I've been using Linux Mint for my daily tasks like reading, note-taking, and enjoying media, and I've really liked the experience because it feels a lot like Windows. I've mostly stayed away from the terminal, only using basic commands like 'apt upgrade' and 'apt remove' when necessary. However, I'm really curious about learning more about the terminal. To prevent messing up my system, I was considering using VirtualBox to practice. Since I don't have any IT background and I'd consider myself just an average user, I'd appreciate a straightforward roadmap on how to start exploring the terminal.
4 Answers
If you're satisfied with your current setup, it’s wise to take a snapshot of your system. I recommend a tool like Clonezilla, which is great for making backups. You can save your snapshot to a Network Attached Storage (NAS) and also have a copy on a USB drive just in case. This way, if something goes awry while you experiment, you can easily restore your system.
A great starting point is the book "The Linux Command Line" by William Shotts. It's fantastic and available for free online. It breaks down the command line into easy steps. Just a heads-up though, once you start using the terminal, you might find it super addictive! Mentioning that you don’t need any IT background to manage your own computer with the terminal is totally true, it's designed to be accessible.
To really grasp the terminal, try giving yourself practical tasks. You can attempt to install, update, and remove applications through the terminal, navigate the filesystem, and manage text files. For a fun challenge, try installing Fastfetch and creating directories for its config files—all using just the terminal!
Always make sure you're backing things up regularly! If you're really exploring the terminal, testing things in a Virtual Machine (VM) is a fantastic idea. Just be cautious—understand what each command does before hitting Enter! Better safe than sorry.
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