this post was submitted on 07 Mar 2024
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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The new terminology will be never ending. The unix philosophy is to make small tools that do one thing really well (vs a single large monolithic OS that does a ton of things half decently), so every single component in and around Linux has a name, its own set of maintainers, and pages of documentation you could spend hours to months learning (depending on the tool).
On top of that, the open source ecosystem isn't centralized, there's no CEO telling everyone the one way to do things. Instead, everyone is free to build whatever they want according to whatever design patterns they choose. This is a blessing and a curse. There are packages that work nicely with other packages, and there are many you probably shouldn't waste your time with.
All this is to say, I recommend always having a goal in mind when digging into Linux, and get good at skimming new terminology that you think is relevant to your goal. Be able to quickly understand what something does and how it's used, but avoid going down the rabbit hole for every little thing.
That's not to say you shouldn't satisfy your curiosity, just know that you can be overwhelmed quickly if you don't know how to tune out the noise. Being goal oriented helps me stay on task as I learn.
Good luck!