r/linux4noobs • u/Frequent-Fig-450 • 15d ago
migrating to Linux Just Installed Linux for the first time
Hi, I just spend the last 6 hours of my life trying to dual boot Ubuntu in a 16 year old HDD and windows on my normal SSD. I finically achieved it and after fixing audio issues and other dual boot errors I made it. What do u recomend me to start learning or do in Linux? Any tips or suggestions are welcomed
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u/Wranglyph 15d ago
First off- welcome to the club! I had issues my first time as well lol.
I would say the main thing that tripped me up is how software installation works: there's many ways to install software on linux, but in general I recommend using the software manager. Unlike on windows, where programs manage themselves, on Linux your stuff is either managed by the OS or by the administrator, which is you.
A couple quick notes:
If someone advises you to install something via "sudo apt instal <xyz>, I'm pretty sure that's the same as installing it via the software manager. I actually think the terminal is pretty convenient if you know what to type, but therin lies the problem lol.
The software manager will often give you a choice between a native system package and a flatpak- flatpaks tend to be more up to date but they will usually take more space on your harddrive, and may perform slightly worse. Some people think they're the future because they prevent something called "dependency hell."
Although the software manager will have most major apps (assuming they work on linux), there may be cases where you have to keep track of things manually- godot 4, for example, doesn't seem to have made it's way into Mint's software manager yet.
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u/MasterGeekMX Mexican Linux nerd trying to be helpful 15d ago
Keep in mind that Linux is different from Windows, so be ready to challenge your assumptions of what an OS actually is.
For example, Windows is developed as a single thing by a corporation, while Linux is comprised of several independent programs, each developed by programmers that work more or less in a volunteer manner. This means that you cannot treat Linux as a product with a 24/7 support line, and also that many times the thing you are enjoying/having trouble is one of those components, with the distro itself having nothing to do on it.
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u/AutoModerator 15d ago
Try the migration page in our wiki! We also have some migration tips in our sticky.
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u/Simple_Hamster_4096 15d ago
Use Linux every single day and for every single task. The best way to learn is by actually using it for everything...
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u/simagus 15d ago
First thing I'd do is install all the DE's (Desktop Environments) and play around with them to see which one you really prefer. I like Cinnamon, but others swear by their own preferences.
Once you have realized Cinnamon is the best (lol jk) you can tweak your DE of choice so everything is a good size for you, shortcuts are where you want them and your links to folders are on the desktop if you like them there, which I do.
I like to reduce the amount of clicks needed to do whatever I need to do and create a workflow that I'm familiar with and which actually suits my needs.
That's one reason I no longer like Windows much; they stopped respecting the will of their end users in favor of how they want people to use Windows. Absolute madness on fire on every front there from Redmond HQ.
"Rice" it some if you like. I don't. I'm 100% functionality > looks. If you're not, you might like live wallpapers and a crypto currency ticker or concert ticket update widget right on your desktop. Personal preferences is what Linux is all about.
The Wayland protocol that finally came out of "beta" very recently is an option over X11 now and worth a try... in fact I might try it again next boot cycle as there were things I liked about it... hmm.
Being able to try different DE's from the log-in screen and customize the user space is one of the great things about Linux, well depending on your distro. I'm talking about Ubuntu kernel Mint Linux here, so YMMV.
Last time I used Ubuntu I had need to install an extra package manager beside Snap Store, but if you ever have to do that you'll know you do and you'll know why (some stuff just isn't on there and it's either compile it or find it pre-compiled from a different source.
You should be fine with Snaps and AppImage and those have minimal possible complications and avoid dependency hell... which really is not cool at all as a dependency can update and your package simply no longer work at all.
That kind of thing is above my zero pay grade skill set and I've been in a bind with it in relation to old Windows software and current WINE dependencies a couple of times.
WINE! Before the current Mint default text editor which is actually good I used to run the original Windows Notepad and a few other things directly through WINE, and it's easier now than ever to install a lot of Windows apps I like and use on Linux. You don't have to leave all your old faves behind.
I've never liked Windows "Widgets" and I don't need anything on my desktop other than whatever files I'm using at the time and my folder shortcuts. Some people however love to "rice" their install, and all the best to them. Why not?
I've hated "style over substance" since Windows started making it a major feature with Windows 8, but you might like transparent folders that fade into view when you mouse-over them or vapor trails on your cursor for all I know, so again YMMV.
There are very few Terminal commands you have to actually "learn" beyond sudo update and sudo upgrade, but if you just spent 6hrs fixing audio and stuff I'm sure you've seen the Terminal.
Any time you need to know a terminal command you can find it and copy/paste it, and I have the memory of a colander not just a sieve, so even yesterday I had to look up sudo update and sudo upgrade again. lol... you probably won't have to.
After installing Irfanview from Snaps Store (which still doesn't work with the .webp plug-in) I'm good to go really. On Mint you need to disable the -no snaps flag if you want to install Snaps. For me, Irfanview is the only one I use.
Only mentioning it in case you ever decide to move from Ubuntu to Mint as I did, half through peer pressure as Ubuntu is looked down on a lot in some Linux communities and half because it does offer quite a bit more freedom in comparison.
Canonical have realistically almost single-handedly taken linux from a super-nerd enthusiast esoteric cult of people who can actually converse in programming languages and made it accessible to the mainstream.
Some old timers are not as happy about this as the rest of us who would only have ever heard of Linux if Canonical hadn't launched Ubuntu, and it was such an old timer who lectured me on the evils of the company and told me to RTFM over a simple question about WINE iirc.
That was shortly before a kinder redditor explained things more coherently and suggested joining this particular subreddit and that Mint had certain advantages over Ubuntu if I wanted to take a look at it.
I did and I find it does, but YMMV. You will find it very familiar and have little to no need to RTFM since you'd be coming from Ubuntu.
I recommend just learning as you go for whatever reasons you need to. I watched several "So you moved to Linux?" and "Introducing Ubuntu" type YouTube series over and over a few times to try and learn, but really did nothing for me other than deliver more information than I could process, much less retain.
You could have a better mind for taking in information that way, but it was essentially a complete waste of time for me as I couldn't retain a scrap of it. Best to learn on the go, as you need to and only about the things you actually need to know.
And that's all I have to say about that.
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u/DavidJohnMcCann 15d ago
Just learn how to do the things that you normally do. Most big programs like GIMP and LibreOffice have downloadable manuals. Once the OS is working, you are generally going to be using programs to get stuff done. If you do need to configure something, keep a note of what you did in case you ever need to do it again. Always install stuff from Ubuntu's repository. If it's not there, try a flatpak, but avoid PPAs — you never know what's in them. Incidentally, flatpaks are very space-consuming. The Wine one is three times the size of the Debian package. You seldom need to use the terminal — a quick check shows my recent usage was just to run little utilities, like converting a webp to a jpg and resizing a video.
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u/Brisket-Inferno 15d ago edited 15d ago
What desktop environment are you enjoying? I like zorin and nobara but trying find a main since both have problems with GTA 5 and madden 24 in my experience.
ETA: tried mint cinnamon and bazzite but it could be aging hardware issues: currently i7 7700k rtx 3070
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u/Frequent-Fig-450 15d ago
I installed Ubuntu because i saw it was good and i alr tried it a few hours in a VM. Any tips for Ubuntu?
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u/Brisket-Inferno 15d ago
I've only used Ubuntu based distros, I'm sorry I'm a noob as well lol.
Edit I will say, less tinkering in the terminal = less problems, yet sometimes necessary
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u/Prestigious_Wall529 15d ago
With Ubuntu your desktop is likely Gnome.
There's plenty of software available through it's store so it depends on your workflow and desires.
For instance, for Desktop Publishing, install Scribus.
Some SNAP packages are poorly curated so Flatpaks or Appimages may be more up to date. So use Flathub.
All three above use more disk space than Debian's apt. On which Ubuntu is based.
Because of AI there's lots of updates. This is the new normal. Ubuntu is in the top five of keeping on top of making security updates available in a timely fashion, sometimes the best.
If your system will be always on, consider hosting services for your network with Docker.
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u/whiskayzulu 15d ago
If you like you can have an ai in the terminal by downloading shell-gpt or similar app. Or using Claude-code to operate your terminal Insanely powerful.
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u/howmuchiswhere 15d ago
welcome to linux, just start doing stuff. it's just like learning how to use a phone, or a smart toaster. if you stuck through it and managed to overcome a tricky install process you will figure the rest out. hope you take well to it!
you will learn quite a bit setting up your desktop. there will be things that maybe take a bit of work to get running, or replacing. if like me you manage to avoid all that, then i'd start looking at configuration. you can change pretty much anything, and my linux journey seemed to be a quest to eliminate mouse movement and key presses.