Microsoft Surface 3 laptop is a top-quality laptop developed and designed by Microsoft and uses the Microsoft Windows operating system. Considering there are several other operating systems that you can use on your laptop, including Linux, Android, Unix, Ubuntu, and macOS, you might be wondering if you can run Linux on your Microsoft Surface 3.
So, can you run Linux on Surface laptop 3? You can run Linux on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop as a sole operating system, or you can have a dual-boot setup with the Microsoft Windows operating system. Once you install Linux as a dual boot, you will have to choose the operating system you would like to run on every boot.
You can also select Windows 10 or Linux as the default operating system if you do not want to choose every time you boot your laptop. However, running Linux on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop is not guaranteed to be a smooth experience. Linux might lack some drivers compatible with your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop’s hardware and can lead to some devices like keyboard and mouse not functioning.
All laptops from Microsoft come with the current Microsoft Windows operating system installed, and most users do not change it. However, some users prefer other operating systems such as Linux and Ubuntu.
Microsoft was known as a computer software company for a long time before designing and developing personal computers. All personal computers from Microsoft come with a Microsoft Windows operating system. If you decide to buy a Microsoft Surface 3 laptop and do not want to use Windows 10, you might wonder if you can run Linux on your surface laptop.
You can run Linux on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop because Linux is compatible, and you do not need a high specification computer to run it. You can use both operating systems simultaneously, but you will have to choose the one you want to use when you boot your laptop.
There are advantages of having a dual operating system on your laptop, such as increased productivity, and each operating system acts as a backup of the other one. However, there are also some disadvantages of dual-booting operating systems on your laptop. You can also replace Windows 10 with Linux, but you risk not getting firmware updates from Microsoft.
The Microsoft Surface 3 laptop comes with a Windows operating system. You buy a Microsoft Surface 3 laptop with 2GB RAM and 64GB storage or one with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage depending on your usage. These specifications make it possible for you to run the Linux operating system. The Linux operating system requirements include a minimum of 1GB RAM and at least 25GB hard drive size.
Most people prefer to use Linux as a second operating system. The most common operating systems in the world is Microsoft Windows. You can install Linux on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop and have a dual operating system.
However, you cannot run both operating systems simultaneously, and you have to choose the one operating system every time you turn on your laptop. Having a dual operating system for your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop is the best thing because you get to enjoy some of the services available on Linux but missing on Windows 8.1 or 10.
One of the advantages of having a dual booting operating system is the increase in productivity. Dual-booting gives you access to all the PC resources. Some programs can only run on a specific operating system. Dual booting allows you to use your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop to run certain programs that cannot run on Windows 8.1 or 10.
For example, if you want to access a program that cannot run on Windows 10, but it can run on Linux, all you have to do is close all the programs and restart your laptop. Choose the Linux operating system, and you can use the program without any problems.
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Another advantage of dual booting is the operating systems act as backups for one another. Sometimes operating systems can fail, and if you only have one, you cannot use your laptop until you fix the problem. If you have issues booting your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop with the Linux operating system, you can use the Windows 10 operating system until you fix the problem with Linux. If your work depends on the computer, you can finish working and repair the other operating system without worrying about losing your work or data.
Dual-booting is a good thing, but it is also very important to learn about its disadvantages. One of the disadvantages of having a dual boot is it takes up a lot of space on your laptop’s drive. If your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop has a 64GB SSD or HDD, Windows 10 will take close to 11GB of that space.
On the other hand, Linux will require close to 5GB of space, excluding installations of other applications such as LibreOffice and system updates. If you plan to install Linux on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop, make sure you buy one with enough storage space.
Dual-booting can be tiresome because you cannot use both operating systems at the same time. Anytime you want to use Linux, you have to save all the changes on Windows 10, close all programs and turn off the laptop. Booting your laptop on the second operating system takes time. You have to wait close to ten minutes to change from Windows 10 to Linux, which can be inconvenient if you use your laptop for work.
Another disadvantage of dual booting is exposing one operating system to dangerous malware. The Linux operating system remains largely untroubled by viruses because it has a small user base. Most cyber attackers create malware that targets computers using Microsoft Windows operating systems.
If you have Windows 10 and Linux on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop, the risk of malware infecting the Linux environment increases. You also have to spend more to protect both the Windows 10 and Linux environment.
If you do not want a dual boot and prefer to use Linux, you will have to wipe the whole drive. Before you wipe the entire drive, ensure you have backed up all your data before replacing Windows 10 with Linux.
However, you will not receive any firmware updates because they are usually distributed through Windows update. If your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop starts to malfunction, such as an unresponsive mouse pad, you only have to restore the Microsoft Windows operating system.
Can You Use Ubuntu on Surface Laptop 3?
Ubuntu is a Linux-based operating system developed by Canonical Ltd and can work as a sole operating system for your PC or as a dual boot. After buying a Microsoft Surface 3 laptop, you might be wondering if it is possible to use Ubuntu on your new laptop.
You can use Ubuntu on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop as long as it has the minimum system requirements. You can replace the Microsoft Windows operating system with Ubuntu or use it as the second boot. Installing Ubuntu on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop is not an easy task. You need to know the correct procedure for installing Ubuntu. Installing Ubuntu on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop can also cause problems with your laptop, such as input device malfunctions and overheating.
Check the current Ubuntu operating system in the market for it’s operating requirements. The system requirements recommended by Canonical will give you an insight if a version of Ubuntu can run on a Surface laptop. For example, requirements of a 1GHZ core processor, 1GB RAM or higher, and a minimum of 2.5GB storage space are easily met by the Surface laptop.
There are two versions of the Microsoft Surface 3 laptop, the 13.5-inch screen and the 15-inch screen; the 13.5-inch Microsoft Surface 3 laptop has an Intel Core i5 processor, while the 15 inch has an AMD Ryzen mobile processor. Surface laptop 3 13.5″ comes with either 8GB or 16GB RAM. The 15 inch comes with either 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB RAM, where you can install Ubuntu on any of the Surface 3 laptops without having any issues.
You can install Ubuntu as the second boot for your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop. There are several advantages of having Ubuntu as the second operating system on your laptop. If you use Windows 10 and Ubuntu for dual-booting, you can learn the Linux environment and use all their open-source software. You can also test or use cross-platform applications rather than use virtual machines. If something goes wrong while using Windows 10 and you cannot fix it in time, you can switch to Ubuntu and continue using your laptop.
If you do not want to dual boot your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop, you can also replace Windows 10 with Ubuntu. Some of the advantages of using Ubuntu as your laptop’s sole operating system include the cost of installing Ubuntu ID free. Unlike Windows 10, which you have to pay for, Ubuntu is free, and you can download it from the internet at zero cost. Ubuntu also has an easy user interface, and all updates on Ubuntu are installed in the background; you do not have to turn off your laptop.
Replacing the Microsoft Windows operating system with Ubuntu also has some drawbacks. One of them is the lack of updates for your laptop’s firmware. The Microsoft Surface 3 laptop is a product of Microsoft; therefore, most of its firmware will function well with software from Microsoft.
When you remove the Microsoft Windows operating system, you will no longer receive updates from Microsoft. After some time, your laptop might start to malfunction due to a lack of updates for drivers and firmware. If your laptop starts to malfunction due to a lack of firmware updates, you have to restore Windows 10 to install the updates.
If you want to install Ubuntu on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop, the first thing you need to do is to download Ubuntu. Ubuntu is available as a single ISO file 2GB in size. Once you have downloaded the Ubuntu file, you need to create a live USB of Ubuntu. The live USB allows you to boot into Ubuntu from a USB drive, and it also allows you to install Ubuntu to your laptop. Various applications can create a live USB, such as Rufus, Unetbootin, and Etcher.
Once you have created the live USB, plug in the live Ubuntu USB drive to your laptop. Ensure that your system boots from the USB drive, and you can do that by moving the USB up in the booting order. Restart your laptop, and once you see the logo of your laptop manufacturer, Microsoft, press F2 or F10 or F12 to access the BIOS settings. The BIOS screen will look different, save changes, and exit.
Now you need to install Ubuntu, and you should boot into the live Ubuntu environment. You will see the grub screen on your laptop that gives you the option to try Ubuntu without installing it. You can choose the first option to try using Ubuntu without installing if you are not familiar with the Ubuntu user interface.
If you choose to install Ubuntu, you can change a few things, such as language and keyboard layout. If your laptop is connected to the internet, you can also download and install all the updates while the installation process is still ongoing.
If you have an operating system already installed on your laptop, in this case, Windows 8.1 or 10, you have the option of installing Ubuntu along with them in dual boot. If your goal is to use Ubuntu as the only operating system, you should go ahead and erase the disk and install Ubuntu. When you click on the “Install Now” button, you will see a warning informing you that you are about to erase data.
If you decide to proceed with the installation, you can go ahead and set up your username and password. After a few minutes, you will see Ubuntu features, and you can restart your laptop. When you restart your laptop, you will see a message requiring you to remove the installation media and press enter. Once you remove the USB drive and press enter, your system will reboot, and you will boot into Ubuntu.
Wrap Up
Installing Linux on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop is an easy task as long as you have enough knowledge of the installation of operating systems. All you have to do is ensure that your laptop has the minimum system requirements to support a Linux installation.
You should never forget to back up all your data before installing another operating system on your Microsoft Surface 3 laptop. If you have to re-partition the disk on your laptop, you should be careful about how you do it. If you make any mistake while partitioning the disk, you might lose all your data, and there is no way to recover the data.
