Linux has a weird way of pulling you deeper. One day you’re installing Ubuntu, and before you know it, you’re tweaking configs, switching distros, and living in the terminal. As such, if you’ve been using Linux for some time now, a natural question pops up—how far down the rabbit hole have you actually gone? Here are the seven levels of Linux users to help you see where you land.
Level 1: You installed your first Linux distro
Everyone needs to start somewhere
Your Linux journey officially begins the moment you install your first distro—and for most people, that’s Ubuntu. It’s the most popular Linux distro, practically synonymous with Linux—and for good reason. It’s stable, reliable, and optimized for general use, meaning you can get most of your work done without running into complicated technicalities.
That said, some of you might have a well-intentioned Linux-savvy friend—or maybe you did some preliminary research before committing to a new OS—and came across Linux Mint or Zorin OS. Technically, these distros are also based on Ubuntu, but they offer a more familiar, Windows-like layout along with additional tweaks that make them especially beginner-friendly.
At this stage, you’re at level one: you’ve installed your first Linux distro and started using it.
8/10
- Operating System
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Kubuntu 24.04 LTS
- CPU
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Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (2.7GHz up to 5.4GHz)
This laptop is purpose-built for developers and professionals who want a Kubuntu Linux-powered portable workstation and gaming platform. It features an Intel processor capable of hitting 5.4GHz and both integrated graphics and a dedicated NVIDIA 5070 Ti GPU for when you need extra power for machine learning or games.
Level 2: You use Linux more than Windows
Time to commit
Most people who install Linux for the first time don’t abandon Windows overnight. The more practical move is a dual-boot setup—and honestly, that’s how I started too. You keep Windows around as a safety net for when you hit a wall on Linux, don’t have time to troubleshoot, and need a familiar system to get your work done. Meanwhile, in your free time, you’re gradually figuring things out and moving your workflow over.
This is where many people fall off. After enthusiastically installing Linux, they rarely touch the partition and keep booting into Windows out of habit. But if you find yourself reaching for Linux more often—to the point where Windows is reserved for niche, Windows-exclusive tasks rather than familiarity—you’ve reached level two.
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Level 3: You started distro hopping
The grass is always greener on the other side
Once you’re comfortable on Linux, it doesn’t take long for curiosity to kick in. As you spend time in Linux communities and watch YouTube videos, you slowly notice that other distros look sharper, get updates faster, or ship features that yours don’t. Technically, it’s all Linux, and you can replicate most of those advanced features on your current “beginner” distro. However, that usually requires a lot of tweaking and a deeper understanding of how Linux works—it’s often just easier to switch.
And so you get into distro hopping. You’re no longer satisfied with a general-purpose distribution. You start to understand why there are hundreds of distros out there—each optimized for a specific type of workflow. So you begin searching for the one that feels like home—your “forever distro.”
This is level three, and for many people, this phase continues until they reach the final level.
Level 4: You’re comfortable with the Linux terminal
Welcome to the world of text
For a long time, the Linux terminal was one of the biggest barriers holding people back from switching. In fact, one of the reasons Linux has grown so popular recently is that modern distros have made the terminal completely optional—there are graphical tools for virtually every everyday task, and you can get by just fine without ever touching the command line.
That said, the terminal is still a first-class citizen on Linux. And if you’ve been spending time in Linux communities, following guides, watching YouTube videos, or installing apps and monitoring system resources, you’ve probably been exposed to it more than you realize. That constant, low-stakes exposure quietly chips away at the fear.
At level four, you’re now comfortable using the terminal. In fact, you’re probably aware of terminal-based alternatives to many of your graphical apps, and you’re starting to explore them. Maybe you switch to some of them, maybe you don’t. But the fear is gone—and even if the terminal isn’t your preferred way of doing things, you’re comfortable reaching for it when you need to.
7 reasons learning the Linux terminal is worth it (even for beginners)
Discover why learning the terminal is powerful and inevitable for all Linux users alike.
Level 5: You switched to a window manager
The desire for a beautiful yet lightweight operating system
Window managers have probably been on your radar since level three. You likely came across them while distro hopping, and they stood out—highly customizable, lightweight, and with a unique aesthetic that full desktop environments just can’t match. However, you never committed because the technical overhead was a real barrier. Unlike a desktop environment, where most things are a toggle away, window managers require editing config files just to get the basics working.
For someone not yet comfortable with text-based workflows, that’s a dealbreaker. But now, with your newfound comfort in the terminal, the idea of a fully text-configured system doesn’t seem so intimidating. So you finally give it a shot. The transition isn’t easy—especially if you choose a tiling window manager. It can feel disorienting at first as you struggle to remember keybindings. But if you stick with it, it starts to click. You end up with a lightweight, programmable desktop that looks and behaves exactly how you want.
Looking for the best Linux window manager? Here’s how I rank them
Whether you want the simplicity of i3 or the eye-candy of Hyprland, this guide breaks down the best WMs for your Linux workflow.
Doing for others, what others have done for you
Throughout all of this, you’ve probably been visiting Linux forums more than you realize. Most of the time, it was passive—a search result led you to a thread where someone had already asked your exact question, you grabbed the solution, and moved on. But then one day, you hit a problem and there’s no existing thread. So you post your first question, and the FOSS (Free and Open Source) community comes through. You’ve made first contact.
From there, something shifts. You start visiting forums more regularly, you recognize usernames, and maybe even make a few friends. Then one day, you spot someone asking a question you actually know the answer to—so you answer it.
Just like that, you’ve gone from asking to giving—helping someone else find their footing on Linux the same way others once helped you. You’ve probably already been recommending Linux to friends and family by now, and helping them use the OS. Level six is about stepping beyond your immediate circle and becoming an active participant in the global FOSS community.
Level 7: You’re working on Linux from Scratch (LFS)
When you’re already this deep, it only makes sense to go deeper
At this point, Linux isn’t just an OS you work in—it’s a hobby you actively work on. You tinker with it in your free time, and you’ve grown comfortable enough with Linux internals that you want to go deeper. This is when you set your sights on Linux From Scratch: the ultimate Linux project, where you follow a book and build your own system—”from scratch”—ending up with an OS tailored exactly to your needs and workflow.
Now, you don’t necessarily need to jump into LFS straight away. There are distros like Gentoo or Slackware that you can use as a stepping stone. The core idea here isn’t just about creating the most personalized daily driver. It’s about gaining mastery over how Linux works.
Overall, level seven is about becoming Neo—looking at and bending the code of the Matrix.
Of course, this is not the end of the journey. Beyond this point, you might write packages, maintain software, or contribute to projects. But at that stage, you’re no longer just a Linux user—you’ve entered an entirely different league.
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So, which level Linux user are you?
Wherever you land, don’t treat it as a ceiling. Every level on this list exists because someone got curious and decided to go a little deeper. Linux rewards that curiosity every single time—and the next level is always closer than it looks.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
