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62 lines
5.2 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
---
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title: Learning Linux
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tags:
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- linux
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- resources
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- difficulty-moderate
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date: 2023-09-28
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lastmod: 2024-06-08
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---
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> [!info] Help me out!
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> I'm looking to expand this article. Comment your suggestions for what newcomers to Linux should take a look at below!
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## The Situation
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Microsoft's release of Recall on Windows is a security **nightmare**. It's easily accessed by hackers, it promotes domestic abuse, and it spells the full forced\* integration of data-Hoovering AI "features" into the home and enterprise computing.
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- \*: Enterprise has a hidden policy setting to disable it, for now. Additionally, you *can* disable some AI features on home computers, but Windows has a history of re-enabling disabled features on update, and you can't disable automatic updates without breaking other features like Visual Studio and the Microsoft Store.
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Microsoft has left many in search of an alternative operating system that doesn't intrude on their privacy by default. That alternative is **Linux**.
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Traditionally, the Linux community is known for being hostile to newcomers. But in response to this event, I've seen a lot of people commit to being much more open with their knowledge. I'd love to also share my knowledge on the subject.
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> [!info] Need [[digital-garden#Using this Site|help navigating]] my site?
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## Scope
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I've been daily driving Linux for a combined total of 1.5 years, chronicled [[Essays/on-linux|here]]. I want this entry to serve as a starting point that explains Linux from zero, but I'll try to avoid reinventing the wheel. Many people have written or produced content on . It'll be updated over time. If anything is confusing or if I miss an important topic, please let me know! A [[Misc/what-is-a-garden|digital garden]] is an iterative process.
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## Basic knowledge
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Linux is designed for someone already familiar with one variant to be able to make certain assumptions about any other Linux system. This is more of a guideline to modern design choices than an actual rule.
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### What the operating system is
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A wise internet user once said, "**what you're referring to as Linux is in fact GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU 'plus' Linux**..."
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Jokes aside, there's a grain of truth in that statement. Linux—the operating system as a whole—is a collection of moving parts that all work alongside each other to display what you see on the screen. These include:
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- The Kernel (the Linux in "GNU + Linux")
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- A shell
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- A graphical interface
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- Device drivers
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- A filesystem
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- Networking
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- Processes running in the background to keep all of the above updated or responsive
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- Representations of your hardware components to the system in software
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- The actual programs you (the **user**) run, like web browsers and terminals
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Many of these are compartmentalized and can only interact with each other in well-defined ways. This document is going to focus on the parts you'll touch the most as an everyday user: primarily userspace
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Linux grew out of a collection of operating system standards called POSIX. Most of those standards pertain to how the system behaves when you interact with it through a [[Misc/shell#The Terminal|terminal]]. But when the open source community got involved with its development, its design had to evolve in a way that could satisfy group "consensus," and could handle many groups developing all its different facets asynchronously.
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### Installing programs
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{ *more currently in the works -ed.* }
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## Additional Resources
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### Further Reading
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The No Starch Press books on Linux are extremely good resources on the formal design of the operating system in the modern day. I based a lot of the content in this entry on How Linux Works by Brian Ward.
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Please seek out other independent bloggers who document their own linux journeys and learn from them. Chances are they're a lot more articulate about the subject than me. But if you'd like to hear my continued thoughts, I've written many miscellaneous pages on [linux](/tags/linux). And if you want to do what I do, you could start with the [more beginner-friendly projects I've undertaken](/tags/difficulty-easy). I wish you the best in becoming a Linux power user!
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### Youtubers
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**Check "most popular" on these channels for the most informative content.**
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- [DistroTube](https://www.youtube.com/@DistroTube/videos): Covers a variety of small topics within linux, as well as lots of top-10 style content for distros and programs.
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- [The Linux Experiment](https://www.youtube.com/@TheLinuxEXP/videos): Great weekly news source on the state of Linux and open source projects. Also publishes comparison videos for sets of programs, and the occasional distro tier list.
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- [Chris Titus Tech](https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisTitusTech/): Goes pretty in-depth on specific programs (web browsers, code editors, etc) and makes the occasional tutorial. Also tier lists, but his opinions on tier lists are not really suited to new users.
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- [Brodie Robertson](https://www.youtube.com/@BrodieRobertson): Reviewer on the bleeding edge. Don't take his advice if you want a daily driver (and ensure to actually explore the controversies that he makes you aware of), but he keeps on top of everything major in the Linux community. Good **podcast** channel at [Tech Over Tea](https://www.youtube.com/@TechOverTea). |