What distro should I install for a complete beginner like me. I want to be familiar with how Linux works, I know Windows and Mac OS. Should I just install it and play around with it? Is there anything I can do before installing it on my machine, like practice online? Thanks.

I'd recommend that the start by downloading a couple of distributions and burn them to either on different usb/thumb-drives and use a program such as rufus and burnr the iso of the distributions that you want to aforementioned thumb drives with persistence.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1330...install-on-usb

There are a huge number of options in Linux. There are some distributions which offer a very limited choice of options so that a beginner has a much better chance of installing a working system within a few tries. The current popular limited version of Linux seems to be Mint. I suggest that you download Mint and install it as dual boot with whatever else you are running. Play with Mint for a while. Then you will be capable of downloading a full blown distribution like Slackware or Debian and be able to understand the choices that you are presented with in a full blown install.

You might want to read this post on how to pick a distro, if you have not done so already.

I second the advice to try several mainstream distros in live mode, then pick the one you feel most comfortable with.

I suggest that you download the VirtualBox® virtual-machine monitor. It runs on everything, is supported by the biggest software company in the world, and costs nothing. With the provided "extension packs," which are also free, it can interface with files and such on your host, do "drag and drop," and so on.

With this, you can now "try Linux" at no risk: a virtual machine can never harm nor impact the host. Whether on MacOS or Windows, Linux "runs in a window." (Or, full-screen.) You can try multiple distros and "play with it" to your heart's content. And of course, you can even run Linux "for real" that way. (That's what I do these days ...) The "hard drives" used by the Linux guest are actually implemented by ordinary files on the host system. Modern microprocessors have very sophisticated hardware support for virtualization.

Linux is superficially similar to MacOS (nee "OS/X"), which is a [Mach ...] Unix® distribution (as is "iOS"). The command-syntax for the various commands is sometimes not exactly the same, but if you are familiar with MacOS "as a Unix" you will be in fairly familiar territory. As you might expect, the "Linux way of doing things" is much closer to Unix than to Windows, which has a completely different technical ancestry.

3 members found this post helpful.

I suggest that you download the VirtualBox® virtual-machine monitor. It runs on everything, is supported by the biggest software company in the world, and costs nothing. With the provided "extension packs," which are also free, it can interface with files and such on your host, do "drag and drop," and so on.

With this, you can now "try Linux" at no risk: a virtual machine can never harm nor impact the host. Whether on MacOS or Windows, Linux "runs in a window." (Or, full-screen.) You can try multiple distros and "play with it" to your heart's content. And of course, you can even run Linux "for real" that way. (That's what I do these days ...) The "hard drives" used by the Linux guest are actually implemented by ordinary files on the host system. Modern microprocessors have very sophisticated hardware support for virtualization.

Linux is superficially similar to MacOS (nee "OS/X"), which is a [Mach ...] Unix® distribution (as is "iOS"). The command-syntax for the various commands is sometimes not exactly the same, but if you are familiar with MacOS "as a Unix" you will be in fairly familiar territory. As you might expect, the "Linux way of doing things" is much closer to Unix than to Windows, which has a completely different technical ancestry.

3 members found this post helpful.

Debian spinoff with Open Box Window manager. It is called LiliDog on the forum.

Give a it live run. You might like it.

Then there is stock MX Linux with XFCE desktop. Also Debian based. You might like that one also.

Edit. I have been told by young users that they like this guys channel when they wish to learn something also

I'd second the recommendations in posts #3 and #4 above. Read about some distros and try a few out. There is no substitute for using them on bare metal.

However, during the early phases, you can benefit from trying the Live versions first. They will give you a taste of the defaults without having to actually install anything. Then as you go through the distros, make a list of what you like and dislike. Then pick the one with the most things you like and install that. Pay special attention to the desktop environment and, maybe, even the window manager.

Once it is installed, in most (most, not all) cases it will be easy to add the rest of the things you observed that you like while removing the things which get in your way. For the most part any distro can be turned into another by adjusting the configurations and adding or removing packages.

I'm in the habit of suggesting MX Linux to beginners, it has everything that a normal user needs, & has good documentation & videos created by the developer team, so they know what they are talking about, whilst some online info can be inaccurate.

Otherwise, download some 'live' distros, & see what you personally like.

1 members found this post helpful.

Unless you happen to have a fairly up-to-date computer lying around, or want to buy one at a second-hand store someplace, I frankly suggest that "VMs" are much more practical if your initial goal is to "Learn about Linux." Baby steps. You can have the total Linux experience very quickly, and without changing anything but software and without risking anything. (Wanna try "more than one Linux?" Sure. Why not: "all at the same time!")

Once you have become comfortable with that, it's straightforward to then move it to "real iron" if you choose.

These days, all of my Linux setups are virtual. Partly because I need to easily track and replicate different client configurations, usually not all at the same time, and they are different. Furthermore: the "real" client configurations are now all running "in the cloud." And guess what: "that's 'virtual' too!"

In addition to a good tutorial and this forum, I highly recommend an inexpensive "lab" computer to learn on. With it, you can learn to install different distros' side by side. Live versions will give you a good idea of what features they have. Installation will give a more involved experience, especially if it's a multi boot system.

Explore the Flavor of Linux OSes.

See Fedora, Ubuntu, Elementary OS, Linux Mint etc..

Check out this book:
http://linux-training.be/linuxfun.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com
https://github.com/bobbyiliev/101-li...ebook-dark.pdf
https://wiki.sans.blue/Tools/pdfs/LinuxCLI101.pdf