Hello,

I am a Linux newbie who at the moment is lost. In fact, I can't even call myself a newbie because at the moment I'm not even running Linux because I got so frustrated I had to uninstall it and go back to Windows 10 (which I have grown to vehemently dislike). I had installed ubuntu on the advice of a Linux champion's YouTube video. He said it was "easiest to understand for beginners or Windows users." I beg to disagree. So here I am again feeling frustrated but determined to unpack and learn this strange animal with so many iterations and touted to make all my privacy and hardware incompatibility issues go away. So, where do I start, people?

Best place to start is by having a clear goal, and asking clear questions. Just saying you're 'frustrated' doesn't say what you're frustrated WITH, and without knowing that we can't help. You also don't say what you can't understand; again, we can't help with what you don't tell us.

Mint is also a good distro, and in my opinion, a better choice for a new Windows user these days. You also need to remember that now you have CHOICE; you have Gnome, KDE, XFCE, Enlightenment, and other desktop GUI environment...and you can try them all to find which one fits better. Mint Cinnamon would be familiar...a start button, menus, task bar, etc., all very similar to Windows.
https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

There are many guides, but the simplest thing would be to think back to how you learned Windows, and do the same things. Experiment; click buttons, look at what's there, and learn in steps. You also need to remember this is an entirely different OS...just like you can't run Windows software on a Mac, you can't run it on Linux either. So think about what you're wanting to do, rather than trying to make an old solution fit. For example, instead of saying "I can't run Microsoft Office on Linux!! HELP!!!", say "I need something for Linux that's the equivalent of Microsoft Office".

3 members found this post helpful.

Welcome to the forums.

How about taking it one question/problem at a time.

Can you relate what was wrong with Ubuntu that blocked you?

3 members found this post helpful.

the best place to start is probably to boot a live Linux distro from a USB stick. That way you get a good view look and feel of the distro . Not only that the Linux operating system on the USB stick will make use of the hardware from which the usb is booted ,thus you will get information on how well it can handle your hard ware.

if you want to give that a go i will help using a gino d'acampo approach !

2 members found this post helpful.

That's the best way, boot different distros 'live' on your computer to see how they work, & if you like that particular distro.

I recommend MX Linux, others suggest Mint - others may say Slackware, (don't go there), it's not beginner friendly.

2 members found this post helpful.

Many installation discs will run "live" so that you can try out the system. Before pressing the button marked "Install now", it's a good idea to check out how the distro handles your hardware. Does your wifi work? Have you got normal Internet access? Have you got sound? Nowadays most hardware is fairly Linux-friendly, but if you have anything that doesn't behave itself with Linux, it's best to find out before installing. One reason why people on this thread are recommending Mint is that it has a very good reputation for supplying the firmware that some devices (notably wifi chips) need to function.

If something does go wrong, post the actual problem. What happened? What were the signs and symptoms? What error message did you get? If there's more than one problem, it's best to deal with them one by one.

1 members found this post helpful.

Start here

https://www.howtogeek.com/tag/ubuntu/

Since Ubuntu was mentioned by your friend.

Then here is another good stop.

http://ubuntuhandbook.org/

Good Luck. This forum always helped my dumb keister out.

Hello and welcome to LQ.

I say don't learn linux. If you know Windows then you have the ability to understand linux. The processes are what you know. You simply adapt them.

As for the issue just ask here maybe.

1 members found this post helpful.

I suggest that you begin reading www.distrowatch.com which reports, weekly, about a different Linux distro (variation of linux). This will give you an idea of the pros and cons of each tested distro.

Down the right, of the "main page" is a list indicating how many people, recently, looked at that distro. Whether the looking resulted in a download/install is another thing.

If people didn't get lost/frustrated then there would be no need for any linux forums.

Because what suits one person may not suit someone else, make your own decisions on what to download/install.

And when you need help, please state your electronic marvel's details (board, cpu, ram, distro, etc) as well as what you're trying to do and the problem encountered.

Because some things are written for Windoze not everything can be cured by Linux.

1 members found this post helpful.

Ubuntu is not everyone's cup of tea — I'd sooner eat slugs! Start again with Mint and get the Mate version. Here are the guides, which you can read on-line or down-load — one for installation and one for usage:
https://linuxmint.com/documentation.php
It does help if you know what's coming! When you've got Mint on USB or DVD, run it from that until you feel confident that you can live with it, before you install.

1 members found this post helpful.

I won't re-plow the ground earlier responders have covered, but I will address your subject line:

This is an excellent place to ask technical questions. The most common mistake that I've observed in questions here at LQ is that too little detail is provided. Posters omit what they have tried, what error messages they have received, what distro/version/desktop they are using, etc.

LQ offers a tutorial on how to ask a question which is worth a read.

ALso, when posting terminal output, it helps to use "code" tags which become available when you click the "Advanced" button beneath the compose/edit post window? It makes terminal output much easier to read.

Welcome to LQ.

2 members found this post helpful.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my query. Of all the replies, however, "Quick Breakfast" gave the most compassionate and attentive answer and you demonstrated that my question was deserving of a thoughtful read. Thanks again.
At present, I thought it best to return to Windows 10, however, the same issues that caused me to want to try Linux still exist, i.e., the insidious encroachment of privacy and the built-in bias against other software applications. This was never so prevalent as it is now with Windows 10, and I have the Professional version which is supposed to allow more leeway. I never felt this before with previous versions of Windows. For example, when I was running Windows 7, I set up my music files in MusicBee designating it as my default music handler. Well now, even though I have selected Music Bee as the default, Windows 10 won't adhere to my preference -- it starts "Groove Music" whenever there's a music file in question.

Another incident occurred that just floored me: I listen to Audible audiobooks quite often. One day, out of the blue, after opening the program, Cortana announces to me: "You have listened to xxx 21 times." Whaaaat!?! I had forgotten to turn off the voice assistant. I don't like devices that smart, it feels weird.

So, Quick Breakfast, I will take your advice and download the Linux reference you gave me to much more familiar with Linux before I try it again, but rest assured, I will try it again. FYI, I've used Windows since Windows 3.1.


Guess what, guys? After posting the above, I found what I believe could be the answer to all my Linux prayers: Alkabary, Ahmed. "Learn Linux Quickly: A Friendly Guide to Easily Master the World's Most Powerful Operating System," Independently Published. Kindle Edition. This came hot off the press as of May of this year, so the info is current and Alkabary has IT credentials up the wazoo and he promises to make learning Linux friendly and accessible for non-techies like me. Also, it has over 550 pages including illustrations. I'm diving in now and I expect to have all my Linux questions answered soon.

ajm220,

eznix does a whole series of excellent instructional videos on Linux etc.

This one covers W10 to Linux Mint:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMDG5uQDVcw

Hi,

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of the video especially for those of us coming from Windows (10). Watching videos, if well done and the audio is intelligible for American English speakers, is the preferred method of learning anything new.

Appreciate it and I'll check it out, and I am highly motivated to make the switch.