the Linux Mint signing key - and then run it with the –verify flag to make sure I get the appropriate “fingerprint”.
But wait! Now there’s also an additional step to verify the authenticity of that file - and it involves another set of tools. I confirmed that it printed out the number specified in the sha256sum.txt file I’d downloaded along with the ISO file. So I could just fire up a Bash window, and run its built-in sha256sum utility.
I’ve already installed the Windows Subsystem for Linux on my laptop. But then I realized there’s an even easier way.
The installation guide includes a link to a detailed forum post explaining how to verify the ISO image on a Windows machine. The bad news? The easy command-line check is a Linux utility, and I was still using a Windows system.įortunately, I found a work-around. The user guide explains that if the download caused problems with the ISO file, “you will experience weird bugs and will have a lot of trouble finding help.” The good news? The integrity of the download is easily verified using the SHA256 checksum. The first surprise? After downloading the distribution’s 1.8GB ISO file, I discovered that the installation instructions included one step that I wasn’t expecting: “Verify your ISO image.” Downloads Must Be Verified But somehow I kept being pulled forward by the call of open source Linux… Looking back, I was hoping it’d be easier, and I very nearly gave up. What exactly happens when you move from a consumer-oriented technology, and try to cross over to the Linux-y world of open source, and a whole new ecosystem of free software? Or, to put it another way, what happens when an installation newbie confronts the details and nuances of a more technical world? Along the way, I documented every step, creating a step-by-step tutorial of how to make it all happen, and capturing all the new and interesting things I’ve learned, since in a way it’s not just a change of operating systems, but a change of cultures. So I set about following the Installation Guide’s download instructions. The line in the user guide that really intrigued me was its promise of “a fully-functional operating system which you can try without affecting your PC.” Everything stays on the USB stick. How hard would it be to convert it into a Linux laptop?Īfter some research, I’d thought I’d discovered the perfect distribution: Linux Mint. I’ve got a basic Dell Inspilaptop running Windows 10 that I’d bought in the summer of 2018 for $328.
0 kommentar(er)
