I've got 99 distros, but Windows ain't one

Hello there Tek syndicate community!

After reading and doing some research online I've decided that it has time for me to move away from Windows due to the direction of which Microsoft has been going does not please me anymore. On multiple times I have noticed of how superior Linux was, but because I am hardcore gamer I couldn't switch. I have witnessed how games for windows are being pushed to Linux especially these few years. Now I'm ready to make some sacrifices in gaming in order to try and contribute to the open source community, granted I can't code at all (for now)  but I will be reporting bugs and do what ever I can do to help. What pushed me to switch faster is that I'm in college right now in a programming course and being familiar with Linux quicker will just help me in my studies. I settled on Ubuntu as my starting out distro and I would like to ask you for any tips and short-cuts, helpful sites.

Thank you.

  • using tab to auto complete in the terminal is super handy
  • $ [command-name] man will bring a up a ton of info to help you
  • Download as much software and drivers from repositories not from websites so you know you are getting a stable package
  • If you don't know search for it, most likely you are not the 1st to encounter the issue
  • Don't be scared of the terminal if you can type faster than 50 words a minute it is faster than the GUI
  • Try other desktop interfaces see what you like
  • You will most likely break your 1st install at some point, don't get bent out of shape about it
  • don't worry too much about distros they all pretty much do the same thing, tools are the only thing that differs.
  • Stick to open source software when possible, it just works.
  • Most importantly have fun learning how your computer works since nothing is hidden for the user.

+1, learn the ropes first, you'll have to change the way you think about operating systems if you're only familiar with windows. Only install packages from the repositories, don't download & execute. In linux everything is a textfile, and everything can be easily altered, equally everything can easily be misconfigured if you don't know what your doing. You're in control now, not the OS. Setup a virtual machine for experimentation, and once you're getting the hang of things you can optimize your system for your metal and achieve wonders.

Also don't think of it as a windows replacement, all the 'noob-friendly' distros are just pre-configured environments to suit most needs out of the box, but in the end the same DIY principle applies.

For simple help you've got the ubuntu docs, and for more detailed information one option is the arch wiki, eg if you want to optimize performance, but remember it's not a step-by-step guide since you're using ubuntu, alter the directories and commands to suit your system.

Thanks guys! Going to set up a virtual machine and try and tweak the distros to my liking we'll see what  the outcome of that will be :)