Linux for the Airheaded Layman?
I have tried to learn Linux for ages, and have experimented with installing Arch and Ubuntu. Usually something goes wrong when I try to set up a desktop environment after installing Arch in VirtualBox. KDE gave me a problem where I couldn't log in after getting to the point where my username was displayed in a similar format to how it is for Windows. My end use case is to help keep my workflow more organized than haphazardly throwing files somewhere on my desktop or in a folder nested somewhere that I'll just inevitably lose :(
Somehow after all this time, I feel like I actually understand less about my computer and what I need to understand regarding its facets. Is it an unrealistic goal to want to eventually run a computer with coreboot and a more cybersecurity heavy emphasis? I'm still a noob at this and any advice would be appreciated!
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_HR_
in reply to gronjo45 • • •There's your problem. Try Linux Mint.
Don't try to bite off more than you can chew. Start small and easy, with a beginner Linux distro, and once you've become really comfortable with that, you can try to move onto something less user friendly.
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gronjo45
in reply to _HR_ • • •like this
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warg
in reply to gronjo45 • • •Next time you decide to attempt Arch, you could try the included install script.
But for now I would also suggest starting out with something more simple, such as Linux Mint or Ubuntu LTS.
archinstall - ArchWiki
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socphoenix
in reply to warg • • •like this
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itchy_lizard
in reply to gronjo45 • • •pogister likes this.
eric5949
in reply to gronjo45 • • •like this
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tootbrute
in reply to gronjo45 • • •Get Fedora Silverblue. It is rock solid. Install Distrobox or Boxes to emulate other systems on top of that.
You could also move on to something else later if toy like.
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tootbrute
in reply to gronjo45 • • •Get Fedora Silverblue. It is rock solid. Install Distrobox or Boxes to emulate other systems on top of that.
You could also move on to something else later if toy like.
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xtapa
in reply to gronjo45 • • •I've been in your shoes a few months ago. I tried a few distros in VMs and ended up using OpenSUSE Tumbleweed. It comes with different GUIs and I decided for KDE.
As a beginner TW helped me with the built in snapshots mechanism. So before I did anything, I took a snapshot, did it, and if I fucked up, I could easily rollback and try again.
Since TW is a rolling release, I now make a snapshot before and after the system update So I always have some stable Rollback snapshots. Gives me so much safety to fiddle around and learn more about Linux. Been loving it so far.
Make heavy use of ChatGPT. I've been chatting about Linux with it for months now.
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danielfgom
in reply to gronjo45 • • •If I were you I would start by using standard Ubuntu desktop. In my experience it tends to be the most reliable, easy to install, least technical and does alot of stuff behind the scenes that others don't. A simple thing like plugging in a printer works very well in Ubuntu but is a nightmare on opensuse.
If you still run into issues then start to troubleshoot, especially if you are installing on bare metal and not a VM. Often the most common issues are WiFi drivers and graphics drivers. This is because these companies often don't make their code available so other Devs have to reverse engineer their own code and it's not included in the kernel. It has you need installed after installation. If your pc has an ethernet port or ethernet adapter I HIGHLY recommend using that when installing.
In Ubuntu open the search page and type "drivers" and it will show you an option to install additional drivers. Click that and it should detect what hardware you have and give you the choice to tick a box and install those drivers. Your must be connected to the internet via ethernet for
... show moreIf I were you I would start by using standard Ubuntu desktop. In my experience it tends to be the most reliable, easy to install, least technical and does alot of stuff behind the scenes that others don't. A simple thing like plugging in a printer works very well in Ubuntu but is a nightmare on opensuse.
If you still run into issues then start to troubleshoot, especially if you are installing on bare metal and not a VM. Often the most common issues are WiFi drivers and graphics drivers. This is because these companies often don't make their code available so other Devs have to reverse engineer their own code and it's not included in the kernel. It has you need installed after installation. If your pc has an ethernet port or ethernet adapter I HIGHLY recommend using that when installing.
In Ubuntu open the search page and type "drivers" and it will show you an option to install additional drivers. Click that and it should detect what hardware you have and give you the choice to tick a box and install those drivers. Your must be connected to the internet via ethernet for this to work. After successful installation, reboot and the WiFi/graphics card should work.
If you have issues Google it an Ubuntu normally has TONS of answers.
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hendrik
in reply to gronjo45 • • •like this
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in reply to gronjo45 • • •like this
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pfr
in reply to gronjo45 • • •I cannot stress this enough...
POP!_OS
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Turtle
in reply to pfr • • •BestBouclettes
in reply to gronjo45 • • •Mint, Pop! and Debian, to some extent, are much more accessible.
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warmaster
in reply to BestBouclettes • • •As an absolute noob, I can tell you this is not the case for Arch based images though. I've used Manjaro and now settled on Crystal Linux. Both Arch based. They are as easy as any other distro, even more than Debian.
Debian, in their philosophy, provides a pretty bare ones image, and you have to add everything yourself. They don't even ship Flatpak for example.
Pop! Has an archaic Gnome desktop but an otherwise excellent system.
I don't like Mint's desktop environment, but that's very subjective, so no cons there.
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warmaster
in reply to gronjo45 • • •dodgypast
in reply to warmaster • • •How's the community for that?
I use Endeavor which is what I was going to suggest as an easy to install Arch based distro.
For anyone wanting to learn then going for something Arch based means you've got the Arch wiki to back you up.
warmaster
in reply to dodgypast • • •warmaster
in reply to dodgypast • • •jsonborne
in reply to gronjo45 • • •You're on the right track! That feeling of understanding less is normal - and good news is that it isn't true. You understand more than you did before - but now you also know of some other things you don't know about yet. This is good and exciting! I wish I were in your shoes so I could experience this for the first time again.
I would recommend Fedora Silverblue 38. It is an immutable OS, meaning that it is impossible to break it to the point where it doesn't work. Since the root file system is read only, like a mobile OS, you would be hard pressed to actually break it. Don't worry though, most graphical applications are available as flatpaks on Flathub. Flathub is integrated with the app store in Fedora 38, no need to use the terminal. For terminal applications you want to use there are toolboxes, which are little mini fedora containers that have access to your home directory and some other integrations. Also Fedora Silverblue is easy to install and works with most hardware.
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ikidd
in reply to gronjo45 • • •carl_sagan_skywalker
in reply to ikidd • • •ludothegreat
in reply to gronjo45 • • •VirtualBriefcase
in reply to gronjo45 • • •One word: Mint
It's pretty streamlined, more reliable than some newer trendy Ubuntu spin offs, and still powered at it's core by the same old kernal that even the "advanced" distros use.
I applaud you for trying Arch, and if you can figure it out while learning Linux in general that's a great achievement, but it's overly complicated and I personally wouldn't reccemend it to anyone starting out (or even a most experienced users unless they had a particular need for it's features).
If you continuously get issues across all distros in VMs a live environment might also be worth checking out (live being booted off external media without an install).
Ultimately, though if Linux does mess with your workflow, then use what works best for you. Sure I like Linux, but if it breaks what you need and Windows or Mac doesn't then use what works best for you. But, there's a saying "the more the island of my knowledge grows the greater the shore of my ignorance". The more you learn the more that you realized how little you know. It's always the case for anybody who's either
... show moreOne word: Mint
It's pretty streamlined, more reliable than some newer trendy Ubuntu spin offs, and still powered at it's core by the same old kernal that even the "advanced" distros use.
I applaud you for trying Arch, and if you can figure it out while learning Linux in general that's a great achievement, but it's overly complicated and I personally wouldn't reccemend it to anyone starting out (or even a most experienced users unless they had a particular need for it's features).
If you continuously get issues across all distros in VMs a live environment might also be worth checking out (live being booted off external media without an install).
Ultimately, though if Linux does mess with your workflow, then use what works best for you. Sure I like Linux, but if it breaks what you need and Windows or Mac doesn't then use what works best for you. But, there's a saying "the more the island of my knowledge grows the greater the shore of my ignorance". The more you learn the more that you realized how little you know. It's always the case for anybody who's either not an extreme expert or a narcissistic, but it's also a great motivator to keep learning.
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eshep
in reply to gronjo45 • •The big question here is; what do you mean by "learn linux"?
If you really want to learn and understand what you're doing, here's a solution that will not leave you empty handed. No matter if you decide to call it quits half way through, you still have a great deal more knowledge than you'd get from simply installing a distro that does all the hard work for you.
No one ever listens when I say it but I'll say it again; follow the #gentoo handbook cover to cover doing a stage3 install. When you encounter something you don't understand, go read about it, usually links are included. Once you've gotten to any graphical environment, wipe it and start again. Repeat this process until you only reference the handbook to verify you're doing it correctly.
I would also advise doing this on metal, as the VM approach will likely give you no hardware problems to solve along the way. You'll never learn how to fix what neve
... show moreThe big question here is; what do you mean by "learn linux"?
If you really want to learn and understand what you're doing, here's a solution that will not leave you empty handed. No matter if you decide to call it quits half way through, you still have a great deal more knowledge than you'd get from simply installing a distro that does all the hard work for you.
No one ever listens when I say it but I'll say it again; follow the #gentoo handbook cover to cover doing a stage3 install. When you encounter something you don't understand, go read about it, usually links are included. Once you've gotten to any graphical environment, wipe it and start again. Repeat this process until you only reference the handbook to verify you're doing it correctly.
I would also advise doing this on metal, as the VM approach will likely give you no hardware problems to solve along the way. You'll never learn how to fix what never breaks. ;)
Installing something that just works, or where you only need to click next in the installer only gets you a working system. It offers you absolutely nothing in the way of knowledge or understanding. What good to you is a working linux system if you know nothing about it? The method I propose will ensure you have all the basic skills and knowledge you need to be a (mostly) self sufficient linux user.
If you do take my advice and have any questions along the way, feel free to send me a direct message. I'd be happy to help.
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