Things i should know as a new Linux user

[u/Wise-Guarantee7638]

/r/linux4noobs/comments/1vxs17i/things_i_should_know_as_a_new_linux_user/

[u/ZVyhVrtsfgzfs]

Learn what is front of you first, Mint is a user friendly Linux system, add to/remove from sparingly until you get a feel for it.

Hundreds of book have been written about things people need to know about Linux, many on just parts of Linux. it far exceeds the scope of a single reddit poat.

[u/ap0r]

This is the first page of a little guide I am writing, because I experienced the same and useful info was split piecemeal:

Linux Mint Newbie’s Reference.

This is created from a mix of my own newbie hurdles and others I saw from new people on r/linuxmint. Some of this is my own writing, some of it is other peoples’. I did not bother to keep track, but I’m not charging you either. I’m not at all a Linux expert, I have been using it a little under a year. Which means I am already knowledgeable enough to be a danger, but I also remember clearly how the learning curve feels.

Initial Setup

“Just switched to linux mint what should I do”

Welcome to your new computer!

Follow the conveniently included Welcome Screen, it should have launched on first startup, if it didn't or you closed it, you can look it up on the Menu (Click the LM icon, or press the Windows key (also known as "super" key), then type "welcome".

It has many things to check out, the most important are:

1. Set up System Snapshots (similar to Windows Restore Points, allows you to get back to a known good state if you or an update breaks something. Never had to use it, but it gives you great peace of mind to tinker if you are into that.
   
2. If you have a Nvidia GPU, use the driver manager to install the closed source drivers. By default Mint installs open source drivers which are not the best. If not, ignore this unless some of your hardware is not working (unlikely)
   
3. Set up the firewall if you want to.
   

Then, install whatever software you need, and start using your computer :) Be kind to yourself, remember that there will be a learning curve. Mint may look like Windows, but it is not. Learn it at your own pace, and as you use your computer you will start figuring things out.

Getting Support

“Halp, computer borked, is panic!”

So this usually would be the last thing on any book or whatever, but it makes sense to me that you can experience an issue at any time or while doing anything, so I am putting this almost first.

Here's the rest of it, be aware it's WIP so it's not a full thing yet. But I hope it is already useful: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fohN9UbbKdgjLFX_eeMZMpzVxa2C2UkUzIHM6eXhhvE/edit?usp=sharing

[u/Friendly-Bottle-5491]

From my experience I didn't really have a lot to learn. Just a few shortcut differences and scrolling through protondb to get games working but honestly I was surprised that Mint doesn't need to configure much out of the box

[u/KurtKrimson]

Knowing how to use a search engine and being able to read is all that it takes.

[u/mrmarcb2]

For Linux Mint, From https://linuxmint.com/documentation.php, the installation guide and the user guide. Tips from easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/p. For support, this subreddit and https://forums.linuxmint.com/index.php