How I started in Linux

In 2015, while pursuing my engineering degree at Amity University Noida, I bought my first personal...

In 2015, while pursuing my engineering degree at Amity University Noida, I bought my first personal laptop — an Intel-powered Dell Vostro. To my pleasant surprise, it came with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (“Trusty Tahr”) pre-installed right out of the box. Dell had offered select models with Ubuntu, and mine shipped with only Linux — no Windows, no dual-boot setup. It was a bold choice for a college student, but one that completely changed my computing journey. At first, I was a bit nervous. Most of my classmates were using Windows, and I had never used Linux before. Since I was staying with my family in Mayur Vihar Phase 1, I used the laptop mainly at home for assignments, browsing, and occasional movies after returning from college.

The real turning point came from the computer labs at Amity University Noida. A group of my close friends and seniors had formed an unofficial “Linux gang.” Tired of the sluggish, frequently crashing Windows machines in the lab, they would secretly wipe and install Ubuntu or Fedora on the lab PCs during lunch breaks or after hours. I watched in awe as they transformed slow computers into fast, reliable systems within minutes.

Their enthusiasm was contagious. One day, they challenged me: “Nishant, if you can manage Linux on your own laptop, you’re officially part of the club.” Inspired, I decided to fully embrace the Ubuntu 14.04 that was already on my Dell Vostro.

Back home in Mayur Vihar Phase 1, I started exploring the Unity desktop in the evenings, playing with the terminal, and installing packages. The Intel hardware worked flawlessly — Wi-Fi, graphics, touchpad, and sound all functioned perfectly without any extra drivers.

The system felt incredibly light and responsive. Applications launched quickly, multitasking was smooth, and there was no bloatware eating up resources. I began spending more time in the terminal, learning commands like sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade, installing development tools with apt install, and editing code in Vim. What once looked intimidating slowly became empowering.

In the college computer lab, I joined my friends in maintaining the Linux setups. We spent hours together installing software, compiling programs with GCC, customizing the desktop, and helping other students who showed interest. Those late lab sessions at Amity University Noida, followed by my ride back home to Mayur Vihar Phase 1, turned into some of my best college memories — filled with laughter, problem-solving, and shared discoveries about open-source software.

The Dell Vostro, powered by Intel, proved to be an excellent Linux machine. Since it came with Ubuntu 14.04 pre-installed and nothing else, I never had to deal with partitioning or dual-boot complications. This clean setup allowed me to dive straight into learning without any distractions, whether I was working at home or in the lab.

What started as curiosity sparked by my friends in the Amity labs grew into a genuine passion. Linux taught me about system control, efficiency, and the power of community-driven software. The freedom I experienced on that Dell Vostro shaped how I approached technology throughout my college years and beyond.

Today, more than a decade later, my Linux journey continues on my current daily driver — a 2022 Acer Aspire 7 with a Ryzen 5 5500U processor, 16 GB RAM, and a 4 GB NVIDIA GTX 1650 graphics card. I run Arch Linux with ML4W Dotfiles on top of Hyprland, enjoying a highly customized, performant, and beautiful tiling window manager experience that feels like a natural evolution from those early Ubuntu days on the Dell Vostro.

That humble Intel-powered Dell Vostro that came with only Ubuntu 14.04 wasn’t just a laptop — it was my gateway into the world of Linux, made even more special by the friends, lab adventures at Amity University Noida, and the peaceful evenings spent exploring it at home in Mayur Vihar Phase 1.

If you’re a student thinking about Linux, don’t wait for the perfect moment. Boot into it, explore with friends, and let curiosity guide you. It might become one of the most valuable parts of your college life — just like it did for me in 2015.