Why All the Linux Talk?

It’s no secret that I’ve always been a fan of Linux. Something about the flexibility, the efficiency, and the complete control over my system just feels right. Sure, I keep Windows around—it’s hard to avoid entirely—but when given the choice, you’ll usually find me booted into Linux.

For a long time, I took my dual-boot setup for granted. My old HP laptop had the luxury of two hard drive bays, which meant I could have Windows on one and Linux on the other, completely independent from each other. No bootloader shenanigans, no weird conflicts—just a clean, reliable setup. I spent most of my time in Manjaro, only swapping to Windows when absolutely necessary (which, let’s be real, was mostly for firmware updates or some oddly specific school software).

But then the ThinkPad entered my life.

The ThinkPad Reality Check

My new-to-me ThinkPad T470 is built like an absolute tank, but it doesn’t provide the same luxuries as my old HP. With only one drive bay, I had to actually dual-boot, sharing space between Windows and Linux on a single SSD.

At first, I thought, No big deal, I’ve done this before. But apparently, my ThinkPad had other ideas.

For reasons beyond my understanding (and maybe beyond the understanding of any sane person), dual-booting caused Windows to completely forget my WiFi card existed. Not just a driver issue—Windows genuinely refused to acknowledge that the hardware was even there. I could boot into Manjaro, and the WiFi worked flawlessly. Boot back into Windows? Nothing. It took completely un-dual-booting my system—removing Linux, fixing the bootloader, and letting Windows reclaim its territory—before it decided to recognize the WiFi card again.

A Temporary Compromise?

For now, I’m begrudgingly running Windows-only on the ThinkPad, and while WSL helps, it’s not the same as having a true Linux system. Maybe I’ll experiment with an external SSD for Linux or pick up a second ThinkPad just for Linux work (because why have one ThinkPad when you can have two?).

But one thing’s for sure: I miss my Manjaro install.