Module 1 · What is Linux
You already use Windows. You know how a computer feels. This module answers one question. What is Linux, and why do people use it instead of Windows? Plain English. No commands. No installs.
By the end of this module, you will:
- Say what an operating system is, in your own words.
- See how Linux differs from Windows.
- Spot three places Linux already runs in your life.
- Drop the common myths about Linux.
First, what is an "operating system"?
Your laptop is metal, plastic, and a battery. On its own it can't do anything. Not even show you a screen. The "operating system" (or OS) turns the metal box into something useful. It draws the desktop. It opens your apps. It saves your files. Without it, the laptop is a very expensive paperweight.
You already know one operating system: Windows. Your phone has another (Android or iOS). Your Mac-using friend has another (macOS). Linux is a fourth. Same job. Different way of doing it.
You're already using Linux right now (probably)
Most people think they've never used Linux. They almost always have:
- Got an Android phone? Linux is inside it.
- Watched Netflix, used Wikipedia, bought on Amazon? Their servers run Linux.
- Your home Wi-Fi router is almost certainly Linux.
- Your smart TV is probably Linux.
- Every Tesla on the road runs Linux.
- The world's top 500 supercomputers: every single one runs Linux.
You're not switching to a strange new thing. You're meeting the operating system you've used for years.
The big difference: who builds it
Windows is made by one company: Microsoft. They write the code, keep it secret, and sell you the right to use it. If they decide to change something, you get the change.
Linux is the opposite. Thousands of people from all over the world build it together. Anyone can read the code. Anyone can suggest changes. Nobody owns it. It's free. Free as in "doesn't cost money". Free as in "you can do what you like with it".
Think of the difference between a Big Mac (one recipe, made the same everywhere) and your gran's spaghetti (lots of cooks, lots of versions, all delicious).
Why people choose Linux over Windows
Five reasons people switch:
- Free. No licence to buy. No activation key. Install it on as many computers as you like.
- Fast. Linux runs well on older laptops that Windows would make slow.
- Safer. Almost all computer viruses are written for Windows, not Linux.
- Private. Linux doesn't watch what you type or what apps you open.
- You're in charge. No surprise updates. No "we're restarting your computer in 5 minutes".
Windows vs Linux side by side
If you've used Windows, you already understand most of this table. The right column shows the Linux way of doing the same thing.
| What you do | Windows | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Pay for the OS | £100-£200 once | Free, forever |
| Where your files live | C:\Users\You\Documents | /home/you/Documents |
| Install a program | Download a .exe file, double-click, click Next, Next, Finish | Type one short command (we'll learn this in Module 8) |
| Update programs | Each one nags you separately | One command updates everything at once |
| System updates | Forced, often at the worst moment | You decide when |
| Catch a virus | Common. Antivirus is essential. | Very rare. Antivirus is optional. |
| Customise the look | Change the wallpaper, that's about it | Change anything, including the entire desktop |
| How many "versions" exist | One (Windows 10, Windows 11) | Hundreds. We'll narrow it to six in Module 2. |
The "terminal". Don't be scared of it
On Windows, you almost never opened Command Prompt. It was confusing and you didn't need it. On Linux, the same thing is called the terminal. It's a superpower, not a punishment. A black window where you type short commands. We don't touch it until Module 6, and we go very, very slowly when we do. For now: don't worry about it.
Myths you've probably heard about Linux
Most of what you've heard about Linux is at least ten years out of date. Here's what's actually true today.
"Linux has no software"
False, and very out of date. Firefox, Chrome, Spotify, Slack, Zoom, Discord, Steam, VS Code, Photoshop alternatives. They all work on Linux today. The apps you use are almost certainly already there. The handful that aren't usually have a Linux equivalent that does the same job.
"It's only for programmers"
Also false. Linux Mint, one of the friendly versions we cover next module, installs in about 15 minutes. It has a Start menu that looks like Windows. It would feel normal to your gran. Modern Linux is no harder than Windows. In some ways it's easier: no licence keys, no nagging updates, no "your computer is restarting now".
"I'll break it"
Hard to do. Linux is the operating system NASA picked for the International Space Station. That's how reliable it is. The system protects itself. You can't accidentally delete the important parts. Before you change anything serious, you take a "snapshot" (like saving in a video game) so you can rewind if it goes wrong.
"There's no gaming on Linux"
Wrong since about 2018. Steam works. Most popular Steam games run on Linux with no extra setup. Valve's Steam Deck, the handheld console you've seen in shops, is itself a Linux computer. If you can game on Windows, you can almost certainly game on Linux too.
"You have to type commands all the time"
You don't. Linux has a desktop, a Start menu, a Files app, a settings panel, an app store. Exactly like Windows. You can use it for months without opening the terminal. Many Linux users learn the terminal because it's faster, but it's a choice, never a requirement.
You can try Linux without breaking anything
Most people don't realise this. You can put Linux on a small USB stick (the kind you'd use for transferring photos), plug it into your Windows laptop, and the laptop will start up running Linux instead of Windows. You can use it. Click around. Browse the web. See if you like it. Then pull the USB out, restart, and Windows is back exactly as it was. Nothing changes on your computer. No commitment. We do this together in Module 4.