The only Linux course built for people who actually know Windows. Every concept mapped to what you already understand. No jargon. No wasted time.
Don't worry if this is all new to you. This course explains Linux the same way you'd explain it to a friend who's never heard of it before — no jargon, no assumptions. We start from the very beginning: what Linux is, why it exists, and why you're being asked to use it. By the end of Module 1 you'll be able to explain it to a colleague yourself.
You may encounter any of these four versions of Linux in a French government or enterprise environment. They are all Linux — they share the same foundations — but they differ in who manages them and how software is installed.
| Distribution | Notes | Package Manager | Desktop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | Free, community + Canonical. The most popular desktop Linux. What most of this course uses. | apt |
GNOME 46 |
| Linux Mint | Ubuntu-based, with the Cinnamon desktop. The closest Linux gets to a Windows-style layout — taskbar, Start menu, system tray. Best first distro for Windows migrants who want familiarity. | apt (same as Ubuntu) |
Cinnamon (Windows-like) |
| Fedora Workstation | Sponsored by Red Hat. The newest packages of any major distro. The reference Linux for developers and the upstream of the Red Hat enterprise family. | dnf (not apt) |
GNOME 46 |
| Debian | The stable, minimal foundation that Ubuntu is built on. Pure free software. Used by technically-focused teams. | apt (same as Ubuntu) |
Minimal — your choice |
| Pop!_OS | Ubuntu-based, polished by System76. Auto-tiling window manager, hybrid graphics support, made for developers and creators with newer laptops. | apt (same as Ubuntu) |
COSMIC / GNOME |
| Arch Linux | The advanced "build your own" distro. Rolling release — always the newest software. Steepest learning curve. Save it for after you finish this course. | pacman |
Your choice (no default) |
Ubuntu · Linux Mint · Fedora · Debian · Pop!_OS · Arch Linux — the six distros covered in this course
Every module starts from what you know in Windows and builds a direct bridge to Linux. This isn't a generic course — it's a migration guide.
What Linux actually is, why it matters, and how it differs from Windows philosophically and practically.
Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch — choosing the right distro is like choosing the right car. We'll find yours.
Dual boot, live USB, or virtual machine. Step-by-step guide to getting Linux running on your hardware.
Navigate GNOME and KDE with confidence. Every Windows workflow has a Linux equivalent — here's the map.
Office, email, printer, Zoom, OneDrive, Bluetooth — your Monday morning still feels like Monday morning, just on Linux.
Read the error. Find the log. Fix the problem. The six-step Linux troubleshooting mindset that changes everything.
No C: drive. No D: drive. Everything lives under /. This module makes the Linux file system click.
The terminal is your superpower. Fifteen essential commands with Windows equivalents and real examples.
apt is better than the Microsoft Store. Install, update, and remove software the Linux way.
chmod, chown, sudo. Linux permissions explained with the triple-digit logic decoded once and for all.
htop, systemctl, journalctl — Task Manager and Event Viewer, but better in every way.
ip, ping, ssh, curl. Configure and troubleshoot networks from the command line in a five-step triage.
Master nano, survive vim, and make the terminal feel like home by customising ~/.bashrc with aliases.
Automate repetitive tasks with Bash scripts. Variables, conditions, loops, functions — mapped to PowerShell. Schedule with cron.
Run applications in isolated containers. Pull images, build Dockerfiles, map ports, orchestrate with Compose.
SSH keys, the ~/.ssh/config file, server hardening, file transfer with rsync, and SSH tunnels.
UFW firewall, fail2ban, unattended upgrades, SUID auditing, and Lynis. Build a server that stays secure by default.
Twelve hands-on exercises mapped to each module — from installing Ubuntu to hardening a server.
A 90-day post-course plan, the LPIC-1 certification path, French-language resources, and the books worth reading next.