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<p>TinyTech.ca is a user-friendly website tailored for Linux newcomers, offering clear, concise guides to get started with Linux distributions, essential commands, and troubleshooting tips. It stands out with its curated software recommendations, highlighting free, open-source tools for everyday tasks like productivity, multimedia, privacy, and gaming—perfect for students and tech enthusiasts optimizing systems on a budget. Regularly updated with beginner-focused content, TinyTech simplifies the Linux learning curve while promoting reliable, lightweight apps that align with privacy-conscious and performance-driven setups.</p>

TinyTech

<h3>Choosing a Linux distro boils down to your priorities: stability and ease for beginners (Debian or Fedora based), bleeding-edge updates and customization for power users (Arch or CachyOS), gaming optimizations (PikaOS or Nobara), or declarative reproducibility (NixOS).</h3><h4>Debian-Based Distros</h4><p>Debian-based distros like Mint excel in rock-solid stability, vast package repositories via APT, and long-term support, making them ideal for servers, beginners, or anyone prioritizing reliability over the absolute latest software—smooth upgrades and security fixes keep systems running for years without drama.​</p><h4>Fedora-Based Distros</h4><p>Fedora-based distros shine with cutting-edge features from Red Hat's backing, a six-month release cycle, and developer-friendly tools like the latest GNOME and DNF manager, offering a balance of innovation and polish for workstations without Arch's rolling risks.​</p><h4>Arch-Based Distros</h4><p>Arch-based distros such as CachyOS deliver ultimate freedom through rolling releases, the AUR for 80,000+ packages, and total customization via pacman—perfect for power users and gamers chasing peak performance, though they demand hands-on maintenance.​</p><h4>NixOS</h4><p>NixOS stands out for declarative, reproducible configurations in a single Nix file, atomic upgrades with instant rollbacks, and isolated environments that eliminate "dependency hell," empowering advanced users to version-control entire systems effortlessly.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://distrowatch.com/">DistroWatch</a></h4><p>If you're still deciding on a distro, check out DistroWatch—a fantastic resource showcasing hundreds of options sorted by popularity. New to Linux? Stick to the top-ranked ones like Ubuntu, Fedora, or Linux Mint for a smoother start with great community support.</p><p></p><h3>Desktop Environments (DE)</h3><p><em>These tend to be better for beginners</em></p><p>A desktop environment (DE) is a graphical user interface framework that runs on top of an operating system's core, providing a cohesive and intuitive way to interact with your computer visually, rather than through command-line interfaces alone. It bundles essential components like a window manager (to handle window resizing, moving, and decoration), file manager, taskbar or dock, application menus, desktop icons, wallpapers, widgets, and often default applications such as text editors, browsers, and settings panels. Popular examples on Linux include GNOME, KDE Plasma, XFCE, and Cinnamon, each offering different levels of customization, resource usage, and aesthetics to suit user preferences—especially relevant for Linux enthusiasts like you who tweak distros such as NixOS or Arch. Without a DE, you'd rely solely on a terminal for tasks, but with one, drag-and-drop, multi-tasking, and system monitoring become seamless.</p><h4>Examples of Desktop Environments (DE)</h4><ul><li><p>GNOME</p></li><li><p>KDE Plasma</p></li><li><p>XFCE</p></li><li><p>Cinnamon</p></li><li><p>MATE</p></li><li><p>LXQt</p></li><li><p>Budgie</p></li></ul><h3>Window Managers (WM)</h3><p><em>These tend to have a steeper learning curve</em></p><p>A window manager (WM) is a core software component in a graphical user interface that controls the placement, appearance, and behavior of application windows on your screen. It handles tasks like drawing window borders and title bars, enabling resizing, moving, minimizing, maximizing, and stacking of windows, while also managing focus and keyboard shortcuts for navigation. Unlike a full desktop environment, which bundles a WM with extras like panels, file managers, and menus, a standalone WM is lightweight and often used by Linux power users—like those on Arch or NixOS—for a minimal, customizable setup. Examples include i3 (tiling), Openbox (stacking), or those integrated into DEs like Mutter in GNOME or KWin in KDE Plasma.</p><h4>Examples of Window Managers (WM)</h4><ul><li><p>i3</p><p></p></li><li><p>Sway</p></li><li><p>bspwm</p></li><li><p>Awesome</p></li><li><p>Openbox</p></li><li><p>Hyprland</p></li><li><p>Niri</p></li></ul><h3>Not sure what DE/WM to choose?</h3><p>If you're coming from Windows and would likely something familiar then:</p><ul><li><p>Cinnamon</p></li><li><p>KDE Plasma</p></li><li><p>Budgie</p></li></ul><p>These are all great picks that you'll likely find yourself comfortable with.</p><p></p>

Which Distro should I use?

<p><em>Your smooth entry to freedom and fun—no experience required!</em></p>

<p>Jumping into Linux might seem daunting, but this guide is here to make it effortless with practical info tailored for those with no experience. It covers beginner-friendly distro picks like Linux Mint or Fedora, step-by-step installation via bootable USB, essential first apps for browsing/gaming/productivity, and quick fixes for common hiccups—no deep command-line dives needed. We've packed in years of real-world tips on privacy tools, optimizations, and gaming setups so you can hit the ground running and embrace the freedom of a bloat-free, customizable system right away!</p>

<p>Below is a list of some of our must have Apps of 2026!</p>

<p>Here’s a list of commands with simple explanations of what they do.</p>

<p><em>This is a WIP, the button does not link to anything as of now</em></p>

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Enter Debug Mode (aka Talk to Us)

<p>If you're new here, think of this guide as your friendly launchpad into open-source bliss. We'll demystify installation, help you decide which distro's the right fit for you, cover essential apps, and troubleshoot common hiccups with step-by-step fixes. No prior experience needed—just curiosity. Let's turn "It works on my machine" into your reality!</p><p><em>Your guide, Σ=41</em></p><p></p>

Welcome to Linux—a world of freedom, power, and endless customization awaits!

<p>Click an icon to visit the distro's official site</p>

Still not sure what to use? Here's a few great picks!

<h3>Mint Linux</h3><p>Linux Mint is an exceptional choice for Linux newcomers thanks to its familiar, Windows-like Cinnamon desktop—complete with a start menu, taskbar, and Update Manager that handles security patches automatically without command-line fuss. Built on Ubuntu's stable Debian foundation, it "just works" out of the box with broad hardware support (NVIDIA/AMD drivers via a simple driver tool), pre-installed multimedia codecs, and Timeshift for easy backups/rollbacks if something goes awry. No overwhelming terminal required for daily tasks like browsing, office work, or light gaming; its massive beginner-friendly community and polished polish make the switch feel like a gentle upgrade to speed and freedom, not a steep learning curve.</p><h3>Fedora</h3><p>Fedora Linux offers an excellent entry point for Linux beginners, blending rock-solid stability with the latest cutting-edge software through its six-month release cycle, all backed by Red Hat's professional polish. The flagship Workstation edition features a sleek GNOME desktop that's intuitive out-of-the-box, with automatic updates via the GNOME Software Center—no terminal needed for most tasks—and seamless hardware detection for Wi-Fi, printers, and even NVIDIA/AMD GPUs through a simple graphical driver switcher. Packed with developer tools like the latest GCC and Podman for containers, it's forgiving for newcomers yet powerful enough to grow with you, supported by a vibrant community and clear docs that make troubleshooting feel straightforward rather than scary.</p><h3>CachyOS</h3><p>For Linux newcomers seeking blazing performance right away, CachyOS offers an exciting entry with its Arch base tuned for speed—think pre-optimized kernels, auto driver installs for NVIDIA/AMD, and graphical tools like Kernel Manager that make gaming and apps fly without manual tweaks. You'll enjoy rolling updates for the freshest software and AUR access for extras like Heroic Launcher, delivering that "Linux is fast!" thrill from day one.</p><p><strong>Caution for beginners</strong>: Unlike Debian (e.g., Mint, PikaOS) or Fedora, CachyOS's rolling releases risk breakage during updates, requiring occasional terminal fixes—less forgiving than point-release distros. Back up religiously with Timeshift if you're risk-averse.</p><h3>PikaOS</h3><p>PikaOS is a fantastic gateway for Linux beginners craving seamless PC gaming, blending Debian's renowned stability with gaming-first tweaks like a welcome app that one-clicks Steam, Lutris, Proton, NVIDIA/AMD drivers, and tools like MangoHud for FPS overlays. You'll boot into a polished GNOME or KDE desktop ready for MMORPGs or single-player epics—no terminal tinkering needed—while the kernel manager lets you swap performance variants effortlessly for that "it just works" magic.</p>

Meet the Distros!

<p>Now that you've chosen a Distro, it's time to flash it onto a USB so we can install it. Below is a button for the software we're going to use to flash the ISO</p>

Video guide

<p>In this video, the youtuber "PulsarTECH" showcases how to flash a USB with an ISO file and boot into it. Once finished you should have your new Linux distro installed and ready to use!</p>

<h3><strong><em>Productivity</em></strong></h3><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://obsidian.md">Obsidian</a></h4><p><em>Free and Paid options</em></p><p>Obsidian is a powerful, free note-taking and knowledge management app that works with plain Markdown files stored locally in a "vault" folder. It stands out for its linking system, which lets you connect notes like a personal wiki, and a graph view that visualizes those relationships.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.libreoffice.org">LibreOffice Suite</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>LibreOffice is a free, open-source office productivity suite developed by The Document Foundation as a fork of OpenOffice. It's a popular Microsoft Office alternative, emphasizing privacy, compatibility with DOCX/XLSX/PPTX formats, and cross-platform support for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://github.com/bgkillas/kalc">Kalc</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Kalc is a command-line calculator written in Rust, designed for advanced mathematical computations directly in the terminal. It supports complex numbers, vectors, matrices, arbitrary precision arithmetic, user-defined functions and variables, plus graphing capabilities with real-time output visualization.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/">PyCharm</a></h4><p><em>Free and Paid options</em></p><p>PyCharm is a powerful integrated development environment (IDE) for Python, developed by JetBrains, supporting code editing, debugging, testing, and web frameworks like Django and Flask. Available in free Community Edition (open-source features) and paid Professional Edition (advanced tools like database support and Jupyter integration), it runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://vscodium.com">VSCodium</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>VSCodium is a fully open-source, community-built binary distribution of Microsoft's Visual Studio Code editor, stripping out all proprietary telemetry, branding, and tracking code for true MIT-licensed freedom. It offers identical features like IntelliSense, Git integration, debugging, and vast extension support, but uses the Open VSX Registry instead of Microsoft's marketplace. Available for Linux, Windows, macOS, and more architectures like ARM/RISC-V.</p><p></p><h3><strong><em>Security</em></strong></h3><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.clamav.net">ClamAV</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>ClamAV is a free, open-source antivirus toolkit primarily designed for Unix-like systems, including Linux distributions popular among tech users like those on NixOS or Arch. It's optimized for server-side scanning, especially email gateways, using signature-based detection for viruses, trojans, malware, and more.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://safing.io">Portmaster</a><br></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Portmaster is a free, open-source application firewall and network monitor from Safing, designed for Windows and Linux desktops. It gives users granular control over app network connections, blocking trackers, ads, malware, and unwanted traffic while securing DNS with DoT/DoH support.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://apparmor.net">AppArmor</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>AppArmor is a Linux security system that restricts what individual applications are allowed to do by using per-program profiles. These profiles define which files, directories, and network resources a program can access, adding an extra layer of mandatory access control on top of normal Linux permissions. If an application tries to do something outside its profile—like reading a sensitive file or opening an unexpected network connection—AppArmor can block the action and log it for review. This makes it especially useful for limiting the impact of compromised or buggy software, and it is commonly enabled by default on Ubuntu and some other Debian-based distributions.</p><p></p><h3><strong><em>Communication</em></strong></h3><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://discord.com">Discord</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Discord is a popular free communication platform originally built for gamers but now used widely for communities, teams, and social groups. It combines text chat, voice/video calls, and screen sharing in customizable servers with channels for organized discussions.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://github.com/Vencord/Vesktop">Vencord/Vesktop</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Vencord is a popular, lightweight modification for the Discord client that adds extensive customization through over 100 preinstalled plugins, custom CSS themes, and quality-of-life features.<br>It emphasizes easy installation via a graphical installer, strong browser support, and privacy protections by blocking Discord's analytics and crash reporting out of the box.</p><p></p><h3><strong><em>Gaming</em></strong></h3><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://store.steampowered.com">Steam</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Steam is the leading digital distribution platform for PC games, developed by Valve since 2003. It serves as a storefront, library manager, multiplayer hub, and social network for gamers worldwide.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://github.com/Heroic-Games-Launcher/HeroicGamesLauncher">Heroic Games Launcher</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Heroic Games Launcher is a free, open-source game manager that lets you access and play titles from Epic Games Store, GOG, and Amazon Prime Gaming without their official clients. It's particularly popular among Linux gamers for its native support on distros like NixOS, Arch, Fedora, and Debian, using tools like Wine/Proton for Windows games.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://boosteroid.com">Boosteroid</a></h4><p><em>Subscription Service</em></p><p>Boosteroid is a subscription-based cloud gaming service that streams PC games you own from platforms like Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG directly to your browser or app. It lets you play demanding titles on low-end devices without downloads, using remote servers for 1080p/60fps (or up to 4K/120fps on premium plans</p><p></p><h4><strong><em>VPNs</em></strong></h4><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://protonvpn.com/">ProtonVPN</a></h4><p><em>Free and Paid options</em></p><p>ProtonVPN is a privacy-focused VPN service from the makers of Proton Mail, based in Switzerland with a no-logs policy and open-source apps. It's excellent for secure browsing, torrenting, and streaming, with strong encryption and servers in over 120 countries.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-one/team-and-resources/devices/warp/download-warp/">Cloudflare Warp</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Cloudflare WARP is a free VPN-like service (NOT AN ACTUAL VPN) from Cloudflare that encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through their global network for better speed, security, and privacy. It's powered by the WireGuard protocol and integrates with 1.1.1.1 DNS for faster, safer browsing without logs.</p><p></p><h3><strong><em>Browsers</em></strong></h3><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.firefox.com/en-CA/">Firefox</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Firefox is a free, open-source web browser developed by Mozilla, renowned for its strong emphasis on user privacy, speed, and customization. It's available across desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), Android, and iOS platforms</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://helium.computer">Helium</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Helium is a lightweight, open-source web browser based on ungoogled-chromium, emphasizing privacy, unbiased ad-blocking, and minimalism without bloat or telemetry. Released around late 2024, it's designed for speed, efficiency, and user control, supporting all Chromium extensions (including MV2 like uBlock Origin baked in).</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://zen-browser.app">Zen Browser</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Zen Browser is a free, open-source web browser forked from Mozilla Firefox, launched in 2024. It emphasizes privacy, high customizability, and a modern design inspired by browsers like Arc.</p><p></p><h3><strong><em>Utility</em></strong></h3><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://github.com/aristocratos/btop">BTOP</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>BTOP is a modern, visually rich terminal-based resource monitor for Linux/Unix systems, written in C++ as a faster successor to bashtop and bpytop. It displays real-time stats for CPU, memory, disks, network, and processes with graphs, colors, and mouse support.​</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://github.com/karlstav/cava">Cava</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Cava is a cross-platform, terminal-based (ncurses) or SDL audio visualizer that renders bar spectrum waveforms from system audio input, ideal for music visualization in a console. Written in C, it supports Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Windows, and audio backends like PipeWire (default), PulseAudio, ALSA, JACK, sndio, and PortAudio.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://github.com/oguzhaninan/Stacer">Stacer</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Stacer is an open-source GUI system optimizer and monitor for Linux, providing an all-in-one dashboard for resource tracking, cleanup, and management tasks typically done via terminal. Written in C++ with Electron-like styling, it supports Ubuntu/Debian derivatives best but works on Arch/NixOS via Flatpak/AppImage.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://github.com/linuxmint/timeshift">Timeshift</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>Timeshift is an open-source system restore tool for Linux that creates incremental filesystem snapshots using rsync+hardlinks or BTRFS subvolumes, akin to Windows System Restore or macOS Time Machine. It protects system files (excludes /home by default) and supports restores from live USB, scheduled backups (hourly/daily/weekly/monthly/boot), and exclude filters.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bleachbit.org">BleachBit</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>BleachBit is an open-source system cleaning tool for Linux and Windows that frees disk space by removing junk files, caches, logs, and temporary data while prioritizing privacy through secure deletion methods. It shreds files beyond recovery, wipes free disk space to hide traces, and vacuums databases like Firefox SQLite for better performance.</p><h4><br><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://github.com/jvoisin/mat2#readme">MAT2</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>MAT2 (Metadata Anonymisation Toolkit 2) is a Python-based CLI tool for stripping metadata from files to enhance privacy, supporting 50+ formats like images (JPEG/PNG), audio (MP3/FLAC), video (MP4), docs (PDF/DOCX/ODT), and archives (ZIP/TAR). It creates "filename.cleaned.ext" outputs by default, avoiding in-place changes.</p><p></p><h3><strong><em>Windows Specifics</em></strong></h3><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10">O&amp;O ShutUp 10++</a></h4><p><em>Free</em><br>O&amp;O ShutUp10++ is a free, portable Windows utility that simplifies disabling telemetry, tracking, ads, and privacy-invasive features in Windows 10/11 with one-click recommendations. It centralizes over 100 registry/group policy tweaks into a GUI, covering location services, Cortana, Edge data collection, OneDrive sync, and diagnostic sharing—no installation needed.</p><h4><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://github.com/ChrisTitusTech/winutil">WinUtil</a></h4><p><em>Free</em></p><p>WinUtil is Chris Titus Tech's free, open-source PowerShell-based Windows utility for debloating, tweaking, app installs, and troubleshooting Windows 10/11 setups with a GUI launched via irm christitus.com/win | iex in admin PowerShell. It streamlines privacy optimizations, performance boosts, and custom ISO creation (MicroWin) without needing downloads.</p>

Must have Apps of 2026

<h3>Expertise That Drives Innovation</h3><p>At Tiny Tech, we specialize in delivering cutting-edge software solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients. As a solo developer based in Canada, Tiny Tech combines deep technical knowledge with a passion for creating efficient, scalable, and user-friendly applications. Our expertise spans across various programming languages, frameworks, and platforms, ensuring that each project benefits from a comprehensive and innovative approach.</p><h3>Comprehensive Services to Elevate Your Projects</h3><p>From custom software development and web applications to mobile apps and automation tools, Tiny Tech offers a wide range of services designed to bring your ideas to life. We prioritize clear communication, timely delivery, and meticulous attention to detail in every project. Whether you are a startup, a small business, or an individual looking for a reliable developer, Tiny Tech is committed to providing personalized service that aligns with your goals and exceeds your expectations.</p><h3>Unique Selling Points That Set Us Apart</h3><p>What makes Tiny Tech stand out is the combination of personalized service and technical excellence. As a solo developer, we offer direct and transparent collaboration, allowing clients to have a hands-on experience throughout the development process. Our commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction ensures that every product we deliver is robust, efficient, and designed to provide maximum value. Partner with Tiny Tech to transform your vision into reality with a dedicated developer who cares about your success.</p>

Discover Tiny Tech: Your Solo Developer Partner in Innovation

Female electronics engineer runs vehicle tests

Congraulations, you should now have Linux installed!

<p>Follow all on-screen prompts for your distro. After completing onboarding, update your system and install required apps.</p>

<p>Developing secure and scalable online stores with integrated payment systems to boost your sales.</p>

Hands typing on keyboard, changing online store design

E-commerce Solutions

<p>Connecting your applications with third-party services for expanded functionality and automation.</p>

API Integration

<p>Designing user-friendly interfaces and seamless user experiences to enhance customer engagement.</p>

My Workspace, I do design, recording, meetings everything from here! All Product links: --> https://kit.co/faizurrehman

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UI/UX Design

<p>Here is a list of a bunch of terminal commands with explanations on what they do to help you get started!</p>

<p>Here is a basic guide with resources on how you can customize linux</p>

<p>This page logs issues I've personally faced, for future reference.</p>