Linux is the core of the system. A distribution combines it with a desktop, installer, software store, and sensible defaults. Linux Mint is a friendly distribution based on Ubuntu.
Kernel
The engine
Connects software to your CPU, memory, disks, graphics card, and other hardware.
Distribution
The complete system
Mint, Ubuntu and Fedora package the kernel with tools, updates, and an installer.
Desktop
What you touch
Cinnamon gives Mint its panel, menu, settings, windows, and file manager.
Shell
Your text interface
Bash reads commands. The terminal is the window where you interact with it.
The three rules that prevent most disasters
Read before you paste.Never run a command you cannot roughly explain, especially one using sudo.
Back up important files.A second copy on the same disk is not a backup.
Errors are information.Copy the exact message, note what you changed, then investigate one thing at a time.
Useful mental model
Your personal files live in /home/yourname. System files live elsewhere and normally require administrator permission to change.
Lesson 02 · 18 minutes
Files, folders, and paths
Linux has one directory tree beginning at /. Drives appear inside that tree instead of receiving letters like C: or D:.
Path
What it contains
/home/alex
Alex’s documents, downloads, settings, and other personal data.
/etc
System-wide configuration.
/var/log
Logs written by the system and services.
/tmp
Temporary files; do not store anything important here.
/media
USB drives and removable media mounted by the desktop.
Your navigation toolkit
pwd # show where you are
ls -la # list everything, with details
cd ~/Downloads # move to Downloads
mkdir practice # create a folder
cp notes.txt backup.txt
mv backup.txt practice/
rm practice/backup.txt
There is usually no terminal recycle bin.
rm deletes immediately. Check pwd and use ls before removing files. Avoid rm -rf until you understand every part of the path.
Small details that matter
Paths are case-sensitive: Photo.jpg and photo.jpg differ.
~ means your home folder; . means here; .. means the parent folder.
Names beginning with . are hidden configuration files.
Quote names containing spaces: cd "My Projects".
Lesson 03 · 22 minutes
Speak terminal without fear
A command is usually a program followed by options and arguments: command --option target. Press Tab to complete names and ↑ to recall earlier commands.
Inspect before changing
whoami # your user name
date # current time
uname -a # kernel details
cat file.txt # print a short file
less long-file.txt # read a long file; q exits
man ls # manual for ls; q exits
command --help # quick help
Combine tools
A pipe | sends one command’s output into another. Redirection writes output to a file.
ps aux | grep firefox
ls -la | less
echo "first note" > notes.txt
echo "another note" >> notes.txt
When a command seems stuck
Press Ctrl + C to ask it to stop. Use Ctrl + D to signal end-of-input or close a shell.
Practice mission
Create a workspace.mkdir -p ~/practice/notes && cd ~/practice
Create and inspect a file.echo "Linux is learnable" > notes/day1.txt, then cat notes/day1.txt.
Search it.grep -n "learn" notes/day1.txt.
Lesson 04 · 16 minutes
Install software the Linux way
Prefer Mint’s Software Manager or trusted repositories. They provide updates and reduce the risk of downloading a fake installer.
APT
System packages
Best for drivers, command-line tools, and software integrated with the operating system.
Flatpak
Desktop apps
Sandboxed apps with newer releases. Mint supports Flathub through Software Manager.
sudo apt update # refresh package information
apt search inkscape # search without admin rights
sudo apt install inkscape # install a known package
sudo apt remove inkscape # remove it
flatpak list # list Flatpak apps
Do not mix random installation methods.
Avoid piping internet downloads directly into a shell. Check the project’s official site, distribution documentation, and whether the same app is already in Software Manager.
Updating
Mint’s Update Manager is the beginner-friendly route. Review updates, keep Timeshift snapshots enabled, and restart when kernel or graphics updates request it.
Lesson 05 · 18 minutes
Users, permissions, and sudo
Every file has an owner, a group, and permissions for reading, writing, and executing. This separation helps contain mistakes and malware.
ls -l notes.txt
# -rw-r--r-- 1 alex alex ... notes.txt
# owner: rw- group: r-- others: r--
chmod u+x script.sh # owner may execute
chown alex:alex notes.txt # change owner (usually with sudo)
What sudo means
sudo runs one command with administrator power. Your password will not show dots while you type—that is normal. Use it only when a trusted instruction genuinely needs a system change.
Never “fix” permissions with chmod -R 777.
It gives everyone broad access and hides the real ownership problem. Inspect with ls -l, understand which user needs access, then make the smallest change.
Lesson 06 · 14 minutes
What is running?
A process is a running program. A service is a long-running background program managed by the system.
ps aux | less # snapshot of processes
top # live view; q exits
pgrep -a firefox # find a process by name
kill 1234 # request a graceful stop by PID
systemctl status bluetooth # inspect a system service
journalctl -u bluetooth --since today
Try the normal close button first, then kill PID. Use forceful termination only when a process refuses to stop, because it cannot save work or clean up.
High CPU is not automatically bad
Games, updates, compression, and compiling legitimately use resources. Investigate sustained unexpected use together with the process name and what you were doing.
Lesson 07 · 16 minutes
Networking without the fog
Your device has an IP address, DNS translates names to addresses, and ports identify services. Test each layer instead of toggling everything at once.
ip address # local addresses
ip route # route to your router
ping -c 4 1.1.1.1 # basic connectivity
getent hosts linuxmint.com # DNS lookup
curl -I https://linuxmint.com # web connection headers
ss -lnt # local TCP listening ports
Check the obvious.Airplane mode, cable, Wi-Fi selection, and whether another device works.
Check the route.If no default route appears, reconnect through Network settings.
Separate internet from DNS.If an IP responds but a name does not, focus on DNS.
Lesson 08 · 20 minutes
A calm troubleshooting loop
Good troubleshooting is controlled comparison: describe the symptom, gather facts, change one thing, and test again.
Capture the exact symptom.What did you expect? What happened? Copy the full error.
Recall the last change.Update, new hardware, setting, or command.
Gather context.inxi -Fxxxz on Mint gives useful hardware details while hiding sensitive network data.
Read relevant logs.journalctl -p warning -b shows warnings since this boot.
Make one reversible change.Test, record the result, and revert if it did not help.
Share the distribution/version, hardware, exact error, what you tried, and relevant logs. Remove usernames, public IP addresses, tokens, and passwords.
Lesson 09 · 15 minutes
Safety, updates, and backups
Linux security is mostly steady habits: install trusted software, update regularly, use unique passwords, and keep recoverable backups.
The 3–2–1 backup rule
3 copies
One working, two backups
Your original plus two copies limits single points of failure.
2 media
Different storage
For example, an internal disk and an external disk.
1 elsewhere
Off-site
An encrypted cloud backup or a drive stored elsewhere protects against theft and fire.
Enable the firewall: sudo ufw enable, then check sudo ufw status.
Use Update Manager weekly and apply security updates.
Configure Timeshift for system snapshots; use a separate backup tool for personal files.
Test restoring one file. An untested backup is only a hope.
Lock the screen when away and enable full-disk encryption during installation for portable PCs.
Lesson 10 · Complete walkthrough
Install Linux Mint on a gaming PC
This path favors reliability: verify the installer, test hardware in the live session, preserve recovery options, then install the recommended graphics driver and gaming tools.
Back up before partitioning.
Copy saves, documents, browser recovery codes, and BitLocker keys somewhere disconnected from the PC. Changing partitions can erase everything.
1. Prepare in Windows
Check whether the PC uses NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel graphics in Device Manager.
Update the motherboard BIOS/UEFI from its manufacturer if the release notes address Linux, stability, or your CPU.
If dual-booting, save the BitLocker recovery key, suspend BitLocker, disable Windows Fast Startup, and shrink Windows from Disk Management. Leave the new space unallocated.
Download the current Linux Mint Cinnamon ISO from the official Linux Mint website and compare its SHA-256 checksum with the published value.
Write the ISO to an 8 GB or larger USB drive using Rufus, balenaEtcher, or Ventoy. This erases that USB drive.
2. Boot the USB safely
Open the one-time boot menu.Common keys are F12, F11, Esc, or F8. Select the entry beginning with “UEFI”.
Keep UEFI mode.Do not enable legacy/CSM unless you have a specific old-hardware reason.
Secure Boot can stay on.Mint supports it. If a proprietary NVIDIA module later fails to load, use Driver Manager’s key-enrollment flow or temporarily disable Secure Boot while diagnosing.
Choose “Start Linux Mint”.This runs a live session without changing disks.
3. Test before installing
Connect Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Test sound, microphone, Bluetooth, every monitor and refresh rate, sleep/wake, keyboard, mouse, controller, and a short video. Open Driver Manager if NVIDIA graphics or Wi-Fi needs a proprietary driver.
Graphics reality check
AMD and Intel drivers are normally built into Linux. NVIDIA gaming systems usually work best with the proprietary driver recommended by Mint’s Driver Manager.
4. Run the installer
Start “Install Linux Mint”.Select language, keyboard, and install multimedia codecs when offered.
Choose the disk plan carefully.For a Linux-only PC, “Erase disk and install” is simplest but destroys the disk. For dual boot, choose “Install alongside Windows” when offered. Manual partitioning is for experienced users.
Encryption decision.Full-disk encryption protects data if the PC is stolen, but the passphrase is required at boot and cannot be recovered if forgotten.
Confirm the summary.Read the target disk and partitions twice before accepting changes.
Create your account.Use a strong password, finish installation, remove the USB when asked, and reboot.
5. First boot: update and drivers
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade
sudo reboot
Open Driver Manager, install the recommended NVIDIA or other proprietary driver, reboot, then confirm displays and refresh rates in Display settings. Open Timeshift and configure snapshots before deeper customization.
6. Gaming setup
Install Steam from Software Manager. In Steam → Settings → Compatibility, enable Steam Play for supported titles; use Proton Experimental only when needed.
Install Heroic Games Launcher as a Flatpak for Epic/GOG libraries if desired.
Use ProtonDB to check game-specific community reports. Anti-cheat support varies by game and can change.
Keep games on a Linux filesystem such as ext4 when possible. Shared NTFS libraries can create permissions and compatibility issues.
Enable your monitor’s correct refresh rate and variable refresh rate if supported. Verify which GPU drives each display on multi-GPU systems.
For controllers, test Steam Input before adding extra drivers.
7. Recovery plan
Keep the installer USB. If the system stops booting, the live session lets you back up files and inspect disks. Timeshift can restore system files; it does not replace backups of your personal files or game saves.
Dual-boot clock and updates
Windows updates may sometimes change boot order. Your Linux data is usually still present; select the Mint/Ubuntu boot entry in UEFI and repair the boot order before reinstalling anything.