Our goal is to help you take back control of your computer.
This website, Debian 101: Start Using Linux, assists people who want to migrate from proprietary platforms to free operating systems like GNU/Linux, GNU/BSD, and GNU/Hurdle, which are all Unix-like operating systems.
When we refer to free operating systems, we mean “free” as in “freedom”. You should have the power to decide what your computer does, instead having a third party dictating it. Also, you should not have your personal information being shared with others without your knowledge and/or your consent; there should be no secrets in regards to how your computer works and which tasks it is performing.
As a side-effect, you will get a better security than you would normally have under proprietary operating systems. We are not saying that proprietary systems cannot be secure; they can. Let’s put it this way: the best network administrators and security specialists we know never perform bank transactions using a computer that is not running only free software.
Switching to a Unix-like system will also give you the ability to perform certain tasks faster than you are used to, if you are willing to learn how to use the terminal. Some say that it makes “difficult tasks possible”.
As we assume that you most of our readers have minimum knowledge of GNU/Linux, we will provide guidance on how to chose a operating system, which software to install, and how to customize your environment. Our suggestions are based on our software recommendation guidelines, but that might not be the ideal solution for your use and/or equipment. Therefore, trust that you will use your own critical judgment when making your final decision on what to install in your computer.
Last, be aware that you will need a working GNU/Linux installation to fully benefit from this website (and we will help you with that; don’t worry). If you are using another operating system, you can still take a look at software recommendations and benefit from articles, but some information might not be as useful for your platform.
That said, we hope you enjoy the journey! Learning how to use GNU/Linux can be a challenge at first, but is worth it. Don’t give up if you cannot do something at first; you probably couldn’t do it under your current operating system when you first tried to use it as well.
This website is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.