Whatever the world of Linux may be short of, it isn’t opinions. You may be struggling with a command-line tool, confused by distributions, or failing to take perfect security measures; whatever it is, someone will tell you the right way to do it.

While advice is often good, you should always be wary if it sounds too simple. An easy fix may not be so easy in the long run. Take recommendations—like the ones we present here—with a pinch of salt, and always be questioning received wisdom.

If a command fails, just use sudo

Try to resolve the underlying problem instead

This perennial shortcut, which temporarily runs a command as another user, especially root, has been misused and abused since its introduction in 1980. It’s a better option that the earlier su (substitute user) command, which depends on password sharing rather than user constraints, but it’s still far from perfect.

Running a command as root bypasses the permissions-based safety net, risking deletion of system-level files or the opening of security holes to external hackers. It’s tempting to reach for sudo when a program returns an access error, but the real fix should involve modifying permissions or running the program in a different way.

On rare occasions, sudo is required: during the installation of the Brew package manager, for example. However, it’s important to note that sudo is only needed once, during Homebrew’s installation, not every time you run brew install. If you frequently depend on sudo, you’re probably doing something wrong.

Updating your system is a waste of time; you can always do it later

Keeping your system up-to-date is quick and easy

Linux may be a secure, reliable OS, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. No software is flawless, and bugs can crop up in the kernel, drivers, or user applications, even with rigorous testing. One of the best ways to protect yourself is by updating your system.

Your distro will typically prompt you for updates; Ubuntu’s Software Updater app, for example, will let you configure update notifications. While you can turn these off, it’s probably not a good idea to do so, since you’ll be even less likely to keep your system up-to-date if you have to do it manually. Updating Linux is a simple, quick process, whether you’re updating Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora, or any other distro.

If you’re concerned about an update breaking your system, consider setting up regular snapshots to minimise the impact of such an unlikely event.

Always use Ubuntu as a beginner

Other distros are available

Ubuntu is a decent recommendation for newcomers: it’s widely available, popular, and has solid default security measures. However, there are other distros that are great for beginners, so you should consider these alternatives rather than automatically picking Ubuntu.

Linux Mint still remains one of the most stable and easy-to-use distros, and its interface is more familiar to anyone migrating from Windows. Zorin OS is another great choice if you’re looking for a familiar Microsoft experience.

Pop!_OS, despite its unwieldy name, is another distro aimed at a less technical audience; its solid NVIDIA driver support is great for gamers and creatives alike.

You have to use the terminal for everything

A GUI is often the better choice

OK, as a committed terminal user, this is a tricky one to own up to but, yes, you can steer clear of the command line for many tasks. Sure, the terminal will make you feel like a power user but, sometimes, you just want to get work done.

Although the terminal is a pretty important part of any Linux system, it’s no longer as much of a requirement as it once was. Modern distros are friendlier than ever, and apps like productivity tools or those dealing with graphics, audio, and video are simply better in a GUI environment.

Forcing yourself to use the terminal can help with the learning process, but pick your moment. If you’re rushing to get some work done, or you’ve already suffered a frustrating day, give yourself a break and take the easy way out!

It’s safe to download software from random websites

When it comes to untrusted software, you should always exercise caution

People often think that something about Linux’s executable file format or its permissions system protects them from downloading malicious code. There may be elements of truth to this but, ultimately, downloading and running a program on Linux is just as risky as doing so on Windows or macOS.

In particular, if that program is proprietary code, you have no real idea of what it’s going to do. Some software—including open-source projects, like Homebrew—advises you to download a file and execute it, all in one step, by piping it to a shell. This is just another form of executing downloaded software, so you should still audit what you’re running unless you trust it implicitly.

Many downloads advertise a checksum you can use to verify that the file hasn’t been altered in transit, and this is definitely a good idea. But it still doesn’t offer any guarantees, and your best option is to use an official package manager.

You don’t need to keep backups if you work in the cloud

You’ll only realize what you’re missing once it’s gone

“Keep regular backups.” This has been the mantra of computer users for decades, but it’s all too often overlooked. Nowadays, you might keep your photos in the cloud and use Google Docs for all your writing. But that doesn’t mean you can avoid backups altogether.

For a start, you’ve almost certainly got local files anyway, whether they were sent to you over Slack, downloaded from a website, or quickly created that one time your internet connection went down. But photos and documents are just a small part of your important files; your config in /etc or ~/.local may be just as important, along with anything else in your home directory.

Not only should you take regular backups, but you should also try restoring from them—at least once. This is the only way to be sure that you can actually recover what you’re backing, and that the process is one you’re comfortable with, in case the worst should happen.

Trust your instincts, do your research

Linux users are a diverse bunch, but it’s safe to say that many are experts with long experience. They have both wisdom to offer and a strong sense of confidence that can be irresistible.

If you’re given advice that sounds too good to be true, treat that as a warning sign and double-check. Avoid taking actions that you do not understand, for the sake of it; consulting online help or forums costs nothing.