So after reading a number of posts and comments on here about Linux, I’ve decided to give 'er a go. I have access to an Azure VM, but I have never done anything involving Unix before and have only a basic understanding of coding in general.

Where do I even start? The most daunting thing for me is command line script, as it seems I have to memorize close to 150 common commands and their functions. Is there a set of tools or free classes that would make it easier for me to understand, or should I just get stuck in there? I was planning on using Pop!_OS since I do a lot of gaming and it seems like the closest thing Ubuntu has for that purpose.

  • As many have said, you might not need to use the command line. That being said its an easy enough web search to get all the answers you need.

    Pop!_OS is a great distro for gamers and beginners. I switch between fedora, pop, and I’m thinking if trying NixOS at some point. I would consider myself an intermediate Linux user and still love Pop.

    The one piece of advice I want to give is to prioritise Flatpaks over regular packages. Its the direction the Linux app ecosystem is heading in, and removes a lot of potential issues with dependencies. Install Flatseal to manage your flatpak permissions (accessing additional folders is a good example). Pop is already setup to use flatpaks from flathub which is perfect. Just make sure you’re selecting the flapak version of an app while in the Pop!_Shop. Can be found in the header of the app’s page.

    If the app doesn’t have a flatpak version, or you’re encountering issues with it, trying the .deb package is perfectly fine. Some people prefer to not use flatpaks for tighter integrations and reduced disk space, but IMO flatpaks are more beginner friendly.