Question from Marvin: I recently replaced my 2013 era Acer laptop with a new Windows 10 PC.
I used the Acer both for business and personal use but I’ve never really felt comfortable with that.
I read your article about replacing Windows with Linux and I’d like to install Linux on the Acer laptop since Windows 7 is no longer safe to use.
I plan to use the new Windows 10 machine strictly for my business.
The thing is I know absolutely nothing whatsoever about Linux and I have a couple of questions about it:
1 – Is Linux very hard to learn? I don’t need to do a lot of technical stuff with it. Just mostly use it for Internet, my personal email and stuff like that.
2 – What’s the best way to learn how to use Linux given the things I’m planning to use it for? Will I need to buy a book or can I find the info I need online?
Rick’s answer: I think your plan concerning the use of your two computers is fantastic, Marvin.
If all you’re going to use the Acer laptop for is surfing the Internet, checking your email and similar tasks, that 2013 era machine should perform just fine for you after you install Linux on it.
In regards to question 1, the “learning curve” for Linux can range anywhere from almost level to incredibly steep, depending on the way a person intends to use it.
In your case you should be able to hit the ground running, especially if you go with Linux Mint with the Cinnamon Desktop.
This particular version of Linux looks and works a LOT like Windows 7 so you should feel right at home with it while you’re using it for your daily tasks.
The layout of the Desktop and the rest of the user interface should quickly come to feel very natural to you.
Once you get Linux Mint installed you’ll just need to install updates as they are released. Luckily, the installation and update procedures are both relatively easy to accomplish and well documented via the info linked to from this page.
I really don’t believe you’ll need to purchase any type of printed book just to learn how to install or maintain Linux Mint.
As I said above, all of the info you’ll need in order to accomplish those tasks are well covered online and the actual procedures involved are fairly straightforward and simple.
That being said, if you ever decide that you’d like to dive deeper into how Linux works on a technical level and actually start doing things via the Terminal app’s “Command Line”, you’ll likely find a really good printed Linux reference manual to be indispensable.
There are many such books available today but the one I use and recommend is called “How Linux Works: What Every Superuser Should Know”. (#ad)
This book explains how to do most anything you will ever need to do with your Linux laptop.
Using “How Linux Works” as a handy reference and tutorial in combination with all the in-depth info that’s readily available online, you could actually become a Linux master if you were to ever decide that you want to do so.
Bottom line: Linux Mint is relatively easy to install and update by following the instructions provided on the Mint website. I don’t believe you’ll need to make any kind of purchase if all you want to do is use your Linux machine for the tasks you mentioned above.
However, if you ever decide that you’d like to learn more about Linux on a technical level, the “How Linux Works” book I mentioned above would be an excellent investment.