Errors made by novice Linux users and how to avoid them
Today I want to tell you about the mistakes that novice Linux users make mostly when switching from Windows.
The first and, probably, the main mistake of novice GNU / Linux users when switching from Windows is the choice of distribution. Choosing an inherently poor distribution may not tell you well on your future impression of the system. Therefore, you should carefully choose the distribution kit that suits you before installation. As a rule, it is worth adhering to the first 10-15 distributions given on the site Distrowatch. Here are some of them:
Before installing the distribution kit on the hard disk, you should try it in Live mode and, thus, make the first impression of its use.
Indeed, Linux partitions sometimes need to be defragmented, but only when restoring or when the partition is full. Of course, with the proliferation of solid-state drives, these problems are a thing of the past.
Regarding antiviruses: for an ordinary user, there is no need for antivirus software, since most viruses on Linux are mainly created to attack servers. But if you use Linux on a dual-boot Windows and transfer files from Linux partitions to Windows partitions, the antivirus can be useful, because the files may contain viruses invulnerable to Linux, but vulnerable to Windows.
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Unlike Windows, you can interact with Linux both through a graphical interface and through a terminal (the Power Shell in Windows 10 has far fewer features than in Linux.). But many users after installing Linux - ignore the console. This is not a mistake (Linux offers you the right to choose.), But people who have never used a terminal on Linux simply cannot imagine how easy it is to install software, work with the file system, and in general, interact.
A large number of Windows users do not want to use the administrator password to log into the account and work with programs that affect the system partition, because they find it inconvenient. This is a very big mistake , because due to carelessness you can “kill” the system and lose all your data. Sudo or su commands are used to access superuser rights in most distributions. Here is a list of the benefits of using sudo, which Ubuntu Official Documentation tells us:
Without using the root password to access superuser rights, you are constantly under root.
In Windows, most categories of applications are heavily monopolized by one company. As an example, you can take Microsoft Office and a set of Adobe programs for working with graphics and design. In Windows, they essentially have no alternatives. In Linux, the story is completely different. Most application categories have 3-4 alternatives and all of them are available for installation within a few minutes. If for some reason you didn’t like one program, you can just try a few more alternatives. In Linux, you always have a choice.
Probably, the recommendations above will not be able to save you from some problems when switching to Linux. You may be in pain when upgrading to Linux, but in the end, you will get a fully working system.
The choice of distribution
The first and, probably, the main mistake of novice GNU / Linux users when switching from Windows is the choice of distribution. Choosing an inherently poor distribution may not tell you well on your future impression of the system. Therefore, you should carefully choose the distribution kit that suits you before installation. As a rule, it is worth adhering to the first 10-15 distributions given on the site Distrowatch. Here are some of them:
- Ubuntu and Ubuntu-Based. Extremely easy to install and configure. There is also a very large user and developer community. So if you have problems, it will not be difficult to solve them.
- Fedora. Also easy to install, like Ubuntu, and includes the newest packages.
- Manjaro Based on Arch Linux. What does it mean? This means that in the bundle you get a very convenient Pacman package manager and the largest repository of AUR programs.
Before installing the distribution kit on the hard disk, you should try it in Live mode and, thus, make the first impression of its use.
Experiences about defragmentation and use of Antiviruses
Indeed, Linux partitions sometimes need to be defragmented, but only when restoring or when the partition is full. Of course, with the proliferation of solid-state drives, these problems are a thing of the past.
Regarding antiviruses: for an ordinary user, there is no need for antivirus software, since most viruses on Linux are mainly created to attack servers. But if you use Linux on a dual-boot Windows and transfer files from Linux partitions to Windows partitions, the antivirus can be useful, because the files may contain viruses invulnerable to Linux, but vulnerable to Windows.
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Fear of working with the terminal
Unlike Windows, you can interact with Linux both through a graphical interface and through a terminal (the Power Shell in Windows 10 has far fewer features than in Linux.). But many users after installing Linux - ignore the console. This is not a mistake (Linux offers you the right to choose.), But people who have never used a terminal on Linux simply cannot imagine how easy it is to install software, work with the file system, and in general, interact.
Ignoring Passwords
A large number of Windows users do not want to use the administrator password to log into the account and work with programs that affect the system partition, because they find it inconvenient. This is a very big mistake , because due to carelessness you can “kill” the system and lose all your data. Sudo or su commands are used to access superuser rights in most distributions. Here is a list of the benefits of using sudo, which Ubuntu Official Documentation tells us:
- The installer asks fewer questions.
- Users do not need to remember an additional password that they may forget.
- Before the command is executed, you will be asked to enter a password. This will give time to think about the possible consequences.
- sudo adds commands to the log (/var/log/auth.log).
- All attempts by hackers trying to find a password for root will be doomed to failure.
- sudo makes it easy to grant admin rights for a long or short period to other users by simply adding and removing them from a group, while not touching the root account.
- Authentication automatically expires at the end of a certain period of time.
Without using the root password to access superuser rights, you are constantly under root.
Imagining that there are no alternatives to this or that program in Linux.
In Windows, most categories of applications are heavily monopolized by one company. As an example, you can take Microsoft Office and a set of Adobe programs for working with graphics and design. In Windows, they essentially have no alternatives. In Linux, the story is completely different. Most application categories have 3-4 alternatives and all of them are available for installation within a few minutes. If for some reason you didn’t like one program, you can just try a few more alternatives. In Linux, you always have a choice.
Transition time
Probably, the recommendations above will not be able to save you from some problems when switching to Linux. You may be in pain when upgrading to Linux, but in the end, you will get a fully working system.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/356344/
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