Linux Newbie Guides

Everyone needs something to get started. For Linux newbies, it is overwhelming because there are so many articles and blogs that talk about Linux, this one included. There are two guides on MakeUseOf that caught my eye. The MakeUseOf guide with the title “A Newbie’s Initiation to Linux” and the TLDP guide to Linux.
Straightforward, no non-sense and not intimidating

The MakeUseOf guide covers different topics and it also tackles the different desktop environments that are commonly used like KDE, GNOME and XFCE. It gives screenshots to introduce the look and feel these desktop environments have. There are also basic commands for the terminal too in case you want to experiment with it.

The MakeUseOf guide is quite good, in my opinion. It goes straight to the point of what the newbie can do to start using a Linux distro. In this case, the writer has chosen Ubuntu as the distro, and there is also a guide on how to install it and how to get a copy of it. But the writer also mentioned about the existence of many other Linux distros. There are people who say that Ubuntu is not the most newbie friendly (but close enough). However, for the purpose of this guide, Ubuntu is a good example of what a new Linux user could do.

More information on TLDP’s guide to Linux

If you’re already comfortable to explore different aspects of Linux then it’s probably time to check out TLDP’s guide. It is regularly updated so there shouldn’t be worries that it is out of date, as compared with other Linux guides. I think this is one of the guides that you could come back to each time. This is a one stop shop (and document, in case you choose to download the PDF) for your Linux learning. There are even some bits of history included in this guide. This might feel too text-heavy for some but that could also be seen as an advantage for those who seek explanations and answers.

TLDP also has a cheat sheet focused on the command line stuff so check it out too.