New to Linux? Seven things every beginner should know

I can still remember the moment I switched from Windows to Linux. Back then, I didn’t have anyone there to tell me what to expect. It would have been nice to get even a bit of advice from someone with Linux experience in the know to say, “Hey, you’ll want to know about this before you start down that path.”

It would have made things easier. Instead, I took just dove right in, hoping I could figure it all out as I went.

The good news: Linux today is not nearly as difficult as it was back then. In fact, Linux is downright easy.

Also: This Debian-based Linux distro is an overlooked and user-friendly gem

Even so, there are a few things you should know as you begin your journey with the open-source operating system.

I’m here to help you out. Let’s dive in, shall we?

1. Say goodbye to lockdown

This is a big one for many users. When Windows or MacOS is your operating system of choice, you’re pretty much locked into Microsoft or Apple’s way of doing things. When you use those operating systems, you get what you get, and that’s that. 

With Linux, you have choices — lots of choices. If you don’t like the way your chosen distribution looks or works, change it. Install a different desktop or customize the default to perfectly meet your needs.

Also: Want to ditch Windows? This Linux distro makes that transition easy

Also, you’re not locked into using Microsoft’s or Apple’s cloud services. If you prefer, you don’t have to make a cloud service part of your computing experience at all.

Again… choices.

You don’t have to use a Windows login or OneDrive, iCloud, or even the default desktop layout. 

Instead, you can use what you want, get rid of what you don’t, and mix and match just about everything until you have exactly what you want.

2. The terminal is optional (but useful)

Almost everyone I’ve talked to about adopting Linux has the same initial response: “I don’t want to have to learn to use commands.” Well, here’s a bit of good news for you: The Linux terminal isn’t necessary. Sure, once upon a time, it was a requirement, but that was due to a lack of well-designed GUI tools. 

Modern Linux distributions have all the graphical tools you need to get everything done without ever touching the command line. So you can set those fears aside and trust that the command line interface (CLI) isn’t something you must use.

That said, the CLI is very powerful and one of the most efficient ways to get many things done. I recommend that you don’t totally shrug off the CLI; instead — and ever so slowly — start poking around with it by learning some of the very basic commands such as ls, cd, mkdir, cp, etc.

Just take it very slowly and do a bit of research before diving in head first.

Also: The first 5 Linux commands every new user should learn

3. Stick to the main distributions

There are really cool niche distributions available, some offering amazing desktops that are every bit as much art as they are an operating system GUI. There are distributions geared toward gamers, admins, creators, and more. 

What’s important, however, is that (at first) you stick with one of the main distributions (such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, ZorinOS, Fedora). Why? Those distributions have a proven track record and do an outstanding job of combining user-friendliness, stability, security, and performance. With those main distributions, you can be sure everything works, updates won’t fail, and support will exist for a long while.

Also: You can test all the best Linux distros right in your web browser with this site

On top of that, when you’re using one of the main distributions, there are large online communities ready to help you out, and that’s hard to put a price on.

4. Don’t expect Linux to be Windows or MacOS

Sure, there are distributions available that resemble Windows or MacOS, but remember that these three operating systems – Linux, Windows, and MacOS — are not the same. If you assume that Linux looks and behaves exactly like Windows, you will be in for a surprise. For example, Windows labels the root directly C:\, whereas Linux uses /. With Windows, you can do a lot of things without having to enter a security password. With Linux, every task you attempt that requires high-level privileges requires that you type your user password.

Also: 5 most Windows-like Linux distros because old habits die hard

That doesn’t mean every single thing will be different, as there are plenty of similarities (such as drag-and-drop support, GUI tools, file managers, web browsers). But it is important that you not think of Linux and Windows (or MacOS) as the same, simply because they are all operating systems.

5. There’s an app store

Believe it or not, Linux was the first operating system to use an app-store-like feature. In the early days, there was Synaptic, a GUI front end for package managers. You opened Synaptic, searched for the app you wanted to install, and installed it with a couple of clicks. The same thing holds true for today, only the Linux app stores are far more powerful. 

Also: Want to save your old computer? Try one of these 8 Linux distros for free

When you compare the Linux app stores to those of Windows or MacOS, you start to see more flexibility and power on the Linux side of things. For instance, you can add Flatpak or Snap support to some of the Linux app stores (such as GNOME Software and KDE Discover), which vastly expands the amount of software available to install. 

That’s yet another area where Linux proves it’s much more flexible than the competition.

6. You might not find the app you need, but…

On Linux, you might not always find the app you’re looking to install. For example, you can’t install Photoshop on Linux. However, there’s always an equivalent app for what you need. You can install GIMP instead of Photoshop and still have a very powerful image editing tool.

What’s important is that, if you find an app that’s not available for Linux, make sure to hop on your search engine of choice and type something like, “What’s the Linux equivalent to Photoshop?”

Also: How to make GIMP more like Photoshop

You’ll often be surprised by how many alternatives there are from which to choose.

7. Linux is not as hard as you think

Finally, you should know that Linux is not nearly as hard to learn as you’ve been led to believe. Modern Linux distributions are as easy to use as Windows or MacOS. With some of the most amazing desktop environments available, Linux makes sense and doesn’t get in your way of getting things done. It’s efficient, powerful, flexible, secure, stable, and none of those things compromise the simplicity of using the operating system for everyday tasks. 

Also: I found a Linux distro that combines the best parts of other operating systems (and it works)

Sure, there will always be people who’d have you believe Linux is challenging, but the truth is, it’s no harder than any other operating system.

It’s time you drop those fears and give Linux a try.

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