Introduction to Linux
June 15, 2026
Why Linux?
Linux is a free, open-source operating system that powers everything from Bitcoin nodes to web servers to the majority of the world's supercomputers. Learning it is one of the most practical ways to understand how computers and networks actually work under the hood.
What you'll need
- A spare computer, or a virtual machine on your existing one
- A beginner-friendly distribution (we recommend starting with Ubuntu or Linux Mint)
- Patience - the terminal feels unfamiliar at first, and that's normal
First steps
- Install a Linux distribution in a virtual machine
- Open a terminal and try basic commands:
ls,cd,pwd,mkdir - Learn how file permissions work
- Install and remove a package using your distribution's package manager
Why this matters for the Living Laboratory
Every system in the Refresh Labs Living Laboratory - from mining software to monitoring tools - runs on open-source software, most of it on Linux. Understanding the operating system is the foundation for understanding everything built on top of it.