Linux for Starters: Your Guide to Linux – Introduction

Linux Links ^ | 30 April 2021 | Steve Emms

[ShadowAce]

This is a series that offers a gentle introduction to Linux for newcomers. Let’s kick off this series with the very basics.

What is Linux?

The term ‘Linux’ strictly refers to the operating system kernel, a computer program at the core of a computer’s operating system that has complete control over everything in the system. The kernel manages the system’s resources and communicates with the hardware. It’s responsible for memory, process, and file management.

Think of the Linux kernel like a car engine.

Linux is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Anyone can run, study, modify, and redistribute the source code, or even sell copies of their modified code, as long as they do so under the same license.

How does Linux work?

When we talk about Linux, we are usually referring to one of the many hundreds of distributions (known as distros) that use the Linux kernel. A distro is analogous to an actual vehicle that houses the car engine.

A distro does the hard work for you taking all the code from the open-source projects and compiling it for you, combining it into a single operating system you can boot up and install.
While each distro has the Linux kernel at its heart, they differ in many respects.

A distro provides the user with a desktop environment, preloaded applications, and ways to update and maintain the system. Each distro makes different choices, deciding which open source projects to install and provides custom written programs. They can have different philosophies. Some distros are intended for desktop computers, some for servers without a graphical interface, and others for special uses. Because Linux is an open source operating system, combinations of software vary between Linux distros.

Popular distros include Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, Debian, Arch, and many more. Some distros are more suitable for newcomers.

Why use Linux?

There are many advantages that Linux confers compared to proprietary operating systems like Windows and Mac OS X.

We’ll focus on the biggest attractions that Linux offers.

Here’s 8 great reasons why you might want to try Linux.

As Linux is published under an open source license, you have the right to choose your own destiny. You can change and use your machine as you see fit without any restrictive licensing. Install Linux on as many computers as you want.

No charge. Most distros are available to download without any form of payment. Users are free to donate their time, expertise, or money instead.

Stability. Linux machines are often up for hundreds of days compared with the regular reboots required with a Windows system. The crash of an application is much less likely to bring down the operating system under Linux.

Increased security. Linux is much more secure than rival proprietary operating systems. The open source nature of the system means that independent experts can help identify vulnerabilities and fix them. There’s also a significantly lower risk of nasties. For example, there are only a handful of viruses that can affect Linux machines.

A massive range of open source software is available. To whet your appetite see our Best Free and Open Source Software.

Variety – each distro offers a different take on the desktop. Some use very modern user interfaces, others offer a more traditional desktop environment.

Hardware support. Linux runs great on hardware regardless of its age. Hundreds of millions of people rely on PCs that are several years old or even older.

An excellent environment for learning to program. Most Linux distros include a complete programming environment.

What do I need?

A computer that meets a distro’s recommended minimum system requirements. The system requirements for successfully installing Linux are surprisingly low. Even a computer built over 10 years ago will happily run many distros.

For Ubuntu 21.04 the recommended minimum is: 2 GHz dual core processor, 4GB RAM (system memory), 25GB hard-drive space, and graphics capable of 1024×768 resolution.

There are distros designed to run with lower requirements that are fully capable of reviving older hardware.

If you want a dedicated machine for Linux (rather than dual booting) but don’t have one spare, there are quite a few options. One option is to purchase a refurbished (mini) PC. Pictured is a refurbished Lenovo M93 Ultra Small PC. This machine’s hardware far exceeds Ubuntu’s recommended minimum system requirements and is available for around £200 / $200. Obviously, the better specified the system you use, the better experience will be.

USB stick or DVD disc

There’s the option of running a distro directly from either a USB stick (pictured) or a DVD. It offers a quick and easy way to experience Linux and how it works with your hardware. It doesn’t affect your computer’s configuration.

But if you’ve decided that Linux is for you, install the distro onto a computer via USB or DVD. We prefer USB installation. If you don’t have a spare USB key available, they are extremely cheap to buy. Don’t buy a USB stick with a distro pre-installed as they are almost always extremely poor value for money. Most distros need a 4GB or larger USB stick/key. Here’s a useful tutorial which shows how to create a bootable Ubuntu USB stick.

DVD installation requires a blank DVD-R disc, and you’ll need a machine that has a DVD Writer so that you can burn the distro’s image to the disc.

Internet Connection

An internet connection is not essential to install a distro although some require internet access to download things like restricted extras. In any event, an internet connection is essential to make sure your computer stays up to date with the latest updates and patches. You’ll miss out on so much of the goodness that Linux bestows without internet connectivity.

[Bikkuri]

"I know I wont buy a Lenovo."

Likewise.. I try to explain to acquaintances around here, but they think I am full of **** :P

[minnesota_bound]

Install Oracle VM Virtual Box - FREE
You can then install Linux or another version of Windows while still in Windows 7 or 10.

I just downloaded: Linux Mint 20.1 Ulyssa - FREE
https://linuxmint.com/download.php

How to Install Linux Mint on VirtualBox
https://geekflare.com/linux-mint-installation
Another
https://itsfoss.com/install-linux-mint-in-virtualbox

Issue I am having. I cannot install Virtualbox Guest Additions
You need this to be able to copy and paste files between your Windows and Linux / other copy of Windows.

How to Install Virtualbox Guest Additions in Linux Mint
https://www.linuxbabe.com/linux-mint/install-virtualbox-guest-additions-in-linux-mint

I did this step from there
If you can’t download it from the above window, then go to http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/. Select a version and download VBoxGuestAdditions ISO to your home directory

[TianaHighrider]

Bookmark

[Openurmind]

I like the huge capabilities and features of B2evolution, but found it to be way to complex and over kill for most sites. There were a lot of permission settings that had to be applied to each and every category, forum, sub forum individually. And detailed permissions had to be set for each and every new user when they signed up rather than automatically adding them to a group with group permissions. Unless they changed it since I used it last there were no global permission settings for user groups etc. Or a way to make all the child subs copy the permissions of the parent Category. I made a point to the devs about that couple years ago, hopefully they changed it.

But man is it full featured and can be tuned right down to every little detail with the admin controls. I settled on phpBB for my forum, while it is similar in how each Category, forum and sub-forum are basically their own mini stand alone tunable websites, at least global user group permissions can be set, and you can make the subs obey the permissions of the parent and not have to set each and every one individually. When you start to get a lot of listings and sub listings this makes a lot of difference. :)

[Pollard]

Yeah, the “Back Office” can be overwhelming. If you need a Swiss Army website though, it’s the bomb. Running a b2evo site through google pagespeed, it beats the pants off of wordpress. Composr is just weird. TikiWiki is just a mess. Those are the only other two comparable aside from Typo3 with is more for devs. WP would require 30-40 plugins to do the same.

I used it on one site for the Manual content type because it needed multiple manuals with strict access to each. Basically a Service Manual and Build Journal for retromod trucks. Things like a 47-54 Chevy truck bodies set onto an S10 frame either with the S10 4.3 liter or with a newer small block from a late 90s, early 2000s engine/tranny fitted to it, complete with wiring harness and computer. Some things are custom of course like the wiper motor being from a third donor model. Each truck’s Build Journal and Service Manual is accessed by the buyer and possibly their mechanic. Landing page and blog, the manuals and possibly a forum down the road. B2evo is perfect. Truck owner/mechanic signs in and see only that single truck’s docs.

[Openurmind]

Oh absolutely... You can tune it and aim it with very fine detail and when you have a site that requires being that finely tuned the B2ev is about the best. And it can all be done with the tools included in the admin CP and not have to do a lot of code editing in the directory files to get this done. Or having to write custom utilities for it (Which I cannot do, I’m not that good with code yet).

But I have to share that I do not like WP at all period. The only sites I have had hacked were ALL WP sites. The security is not at all up to par. And which script have hackers had the most years of experience working at hacking? WP... It is like the Win 10 of the webdevelopment options. Unneeded bloat that makes it heavy and all.

Why anyone would even want to use it I have absolutely no clue...They must be fooled by the popular “Have to do WP” con. Just like the “got to have Windows” con. lol

[Openurmind]

Not yet...

[Openurmind]

I played with Zorin... Found that it was a paid version of Mint Cinnamon with custom graphics that made it look more like windows. You could customized your own CSS in Cinnamon to do the same. I keep waiting for a Win 7 theme to come out... :) they do already have WinXP, and Win 10 themes for cinnamon though.

[Pollard]

Yeah, I’ve been trying to get away from WP with scripts like Grav CMS and b2evo.

I’ve never had a site hacked but have had plenty of white screen of death occurrences with WP. That’s the issue with using plugins written by people from all over the world. Half are from the Middle East which makes me leery. I use WordFence security plugin.

Never could wrap my head around Joomla, Drupal or Processwire. SilverStripe is decent too but kind of aimed at devs. Need multiple functions/features and a slew of theme choices? That leaves WP for the most part.

Need strictly a forum? Use a forum script.
Need strictly eCommerce? Use an eCommerce script.
Need just a basic blog? There are plenty.

I know html/css pretty well but I’m not even up on the latest iterations, html5/css4. I’m not a dev or coder at all. More of a webmaster. Not a designer at all either so I need a decent theme selection and then I tweak colors, fonts, spacing etc. Most sites I build are for me. I live in the boonies and no one out here needs a website. Done a couple for FReepers but most are tech ignorant so using any sort of admin system is just beyond them. That and they all want the site to look like FR. Had one guy that ended up being capable creating blog posts.

Did some SEO for a guy in St Louis who owned a Party Bus business. Brought the site from page 8 in google results to the top of page 2 and then he drunk emailed me one night so we had a falling out. Quoted him $3k and going from top of page 2 to top of page 1 would have been a lot more work. Work social media, add reviews to the site etc. He sent me a $500 check out of the blue a few months later which pretty much covered my time. We’d never met in person so there was no contract, just verbal agreement via email. He had one page that was word for word of a page on his main competitor who was at the top of page 1 in google for “St Louis Party Bus”. He drunk emailed me before I had a chance to reword that page.

I’m just working on my own stuff now and getting away from all of them being WP. I’ll keep WP on our family tree site because it’s integrated with the genealogy script pretty well. Got one blog that I’m swapping to Grav CMS. I was using GetSimple but it’s junk. Got my hosting, site building site but I’m shrinking it down to a one page site with a contact form so that will go from WP to Grav. Not sure why I even keep it.

good chat

[Openurmind]

Sounds like we are pretty much on an even keel. I would say the same about myself, More of a webmaster than a developer. I can go do some custom string line snippet changes and some CSS tweaking, but coding is not my gig. Like you I find an appropriate turn key for the type of site then do what few custom tweaks it might need to make it better for my needs.

I have played with Joomla and it is pretty good too. Drupal is what I first played with and it is a mess. Ever looked at the bloated code in Drupal? It is a Dev mess like WP. While they have cleaned it up a bit there were even argument conversations between Devs in the code comments fighting over what to actually do with the next string. Actually kind of comical to read... lol

I have found that there are a lot of searchable sources for how to translate HTML into HTML5, And how to convert files into .YLM files for the newer PHP scripts. Similar to converting image files to .svg. Search has been my best friend in this mess. :)

And I too run into those who want it to look exactly like their personal favorite web site they are familiar with, Like the FR here. We started our forum because we had a bunch of banned castaways from a forum in common, the admin/owner went loopy and was banning for totally illogical reasons. “Don’t like it go make your own then!” So we did...

So they needed a place to go land. But after they all got there they all wanted me to make it an exact clone of the previous site they were used to, a clone of the previous site. Scratching my head all I could ask was Why? They banned you all... Why would you want it to be that exact same site that just banned you? lol

New domain, new site, new window dressing, new policies, Better admin without the authoritarian micromanagement... Why not embrace something new? Nope... “I want it to be an exact clone of the site I just got banned from”, same colors features and all. Well no... :)

I tried to explain that even the colors used on the previous site causes a radical aggressive/confrontational environment to the subconscious with real and true proven psychology. Reds and Blues... This is a real thing too... Man, the difference is incredible. The higher level of intellectual debate is incredible. Just because of the colors alone.

[Openurmind]

I am enjoying this discussion also FRiend. Thank you. I have found very few who are hip to the game like you are. Lot of IT guys... But that is another whole world. Some of those guys you would rather not have playing around in your site file directory. “Rewriting” would take on a whole new definition. :)