Before typing a single command, it helps to know what Linux actually is and why it runs so much of the modern world. This module is that on-ramp: it's short, but it gives you the context that makes every later module click faster.
It starts with a quick overview of what Linux is and how it differs from operating systems like Windows and macOS. From there it covers why people use it — servers, the cloud, containers, and embedded devices — and how distributions like Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora package the same kernel in different ways. It closes with a full beginner course that walks through Linux end to end, which you can use as a companion as you move through the rest of this course.
Watch the lessons in order, then continue on to Installation & Setup.
A quick, beginner-friendly explanation of what Linux is, how it started, and why it powers so much of the modern world.
An introduction to the Linux family of operating systems: why people use them, what makes them good, and how distributions fit in.
freeCodeCamp's full introduction to Linux: distribution families, the graphical and command-line interfaces, files and processes, and more — a comprehensive tour that ties this course's modules together.