Linux

I’ll definitely do my own research, but there’s so much information out there—it feels like drinking from a firehose. It’s overwhelming!

Because it is overwhelming. And that’s coming from a 50-something dude that is not much of a geek himself and that switched after 35+ years using Apple.

Do you have any tips or websites to help me get started, step by step?

My top suggestion would be to keep it simple. Don’t try too hard to learn everything. Just use it and learn as you go. I mean, don't try to 'learn Linux' just start using it. You don’t need to read a whole lot of docs for that (using Mint the installation should be dead simple and the you can connect to the Internet, launch your word processor or spreadsheet, do some photo editing maybe, listen to music and watch videos. It's still a computer, just with a different operating system and different apps.

Each time you will have trouble doing something then you will know it's probably time to do some reading and research. Each time there is anything specific you want to know more about, then you will know what to search for.

Say when you want to learn why Linux is sometimes called ‘GNU/Linux’, not trying to be pedantic here it's just to show you how there is always more to Linux than what’s on the surface. Next to the free OS and apps there is this whole philosophy of freedom as well as the Unix very specific approach to software development and the way those software should work and how they should be used and that explain why things may be very different than what you were to under Windows, both being covered by the ‘GNU’ part in ‘GNU/Linux’, which is itself also not just about those notions as GNU is also a set of developing tools and apps (that are used to construct Linux itself—expert, no need to hate me for oversimplifying here). And it's just considering the Linux name! Really, it’s endless. Often fascinating, but endless.

To the point that learning Linux can feel like the Danaïdes sisters being told to fill with water that bottomless bucket, or poor Sisyphus having to push that same huge rock up to the top of the hill every single day for the rest of eternity—maybe not the most… fulfilling option ;)

So, as a beginner:

1. Learn how to create a bootable ISO on Mac or on Windows).
2. With Mint in mind you only need to follow the assistant instructions (and make sure your computer is working fine with Linux)
3. Use your new (and freed) computer and make mistakes (it's the best way to learn) ;)

If you want to read an excellent docs, no matter the distribution you're using Arch Wiki, Mint as great user forum