Module 4 · Finding Your Way Around
The first time you look at a Linux desktop, it feels a bit unfamiliar. Don't panic. Everything you used in Windows is still here — it's just labelled differently and lives in slightly different corners of the screen. Like walking into a friend's kitchen for the first time: same fridge, same kettle, same plates, just different cupboards.
By the end of this module, you will:
- Find every important Windows tool's Linux equivalent (Start menu, File Explorer, Control Panel, etc.)
- Know the four keyboard shortcuts you'll use every single day
- Open the terminal — and know it's nothing scary
- Find your Documents, install an app, change a setting
First, the big idea
If you sit a Windows user in front of Linux for the first time, they nearly always say the same thing: "everything looks slightly off". That's normal. The trick is to spend ten minutes learning where things live, and then it stops feeling foreign.
Below is your translation table. Most things are exactly the same idea — they just live in a different spot or have a different name.
Where did Windows go? — the translation table
| What you used in Windows | Where it is on Linux | How to get there |
|---|---|---|
| Start menu | Activities | Press the Windows key (Linux calls it the "Super key" but it's the same key) |
| File Explorer | Files | Click the folder icon in the dock, or search for "Files" |
| Control Panel | Settings | Click the top-right corner, click the cog |
| Microsoft Store | Ubuntu Software (or App Store on Mint) | Click the orange shopping bag icon in the dock |
| Taskbar | Dock | The strip of icons on the left or bottom of the screen |
| System tray (clock, Wi-Fi, battery) | Top-right corner | It's all bundled into one menu — click anywhere on the right |
| Search bar | Activities search | Press the Windows key, then start typing |
| Recycle Bin | Trash | Open Files — it's at the bottom of the left sidebar |
The shortcuts you'll use every day
If you remember nothing else from this module, remember these. They cover 90% of what you do in Windows.
| Press this | What happens |
|---|---|
| Windows key (called "Super" on Linux) | Opens Activities — your "Start menu". Type the name of any app or file and press Enter. |
| Alt + Tab | Switch between open windows. Same as Windows. Doesn't change. |
| Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V | Copy and paste. Same as Windows. Doesn't change either. |
| Right-click the mouse | Paste. Right-clicking in a text field or terminal shows a Paste option — handy when your hand's already on the mouse. |
| Ctrl + Alt + T | Opens the terminal. We'll meet that properly soon — for now, just know the shortcut exists. |
Most other Windows shortcuts work too. Alt+F4 still closes a window. F2 still renames a file. Ctrl+S still saves. Your muscle memory mostly transfers.
The "Activities" search bar is sneaky-smart
Press the Windows key and start typing. It doesn't just find apps — it also finds:
- Files in your folders (type the filename, hit Enter)
- Settings (type "wifi" — it opens Wi-Fi settings; type "sound" — it opens sound settings)
- Quick maths — type
42 * 7and the answer appears. No calculator needed.
Most people stop clicking on the dock after a week of this. It's just faster.
Your first five minutes
Sit in front of your fresh Linux desktop and do these five things, in order. By the end you'll know where everything important lives.
Press the Windows key
The screen "zooms out" and shows you all your open windows plus a search bar at the top. This is your Start menu replacement. Type "Firefox", press Enter — Firefox opens. Done.
Find your Documents folder
Click the folder icon in the dock (or press the Windows key and type "Files"). The Files app opens. You'll see Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos — exactly the same folders as Windows. The path is just /home/your-name/Documents instead of C:\Users\You\Documents.
Open Settings
Click the top-right corner of the screen (where the clock and Wi-Fi icon are). A small menu drops down. Click the cog icon. Settings opens. From here you can change the wallpaper, connect to Wi-Fi, change the screen brightness — all the same things you'd do in the Windows Control Panel.
Install an app from "the app store"
Click the orange shopping-bag icon in the dock (or search for "Ubuntu Software"). It looks like a phone app store. Find something fun — try VLC (a video player), or GIMP (a free Photoshop alternative). Click Install. Type your password if asked. Done. The app appears in your Activities menu.
Peek at the terminal (don't be scared)
Press Ctrl+Alt+T. A black window opens with a flashing cursor. This is "the terminal". You won't actually need to type anything yet. Just look at it. It's not magic — it's just a different way to talk to your computer. We'll use it properly later. For now, close the window. You're done.
"Where's the minimise button?"
You might notice that some Linux desktops (especially Ubuntu's "GNOME" desktop) don't show a minimise button on each window. This catches almost everyone out the first day.
Easy fix: press Windows key + H to minimise the active window. Or right-click the title bar — Minimise is in the menu. If it bothers you, search for "GNOME Tweaks" in your app store and turn the button back on permanently. Linux Mint shows the button by default — no fix needed there.
For curious readers: workspaces (multiple desktops at once)
Linux desktops give you something Windows is only just starting to offer: multiple desktops side by side. Imagine your screen as one of several. You can keep email and Slack on desktop 1, your browser on desktop 2, and a video on desktop 3. Switch between them with Ctrl+Alt+→ and Ctrl+Alt+←.
Open Activities (Windows key) and you'll see strips on the right showing each desktop. Drag a window into a different strip to move it.
It feels weird for an hour. After a week, going back to one desktop feels cramped.