How to Linux

This guide provides a brief introduction to Linux and outlines various ways to get started with it. It is intended as an overview; depending on your situation, you should also do your own research on other websites.

Introduction

Linux itself is easy to use. It is user-friendly, well designed, and suitable for everyday tasks - provided that you choose a distribution and graphical desktop environment that match your needs.

For most applications, there is alternative software that serves the same purposes. In specific cases, other solutions are available, as described below. There may be a short adjustment period while getting used to the user interface. However, users have a great deal of freedom of choice, and it can follow familiar design patterns found in other operating systems they are used to.

Prerequisites for a Self-Installation

• A USB flash drive or another suitable storage medium
• An Internet connection to download the ISO image
• A target device, such as a laptop or desktop computer
  • Monitor
  • Keyboard
  • Mouse
  • A wired connection is recommended
• Sufficient time to complete the installation. (The installation itself is very quick. However, you may want to read up on it a little more and consider the implications of encryption.)
• Optional: An external hard drive for backing up data from your old computer
• Another device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or second computer, to follow the instructions during the installation

Helpful, but not required

• Basic command-line knowledge
• An experienced and helpful Linux user who can assist you during the installation and provide private support afterward
• To create a bootable Linux USB drive and complete the installation process, users need a basic understanding of ISO images, BIOS/UEFI, disk partitioning, file systems, mount points, and bootloaders. They should also know how to select a boot device, configure users and network settings, and create a backup before modifying any disks. No advanced Linux knowledge is required, but familiarity with basic computer and operating-system concepts is helpful.

Linux distributions

When people talk about Linux, they are usually referring to a Linux distribution. A distribution is a complete operating system built around the Linux kernel.

The main distribution families include:

• Debian
• Red Hat and Fedora
• Arch
• SUSE
• Gentoo

Many other distributions are derivatives of these main systems. For example, Ubuntu is based on Debian, Linux Mint is mainly based on Ubuntu, and Manjaro is based on Arch.

There are around one hundred actively maintained distributions. You can also fork an existing distribution and customize it for your specific needs.

Distributions differ in their package management, update model, stability, ease of use, target audience, and overall philosophy.

GNU/Linux

You may have heard the phrase: “GNU is not Linux.”

GNU is a recursive acronym for “GNU’s Not Unix!” The GNU project provides many essential tools and components used by Linux distributions.

Linux itself is technically only the kernel. The kernel manages communication between the hardware and the rest of the operating system. Because a complete Linux distribution also contains GNU tools and many other components, some people refer to the complete system as GNU/Linux.

Why use Linux?

The main difficulty for beginners is often the installation. Most computers sold to the general public come with Windows, macOS, or ChromeOS preinstalled.

Once Linux is installed, the basics are straightforward: update the system and install applications. For many users, that is all they need to know.

Developers can use Linux much more extensively. Unlike proprietary operating systems, Linux gives users direct access to the system and allows them to change, inspect, and control far more of its components.

You can think of a proprietary operating system as a system with many locked or restricted features. Linux, by contrast, gives you more freedom and control. Later in this guide, it will become clear how that relates to privacy.

Getting started

The purpose of the How to Linux guide is to present the available paths as a flowchart inspired by a board game. You start at one point and follow the branch that best matches your experience and goals.

Possible starting points

• I have no experience at all.
• I have some experience and am willing to learn as I go.
• I am an advanced user.

Before installing Linux

Before installing a new operating system, create a complete backup of your existing data. Do not rely on files stored only on the computer you are about to modify.

You can either replace the existing operating system or use dual boot. Dual boot allows you to keep two operating systems on the same computer and choose between them when the computer starts.

If you overwrite the internal drive yourself, the installation may affect the device warranty. The exact consequences depend on the manufacturer and the applicable warranty terms.

Choosing compatible hardware

Before buying a laptop or desktop computer, check how well Linux works on that specific model. Hardware support is usually good, but new devices may sometimes lack drivers for components such as trackpads, Wi-Fi adapters, fingerprint readers, or graphics hardware.

A live USB drive lets you test many parts of the user interface before installing Linux. This can help you identify compatibility problems early.

Some manufacturers also make Linux installation more difficult by requiring changes in the firmware or BIOS settings. The process can vary from one manufacturer to another.

Applications and compatibility

If you depend on applications from your previous operating system, there are several possible solutions.

• Run another operating system in a virtual machine.
• Use Wine, a compatibility layer for many Windows applications.
• Replace proprietary applications with free and open-source alternatives.

Many widely used applications have Linux alternatives. In some cases, these alternatives may offer better control, stronger security, or greater transparency than their commercial counterparts. Many computer games also run well on Linux today.

Different installation methods

There is more than one way to install Linux. You can choose a simple graphical installation, a more manual installation, or a security-focused setup involving technologies such as Coreboot or Libreboot.

The right approach depends on your experience, your hardware, and how much control you want over the installation.

Beginner

Beginners can use a graphical installer and distributions typically recommended for beginners.

Intermediate Users

Intermediate users can work with the command line and know a few shell commands.

Advanced Users

Advanced users are able to install a distribution manually without a graphical installer, configure the system via the command line, and are familiar with Bash scripting or other programming languages.

Creating a bootable USB drive

A common way to try or install Linux is to create a bootable live USB drive from a Linux ISO image.

On Linux, this can be done from the command line. However, this method is intended for experienced users because selecting the wrong device can permanently erase data.

Useful commands on Linux

lsblk lists block devices in a tree structure.
fdisk -l displays the partition tables of detected drives.

sudo dd if=/path/to/linux.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync

• if=: the input file, in this case the ISO image.
• of=: the output device, in this case the USB drive.
• bs=4M: writes data in larger blocks.
• status=progress: displays the writing progress.
• conv=fsync: waits until the data has been written.

The command dd is sometimes jokingly called “disk destroyer” because using the wrong output device can destroy data.

The flowchart

The flowchart is intended to show the different paths a person can take. It is not yet complete or comprehensive, and mistakes may still occur.

The current version is an early draft created with Mermaid.js. Later, it will be integrated into the Privacy Guide as an interactive diagram.

Creating a bootable live USB drive only takes a few minutes once the ISO image has been downloaded. However, inexperienced users may want to research their hardware and options first. In that case, the process can take several hours or even days.

Asking someone with Linux experience for help can make the process much easier. You will still follow the same basic steps, but you will have support if something goes wrong.

That may not sound like the most convincing conclusion if the goal is to show that Linux is easy. But Linux can be easy to use while the installation process still requires care, preparation, and sometimes a little help.