Virtual Machines are a great way to try out Linux, especially if you're having to learn on quarantine. I was not able to make the second part, but I'm getting this up anyway. [VirtualBox](https://virtualbox.org) is the mainstay open source virtual machine. # Linux Distros A packaged Linux system is a distribution, or "distro." Because they are free, people tend to fork distros to create a new project (make a copy and start changing it). So most distros are X-based and use that packaging system with several tricks or a different starting point. [Manjaro](https://manjaro.org/) is a distribution based on [Arch](https://www.archlinux.org). It uses the Arch systems. Most tutorial videos use Arch, making this a good beginner's system. [Debian](https://www.debian.org) is the granddaddy of Linux distros. It updates slowly but is solid as a rock. It has the most widely used package system. [Linux Mint](https://linuxmint.com) is a very beginner friendly distro. My wife loves it. It is a Debian-based system. [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com) is the most widely used Linux distro and the one with the widest support in forums. [Arch Linux](https://www.archlinux.org) is an advanced distro. You get to select everything. There is a guide to doing it, but it is not the best distro if you know little about Linux, but it is one of the best if you do. [Gentoo](https://www.gentoo.org) has all the customization for Arch. It is really only useful if you want to either customize in ways that require recompiling your software or want to experiment and learn more (in which case, you need to deviate from the guide and not copy/paste). # Non-Linux systems They are other UNIX-like operating systems alongside Linux. [FreeBSD](https://www.freebsd.org) is the largest and most widely supported. [OpenBSD](https://www.openbsd.org) is a smaller, security-focused BSD distro. It retains that free spirit from the 90s and early 200Xs where what they valued was good software and free speech.

Boo