From Average Windows User to Linux Terminal User
As an average Windows user, I'm taking advantage of Microsoft's partnership with Canonical to transition to Linux terminal. I'm installing Ubuntu on my existing laptop running Windows 10 or 11, so I can take advantage of the cloud and protect myself from obsolescence. Join me on my journey as I become a Linux terminal user.
Transitioning to Linux Terminal: My Journey as an Average Windows User
By Michael Levin
Friday, July 22, 2022
Next step? My next step is what I believe is many peoples out there starting point into the interesting world, as Linux comes to Windows. I need to get back on track with public videos showing a typical person’s route to Linux terminal.
These days, you are still likely on Windows. For those on Macs or Linux desktops, the story is a little different. They’ve already embraced *nix platforms. Mac users must embrace Homebrew while whatever Linux desktop will have an underlying text-based distro, which will be their natural choice. For everyone else who is likely on Windows, there is Ubuntu.
This is because Microsoft partnered with a company called Canonical that makes a popular Unix distro. You are therefore aligned with Debian Linux, one of the great non-commercial branches. It’s a popular choice for cloud use today due to it’s great software repository, ease-of-use and popularity in various desktop versions. It’s technically not very POSIX-compliant (one of the measures of Unix-compatibility) because it uses its own package management system. But the Debian package management system (versus Redhat Package Manager) has become so very popular. The fact that Ubuntu Linux has indeed become the “canonical” Linux due to its Microsoft partnership is unironically self-fulfilling.
It’s not a bad bandwagon to jump onto, Ubuntu-based Terminal Linux.
But the story I have to tell is going to be for most of you capable of tuning in and listening to this right now.
The general purpose computer is really just finishing being invented, in the sense that there is enough agreement around how it ought to work that learning it ought to be helpful throughout all life. Your knowledge and know-how and capabilities won’t suddenly become obsolete because some-such next fad.
We know that this time is upon us because of how easy Windows just made Linux to fully install on your system, side-by-side with Windows. As such, every Windows system has also potentially become a Linux system that can help protect you from obsolescence by being overly-dependent on technologies that may suddenly change radically or go away, because proprietary or vendor services.
No, this is an approach that leverages the power of your existing laptop, which is most likely running Windows 10 or 11. Either way, it’s pretty easy to get to “simultaneous” Linux with very little downside.