What is Linux?:
You’ve most likely heard of operating systems like Windows and MacOS, but did you know there’s another major player that powers much of the digital world? That’s Linux!
Linux is the backbone of servers, smartphones (Android is built on Linux) and countless other devices(Linux is less demanding in terms of hardware than Windows)
Beginner Linux distributions(Linux distro or distribution is basically a style, looks & configuration of the system) offer easy access & usage of Linux. We highly recommend distros like: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and ZorinOS these distros are usually recommended for beginners due to their extensive community support, pre-installed software & ease of use.
How To Install/Get Linux?:
To install Linux there are a couple of ways. The easiest way to get Linux and avoid any problems in the process, is to download a Virtualisation Software (like VMware or VirtualBox)
Using a virtualisation program will not cost you anything, it is absolutely FREE. But You will have to be responsible for your setup and figure everything out
There is also a paid alternative -> VPS — which avoids you having to do all the work with installing everything (the overall process of installing Linux is straightforward)
To get a VPS or a Virtual Private Server you need to choose a service provider and choose your own box. The Best service provider we can offer (not sponsored, this comes from personal experience) is Digital Ocean. Digital Ocean allows you to decide how much you want to pay, and you only pay what you use.
So whichever path you have chosen, the required links for you to get started are:
Virtualisation Software
- VMWare Download (probably the best for non-technical users)
- VirtualBox (not-recommended for beginners)
VPS (Virtual Private Server)
- Digital Ocean (Easy to setup & cost efficient)
- X-Hosts (very cheap)
SSH – (if you chose a VPS)
If you decide to buy a VPS Host, then you will most likely be introduced to something called SSH. Secure Shell(SSH) is a remote administration tool used worldwide by professionals, developers & IT Technicians.
The hosting provider will most likely introduce you to SSH and explain step-by-step how to use SSH.
Quick explanation how to login:
- Open up your terminal (Windows Key, type in cmd, launch Command Prompt)
2. In the terminal, type in “ssh” if it displays options, then you can proceed to the next step. - In case SSH is not installed, you might get a message in your terminal like: “ssh command not recognized”, or something similar. Proceed to this link here.
ssh [user]@IP-address/HostYour hosting provider will give you information like your user & the ip address or host.
Using Linux:
Linux is similar to Windows, in most cases you will want to use the command-line to do everything, from copying files, editing, running files/programs etc.
However as a beginner you shouldn’t really worry about using the command line, this is also why we recommended installing beginner-friendly Distros.
So as we can see Ubuntu is very similar to Windows, with minor changes to the Graphical Interface & usage of the system.
We have the toolbar & programs on the left, settings in the right corner of the screen.
If you press right click on the screen you will get a dropdown menu that allows you to create folders, arrange icons and other useful functions, as I said earlier.. very similar to Windows!
Now from here you are ready to use your system, Ubuntu is designed in such a way that everything is simple to figure out & easy to install. But as an example, let’s say you want to install the Brave Browser. You can do that through ‘Ubuntu Software’ app. Also don’t forget to checkout the Software Updater to update your whole Operating System which is in important for performance & security of your system.
Basic Linux Command Line
In the future you might want to configure a system file even get used to using the command line which is faster than using the graphical user interface, this is where the command line shines.
I’m not going to breakdown the whole command line but just the basics so you can run some command and get used to the system!
In the search bar of Linux, type in ‘Terminal’, a terminal should pop on your screen.
If you’re struggling with coding & need to learn Development, we offer FREE examples and tutorials! Simply head to our coding website! (click here)
DO NOT RUN ANY COMMANDS YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! IT CAN BREAK YOUR SYSTEM!!
As we can see we now have a terminal that we can use. Make sure to not run any commands you don’t understand as it can break your system!
Beginner Friendly commands:
- whoami – Displays current logged in user (Your user)
- pwd – Displays current working directory
- ls – Displays files in current working directory
- clear – Clears your terminal
- ls -> cd Desktop -> ls – For you to figure out 🙂
- (Directory & Files are case sensitive!)