Mostly just through using it, and via being somewhat passionate/interested in open source stuff at the point I was discovering it, and I continue to learn by just slowly pushing against my comfort zone in certain areas.

My first Linux install was back 2008, Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy Heron”, through wubi which meant it easy to bail out if I needed to. I played around with it, got various things working like making sure I could watch YouTube videos (via Flash!), access files on my memory sticks, use OpenOffice, listen to music, torrent stuff etc.

Eventually I swapped out Wubi for a “proper” dual-boot when I was settled and began living in Ubuntu full-time, other than needing to use Windows XP for syncing my iPod with iTunes (I’ve never really bothered with gaming on PC so it was never a draw to keep Windows). At some point the Windows XP install just seriously borked, no idea why but it ground to a halt. Synced my iPod one last time and wiped it for a full Ubuntu install.

Ever since then I’ve been a Linux user all through university and into my job. I’ve just gradually learned more and more about doing things in a UNIXy way, picking up bits of the commandline to the point where I’m much more comfortable with keyboards than I am with using a mouse, learning about various system utilities etc.

I usually think about what problems I have or perhaps what I’ve seen other people do, and then try to find out different ways to achieve that or solve the problem. Usually that takes me on a nice little journey where I get intimidated for a bit, then I digest it and read around, and then I start trying things, and then it clicks. Eventually it’ll get integrated into whatever workflow is appropriate and then it’s on to the next thing when I get that itch or have the headspace to learn some more.

For some reason, my brain just doesn’t like having folders in my home directory that don’t start with a capital letter.

That’s fair. It never used to bother me at all but as I tend to do most stuff on the terminal these days I’ve wanted to keep everything more consistent. First the spaces bothered me, then the capitals :-P But having home folders with capitals feels like a nice exception as it is a relatively special folder.

I like how clear Applications is. It’s also cool how you’ve got the Nextcloud folder underneath Documents, very tidy.