So after reading a number of posts and comments on here about Linux, I’ve decided to give 'er a go. I have access to an Azure VM, but I have never done anything involving Unix before and have only a basic understanding of coding in general.
Where do I even start? The most daunting thing for me is command line script, as it seems I have to memorize close to 150 common commands and their functions. Is there a set of tools or free classes that would make it easier for me to understand, or should I just get stuck in there? I was planning on using Pop!_OS since I do a lot of gaming and it seems like the closest thing Ubuntu has for that purpose.
If your goal is to run Linux, do some normal desktop stuff, and try some games, you will do no programming.
There’s a good chance you won’t need the command line either (at first, anyway).
Linux is a very deep lake, but you don’t need to buy scuba gear and learn underwater welding if you’re just looking to spend a sunny day at the beach.
Pop!_OS is a great place to start. I suggest just getting the ISO and having a go. If you need help, start by reading the official guide:
https://support.system76.com/articles/install-pop/
I always suggest starting with the official documentation. If you ask people on forums, it’s hard to tell who is a beach-goer, and who spends their days in scuba gear salvaging sunken ships.
If you go with one of the more new-user-friendly distros that includes a graphical frontend with administration tools, you shouldn’t have to spend much time with the command line. If you ever have to resort to it to fix a slippery problem (the kind that under Windows would have everyone telling you to reinstall), you’ll almost certainly be copy-and-pasting commands from somewhere else. You certainly don’t have to worry about memorizing 150 different commands—I’m not sure I know that many, and I’ve been using a command-line-oriented Linux distro as my primary OS for almost twenty years!
Honestly any distro should be fine for gaming. Personally I use Ubuntu, it’s pretty easy to figure out and use. I tried Pop!_OS but interestingly ran into a bunch of issues with my Nvidia GPU. Ubuntu works well for my purposes
Also just Google stuff as you go and try to understand what each command does as you run it. You’ll pick it up fast, it really isn’t as daunting as you make it sound. Don’t be afraid to start over if you mess something up
