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Introduction

New to Linux? Whether you've tried it a handful of times or you're a complete beginner, the best way to learn Linux is by just using it.
Play around on live USB's / live CD's. Most Linux distributions will have tutorials included to help you. Linux doesn't have to be hard to use.
The distributions listed in the Computer Compendium are great choices for beginners who would like to try Linux, but don't know where to start first.

If you're hoping to find a brief introduction to Linux, you've come to the right place.
This will be a straightforward guide written with beginners in mind.

Getting Started

To get started, we first need to download a distro (or "distribution") of Linux.
Distros are like "versions" in a way. Most are designed for a specific purpose in mind.
For example, Kali Linux is distributed with cybersecurity and networking software pre-installed.
However, the average person won't need to use most of these tools.

If you're just looking to learn how to use Linux for the first time, it's best to choose something simple.

Linux Mint is a great choice in this case. DOWNLOAD it from a trusted source here.
When it downloads, it will be saved as an .ISO file. An ISO file is a copy of a disk, such as a CD or DVD.
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There are two options you can take here:

1. You can burn the .ISO onto a CD or DVD using IMGburn. You can DOWNLOAD it here.

2. If you can't use a disk, you can use a USB drive.
To install an ISO onto a USB drive, Rufus is a free and basic program made for this purpose.

Test Run

Once you have your disk or drive with Linux Mint installed on it, you should make sure it works.

1. Place the disk in your computer's CD player, or plug the drive into a USB port.
2. Reboot your computer. It should automatically load into Linux Mint.
Run the first option (may say "Normal Install" or something similar). You can try it out without installing it.

Troubleshooting

If it does not load into Linux Mint, check your BIOS settings.
1. When your computer boots up, the very first screen may say something along the lines of "Press F12 for Boot Options".
2. Spam pressing that button as soon as your computer turns on!
3. It should open a menu allowing you to change what your computer boots from first.
You should set it to boot either from the CD drive or USB drive and hit Enter.

If you get any errors trying to boot into Linux, it's possible that either the disk or drive you used is bad, or simply failed to install the ISO properly.

Getting Comfortable

Assuming everything seems to run fine, if you'd like to install Linux Mint to your hard drive, simply click the "Install Linux Mint" button on the desktop.
This guide will show you how to do it with pictures if you need a visual guide.
After installing, you should open the Software Manager from the Menu button and search for "Wine". Install it.
It should be the first result at the very top.
This will allow you to run a lot of Windows software on Linux, making it much easier to adjust to the change in operating system.
Any time you need to run a Windows executable, you should set "wine" as the default opener for .EXE files.