blog-ahmza-com/content/posts/you-need-to-learn-linux.md

---
title: You Need to Learn Linux 🐧
date: 2021-12-17T19:16:50Z
author: "ahmza"
draft: false
weight: 

tags: ["Linux"]
description: "Ever wanted to learn Linux ? Well no better time than now to learn"
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---
## **Introduction**
You need to learn _Linux_ because there is no reason not to. If you
are pursuing a career in IT, without a doubt you will come across
_Linux_ and having even basic knowledge is very helpful. Many people
struggle with the OS simply because it's fundamentally different
compared to the other operating systems, but with a bit of time you
can master the basics and unlock it's true power.

{{< video label="true power" webm="/webm/mha-power.webm" >}}

## **But Why**
**Linux is everywhere**, from data centres to your smart toaster. So
if you are interesting in anything IT related then it's a great asset
to have.

Linux is great for power users because it allows you to customise all
aspects of your workflow to make it yours. The amount of
customisability is mind blowing and an endless rabbit hole which is
awesome as there is always something you could implement to improve
your workflow.

Another great aspect of the customisability is the crazy number of
options you can choose from to theme and tailor the Linux desktop
experience to your liking. For some great and inspiring examples
checkout [r/unixporn](https://www.reddit.com/r/unixporn/). This
is what drove me to switch to Linux and Arch specifically.

Linux is very Light weight (Depending on Distribution) and much
faster than competing operating systems simply because more often
than not the distributions of Linux are not filled with bloatware.
The most extreme examples of this are distros like Arch or something
like LFS (Linux From Scratch) where you get a completely bare bones
installation of Linux and are required to install everything from
Network Managers, to the Desktop Environment, although this can seem
pointless at the start as you use more and more distros you will find
things you like and don't on each and something like Arch allows you
to choose every bit of software that is installed and come up with
something completely custom. Plus then you can say `I use Arch BTW`

## **How can you start**

### **Install Linux as your main OS**
This is the full send option.

A great Distribution that I recommend is [Manjaro with KDE Plasma](https://manjaro.org/downloads/official/kde/)
as it offers a heavily customisable desktop environment `KDE Plasma`
and Manjaro itself is a great as it's Arch based but does not require
you to start from step 0.

### ***MacOS*** **Terminal**
_MacOS_ is actually _UNIX_ based and so **if you have an _apple
Mac/MacBook_ all you need is the Terminal** application. I used this on
my work machine and it's a great alternative to the full send option.
However I do not recommended this if you don't own one of these devices
already due to cost 💸

### ***Windows WSL***
The _Windows Subsystem for Linux_ is another great option to get started
with _Linux_, it installs the _Linux Kernel_ in windows and allows you
to play around in a real _Linux_ environment.

### **Virtual Machines**
If there is a specific Distribution of _Linux_ you want to try then
this is a great option. However if you want to simply get to know
_Linux_ then choose the _MacOS_ terminal or _WSL_ methods as they are
a lot lighter on system resources

## Conclusion
**Why are you still reading go and get stuck in with _Linux_ 💨**

{{< video label="do it" webm="/webm/do-it.webm" >}}

As with anything learning _Linux_ is a journey and will take time.
Enjoy the experience of learning it and uncovering it's hidden powers
because it is well worth it. I have linked some great resources for
other great Linux related content that helped me.

[DT youtube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVls1GmFKf6WlTraIb_IaJg)

[r/unixporn](https://www.reddit.com/r/unixporn/)

[Arch Wiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/) (Although specific to Arch
this is a great knowledge base, also useful for Manjaro as it's Arch based)