what are the best resources for learning linux in 2026
Posted by Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 57 comments
every time i try to learn linux more seriously i feel like im stuck between two approaches. either youre told to jump in and youtube your way through problems or youre pointed to lots of reading. im not a big reader and don’t think trial and error is enough for me either. im looking for something with a little more practice. i don't know if there's a course like this or something better than copying and pasting commands from google or gpt. curious how other people approached this. did linux command line stuff really click for you just by daily use, or did some kind of structured practice make the difference?
Fun-Necessary8657@reddit
AI. The same for learning anything else, really.
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
yeah i can see that, ai definitely helps when you’re stuck or trying to understand commands faster. i just need to make sure i’m not relying on it for everything and still actually practicing in the terminal myself.
Fun-Necessary8657@reddit
If you use it for programming and pay attention to each command it runs,an, you're gonna become a Bash wizard.
Learning a OS is tricky, as they're supposed to be "invisible". You learn each tool as you need it.
Learning to use a DE in linux is trivial.
Learning it's ecosystem is doable with Ai.
Old_One_I@reddit
I have never used it before. Does it feel like your memorizing commands, or doesn’t it feel like you understand why the commands are the way they are?
Fun-Necessary8657@reddit
it's Bash/Shell scripting most of the time, so you see tons of pipes |, redirects > or <, herefiles <<, cat, echo, ls, grep, awk, sed, tee, xargs, etc.
Bash is not the same as Linux or event tied to it, but it's a great tool if you want to get the best of your OS.
If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, start reading what Bash, Zsh, Fish are and how they can help you in your daily chores with the computer.
Then look for what you can do with cat, echo, ls, grep, awk, sed. Each on its own doesn't sound impressive, but when you chain them (with pipes and redirects) you get the real Unix power Linux inherits.
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Kitunguu@reddit
that part took me way longer than i expected. once basic stuff like moving around directories and understanding permissions clicked, everything else felt less scary.
mmmboppe@reddit
pick a distro, stick to its docs
Smallingzdave@reddit
linux doesnt click for most people just from daily use until you start focusing on specific tasks that make you use command line, rinse and repeat. like permissions, paths, grep, pipes, moving files around, breaking something small and fixing it. boot dev is a nice intro with practice option lane compared with resources that jump straight from cd and ls into full sysadmin brain dump stuff.
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
yeah that actually explains why it hasn’t clicked for me yet, i’ve mostly just been using it passively. focusing on small tasks and intentionally using things like grep, pipes, and permissions sounds like a better approach, and boot dev looks like a good middle ground too.
DonaldMerwinElbert@reddit
You're just going to forget anything you don't use anyway.
"Learning Linux" is not a great goal - learning how Linux can help you with something you actually do/want to do is better.
Haunting_Bug6472@reddit
The hardest part for me was not knowing what I didn’t know. If I was trying to do something I didn’t even know what man pages to look at. ChatGPt or the like is great for that. “I’m trying to get Ubuntu to do X. How can I do that in Linux. It will then give you a lot of command line tools to use.m and have it explain them and what they do. That at least gets your foot in the door and you know where to look
NotSnakePliskin@reddit
Install it and start using it. If nothing else, in a virtual machine. I can read about things all day long, but there is no better teacher than hands on experience. It's just another operating system.
smallproton@reddit
Yes. Don't over complicate it. There is really not so much to 'learn'. Use it and google if you have a particular question.
Linux today is as simple as Win or Mac
redundant78@reddit
this is the way. if you want something more dedicated than a VM, grabbing a cheap mini pc or even a raspberry pi to mess around with is great because you can break stuff without worrying about your main machine. this is a decent comparison if you go that route - some of them are under $200 and perfect for a little home lab setup.
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
Yeah I’ve tried that a few times in a VM, but I end up just using it like a normal OS without really learning what’s going on under the hood. I think I need something that forces a bit more intentional practice alongside the hands on use.
numb3rthirt33n@reddit
Exactly.
Puzzled-Garbage-250@reddit
If you don't like reading too much, there are always TTS tools like piper tts. Combined with wikis, documentation, man pages or ebooks, you can take in the info without as much reading.
Not everything is worth the time of learning/memorizing. I often bring up references when setting up or doing stuff I don't do too often, or write scripts to handle commands I may need to run every so often. Learning to be resourceful and navigate documentation combined with knowing the basics like folder structure, knowing what your package manager can do, and commonly used tools is pretty much all you need. Knowing your shell and scripting language can be helpful too.
Razidargh@reddit
If you aren't a big reader, you still could be a good janitor.
PBJellyChickenTunaSW@reddit
You're better off focussing on individual components rather than "learning linux". Learn bash, systemd, permissions, etc individually
Old_One_I@reddit
I see you covered every answer already. Really it all depends what you are trying to learn and your learning style. So….when I really wanted to learn command line and shell programming, I read a thick ass book. When I wanted to learn more about the distribution I was using, I spent time in the forum, the wiki or whatever and playing around.
BinkReddit@reddit
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
yeah i get that, reading docs is probably unavoidable if i want to get better. i think my issue is more that i don’t know how to read them effectively yet, not that i should avoid them altogether.
BinkReddit@reddit
As others have mentioned, find something you want to do with Linux and then start reading how to get there. The problem with a YouTube video or step by step instruction is that they tend to take you to a specific place without fully understanding how you got there or what options you have along the way or when you get there. Reading will help with this.
amogusdevilman@reddit
i really like ezee linux on youtube
RiverIllustrious9287@reddit
Truely depends on what you want to learn, for basic overview it’s everyday use + some external resources ,I keep coming back to who Linux work book good read covers a lot of different topics. Some this topics are very deep rabbit holes especially the kernel subsystems. For general usage will recommend to setup a small home lab,try some ricing , make small bash scripts . Don’t recommend any courses for learning Linux , try looking up commands and what they do. Other than that get to learn some basic commands there are some cheatsheets out there.
gesis@reddit
The best tried & true method to "learn Linux" is:
Unfair_Medium8560@reddit
i think a lot of linux advice skips the getting comfortable in the terminal phase. like, before you even care about distros or configs, you’re just trying not to feel lost.
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
yeah that’s where i’m at too just trying to get comfortable in the terminal before worrying about distros or configs.
MatchingTurret@reddit
The source code. Doesn't get any more authoritative.
CataclysmZA@reddit
https://www.w3schools.com/bash/
Linux does a lot of things, but the core superpower it possesses is a scripting language accessible via the bash shell.
Bash is very, very cool.
Otherwise, if you're just trying to use the Linux GUI as a Windows replacement, futzing around until you break something and then un-break it is its own kind of fun.
Maybe-monad@reddit
https://edu.anarcho-copy.org/GNU%20Linux%20-%20Unix-Like/Linux%20Bible-10th%20Edition.pdf
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
yeah this looks more like what i want structured and hands-on instead of random tutorials. my only concern is sticking with a big book like that, but it seems way better than just copying commands blindly.
Maybe-monad@reddit
If you read few pages every day it will turn into a habit
Fun-Percentage-7274@reddit
Similarly: https://dr0.ch/linux-guide/
Longjumping-Youth934@reddit
Well, Prometheus/Coursera/Youtube/Tiktok/your neighbour who knows how to repair PC are the most actual sources, as I understand you :)
TheOgGhadTurner@reddit
Brave browser brave search (with AI overview off) and the ability to read. Is and always will be the best resource. Also maybe YouTube sometimes.
Gevaliamannen@reddit
Can you expand a bit on what you mean by "learning Linux"? For replacing windows for gaming? Trying to learn for work/career? Just wanting to go full nerd for fun?
Kind of different approaches to go depending on what you want to achieve. (with some overlaps, ofc)
Odd-Connection-5368@reddit
def a solid intro vs options that go full linux expert. plus a lot of boot dev is free
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
yeah that makes sense, it seems like a good structured intro without jumping straight into advanced sysadmin stuff. even better that there’s a free part to get started with.
Y0S_H1L0TL25@reddit
Youtube, Books AND THE DOCUMENTATION, also, google, and If you really need help and can pay, Get the Claude terminal integration
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
yeah i’ve mostly just been using youtube and google randomly. i should probably be more intentional and actually use docs and a structured resource instead of jumping around
Y0S_H1L0TL25@reddit
However you like
aieidotch@reddit
the source code! debian
https://sources.debian.org/stats/#sloc_current
VirtualDenzel@reddit
People seem scared becouse of the command line.
Its just the same as command prompt on windows. Nothing special.
Except you use it a bit more since its handy as f.
If you choose a starter distro like mint you will be fine
The best way to learn is to install it in a vm or on a second system and then see if all works put of the box.
Then just start doing daily things on it and be amazed how similar all is. Except its free from crapple and microshit stuff.
And when you do run into things. Ask chatgpt and reddit and people will help you.
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
yeah i get what you’re saying, the command line itself isn’t really the scary part once you use it a bit. i think my issue was expecting it to feel more different than it actually is, so it threw me off at first. i’m probably overthinking it and just need to stick with a simple setup like mint and actually use it daily without trying to master everything upfront
lilguy2002@reddit
One of the most stunningly out of touch comments I've ever seen. The people who are scared of the terminal are scared of the Windows command prompt in the exact same way. The overwhelming majority of users do not ever use a CLI of any kind.
Top_Expression_2499@reddit
i was in a similar spot. i’d been using boot dev already and tried their linux course. it was mostly fundamentals around the terminal and filesystem - nothing super advanced, but a very fun intro
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
that’s good to hear, i think that’s exactly the gap i’m stuck i don’t need advanced stuff yet, just getting comfortable with the fundamentals in a guided way. sounds like boot dev might be worth sticking with a bit longer.
leica_boss@reddit
https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/linux-pocket-guide/9781098157951/
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
this is actually a solid pick, i didn’t know there was a pocket guide version that modern. i think something concise like this might fit me better than long courses since i can use it alongside practice instead of replacing it.
Alonzo-Harris@reddit
I don't think there's any single "best" source. The best way to learn is by using the OS and researching specific procedures when warranted; however, you should absolutely make sure you've nailed down exactly what applications you'll be needing VS what's available to you on Linux. That's step 1 and it's vital.
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
that makes sense, i probably haven’t been clear on what i actually want to do with linux yet. figuring out the apps/workflows first might make the learning feel less random and more focused.
capitan_turtle@reddit
Man pages
Agitated-Alfalfa9225@reddit (OP)
yeah fair point lol, i keep forgetting that still getting used to the conventions.
Budget_Gas_2824@reddit
Use an ai. Make it remember your whole setup and it will make it easy.
untrained9823@reddit
wiki.archlinux.org.