this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2025
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Linux

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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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[–] Kuma@lemmy.world 34 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Depends on what you feel lost about, if it is the basics in general then I would suggest you start of and read about the basics here https://labex.io/linuxjourney they write about the very basics in a very simple way. I think they did a good job, they start of with what Linux is, what distros are to commands from the most basics as how to navigate in the terminal to more advanced combinations. They also have vms where you can try out the commands if you haven't switched yet.

If it is a cheat sheet as in commands then i would say it is better to make your own of the commands you care about but you can start of by using other ppls list like this one https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/linux-unix/linux-commands-cheat-sheet/ but it can be overwhelming for you so use the linuxjouney first. Also it is very important to learn how to look up how to use the arguments in the terminal with man or -h to make it faster and less painful to use.

If you are lost about programs then there are a lot of good GitHub pages that links to useful programs and cli tools, you just need to search for awesome Linux list

Examples:

https://github.com/luong-komorebi/Awesome-Linux-Software You can use their web pages version too https://luong-komorebi.github.io/Awesome-Linux-Software/ https://githublists.com/lists/awesome-lists/awesome-bash

Here is one for distros https://github.com/kolioaris/awesome-linux-distros

Here is an example for customizing https://github.com/fosslife/awesome-ricing

When looking for programs is it very important that you know what distro you are on, what desktop environment (like kde, gnome, xfce) and what window composition you use (usually Wayland or x11, x11 is older and is more compatible).

So in short start of at https://labex.io/linuxjourney

Then look up distros here https://github.com/kolioaris/awesome-linux-distros

For new ppl do I think Ubuntu based is best because almost everything has a Ubuntu version, when you feel ready can you test out other distros. I haven't tried bazzite, I started of many years ago on debian (a few random ones like arch and mint) and then pop os for many years and now cachyos, I liked my journey but that doesn't mean it is correct for others.

I would suggest to have all of your data you care about on a separate disk or have automatic backup of it so you can break your os without care. And if you start customizing would I suggest setting up a GitHub repo and commit your changes everytime you like what you see so it is easy to go back if you regret something.

I hoped this helped on your journey, I didn't want to overwhelm you so I hope I kept it simple enough :D

[–] MarieMarion@literature.cafe 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Butting in to say: your post may be the help I needed to actively consider switching.

[–] buttnugget@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Dude, I’ve been using Linux for over 20 years and nowadays I barely need anything beyond what I do on Windows and Mac. Just remember that everything is a file lol

Thanks for that, I've saved your post for when I switch. My laptop runs windows 11 but I'm not enjoying the experience. Used linux a bit in the 90s but I've forgotten everything and will have to start from scratch. Yep, when I get some time I'm going to make the jump.

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If it is a cheat sheet as in commands

With most modern distros, I would say that most typical users shouldn't have to go to the command line any more than they had to in windows (which is to say very seldom).

Yet there is that lingering reputation that you have to be some sort of command line guru to even think about using Linux- and that simply isn't true. Hasn't been true for decades.

[–] Kuma@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

This is true, but I think it is good to know the basics because sometimes is it easier just like it can be easier in Mac and windows.

I think it is good to know about the tools you have so you can do the best decisions for your use case.

But like you said the terminal is not a must (for most) so if you feel uncomfortable about it then the terminal is not a reason to not switch to Linux.

[–] Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Im setting up a raspberry pi for media then switching my pc to linux. So it should be interesting. Thank you for all the great starting points.

[–] Kuma@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Glad I could be of help! Knowing the basics about the terminal (cli) will help you a lot with your raspberrypi when you wish to fix/change/do things on the fly. I often use ssh to connect to mine to do stuff from my phone haha