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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Use work laptop as personal device by dual booting on a separate internal drive? (lemmy.one)

submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I currently have a Dell laptop that runs Windows for work. I use an external SSD via the Thunderbolt port to boot Linux allowing me to use the laptop as a personal device on a completely separate drive. All I have to do is F12 at boot, then select boot from USB drive.

However, this laptop is only using 1 of the 2 internal M.2 ports. Can I install Linux on a 2nd M.2 drive? I would want the laptop to normally boot Windows without a trace of the second option unless the drive is specified from the BIOS boot options.

Will this cause any issues with Windows? Will I be messing anything up? For the external drive setup, I installed Linux on a different computer, then transferred the SSD to the external drive. Can I do the same for the M.2 SSD – install Linux on my PC, then transfer that drive to the laptop?

Any thoughts or comments are welcome.

Edit: Thank you everyone! This was a great discussion with a lot of great and thoughtful responses. I really appreciate the replies and all the valuable information and opinions given here.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (17 children)

Want to elaborate on why it's such a bad idea? I'm curious now

Provided the user doesn't put their windows password in, then things should not be accessed.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 9 months ago (11 children)

Well for one thing the laptop doesn't belong to OP so it's not their's to mess with.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (10 children)

I was more looking for a functional reason, not just a "cos I said so" from the employer.

I thought maybe some of you work in cybersec had a real answer or a cve/attack vector etc.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 9 months ago

I get what you're asking, but this seems akin to stealing an ATM and then when the bank calls the cops you ask "but how would I even get inside? This is thick steel, there's no way to get the money out of there without using my debit card anyway so idk what the big deal is."

Like you're not entirely wrong, but for one thing the bank has every reason to suspect you might try to break in anyway. But more importantly, stealing it is a crime in and of itself. So the "because the employer said so" angle is absolutely valid here and more than enough reason to not do this because trying to load a separate OS that will give you root privileges to the device is shady af and will 100% violate whatever contract OP had to sign before they were given that laptop unless their IT dept is completely incompetent.

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