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Path 2 · Operating systems

Operating System Mastery

Understand what an operating system does, then find your way around the Ubuntu and Windows desktops, install software safely and adjust settings.

beginner18 lessons5 modules8 h 4 min

By the end you will be able to

  • Explain what an operating system does.
  • Navigate the Ubuntu and Windows desktops.
  • Install, update and remove software from trusted sources.
  • Change common settings safely.

Before you start

Module 5: Operating system fundamentals

What an operating system does between your programs and the hardware, how accounts, permissions, updates and drivers keep it safe, and why files and programs do not always move between systems.

  1. What an operating system does

    See the operating system as the manager that sits between your apps and the hardware, compare Windows, Ubuntu and macOS, and tell an application from a process.

    25 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows

  2. User accounts, permissions, updates and drivers

    Understand standard and administrator accounts and why permissions exist, why updates matter, what drivers do, and where to find the settings on Ubuntu and Windows.

    25 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows

  3. File systems and software compatibility

    Learn what a file system is, why a USB stick may work on one computer but not another, and why programs written for Windows do not simply run on Ubuntu.

    25 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows

Module 6: The Ubuntu desktop

Find your way around Ubuntu: the desktop, Files, Settings, installing software, updates, screenshots and USB drives.

  1. A tour of the Ubuntu desktop

    Learn the names and jobs of the main parts of the Ubuntu desktop: the top bar, Activities, the dock, the Show Apps button, windows, workspaces, notifications and the system menu.

    25 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux

  2. Ubuntu Files and your Home folder

    Learn to use the Files app: your Home folder and its standard folders, the sidebar, the Trash, hidden files, searching and creating folders, so that you always know where your work is.

    25 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux

  3. Ubuntu Settings: network, Bluetooth, display, sound and printers

    Walk through the Settings app and learn to check and safely change Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, displays, sound, printers, power and users. You will practise a careful habit: note it, change one thing, test it, undo it if needed.

    30 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux

  4. Installing and removing software on Ubuntu

    Understand how software reaches an Ubuntu laptop: package managers, the App Center, snap and deb packages and trusted sources. You will learn how to look at an app before installing it and how to remove it cleanly.

    25 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux

  5. Updates, screenshots and USB drives on Ubuntu

    Learn to keep Ubuntu up to date with the Software Updater, to know when a restart is needed, to take screenshots, and to plug in and safely eject a USB drive.

    28 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux

Module 7: The Windows desktop

Find your way around Windows 11: the desktop, File Explorer, Settings, apps, updates, security, Task Manager and devices.

  1. A tour of the Windows 11 desktop

    Learn the names and jobs of every main part of the Windows 11 desktop: Start, Search, the taskbar, Quick Settings, notifications, widgets and virtual desktops. You will be able to find what you need without guessing.

    25 min · beginner · Windows

  2. File Explorer and Windows Settings

    Find your files with File Explorer, understand drives and the Recycle Bin, and use the Settings app to change how Windows behaves. You will know where things live and how to look before you change.

    25 min · beginner · Windows

  3. Microsoft Store, Windows Update and Windows Security

    Get apps from trusted places, keep Windows up to date, and understand the built-in protection: Windows Security, the firewall and SmartScreen. You will know what each does and what to do when a warning appears.

    25 min · elementary · Windows

  4. Task Manager, Device Manager, power, printers and Bluetooth

    Use Task Manager to see what is running and end a frozen app, read Device Manager warning icons, set power options, add a printer or Bluetooth device, take screenshots and handle USB drives safely.

    30 min · elementary · Windows

Module 8: Applications and software

Understand what applications are, how to install, update and remove them on Ubuntu and Windows, how to spot fake installers, and how default apps, licences and browser extensions work.

  1. Applications: installing, updating and removing

    Understand what an application is and how it differs from the operating system, then learn how installing, updating and uninstalling work on Ubuntu and Windows, and why each step asks for permission.

    28 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows

  2. Trusted sources, fake installers and bundled software

    Learn to tell official download pages from fake ones, to spot misleading buttons and bundled extras, to check a publisher and a checksum, and to follow a safe download routine.

    30 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows

  3. Default apps, file associations, licences and browser extensions

    Learn how the computer decides which app opens a file, how to change that choice, what free, open-source, freemium and subscription software mean, and how to judge a browser extension before adding it.

    28 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows

Module 9: Settings and customisation

How to adjust display size, language, keyboard, date, power, sound, networks, printers, privacy and default programs on Ubuntu and Windows so the computer suits you and stays safe.

  1. Display scaling, language, keyboard layout, date and time

    Make text readable by changing scaling, set your language and keyboard layout so keys type what they show, and keep the date and time correct. You will know why each setting matters and where to find it on Ubuntu and Windows.

    25 min · beginner · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows

  2. Power, audio, network and printer settings

    Choose a power mode and screen timeout that suit you, pick the right speakers and microphone, connect to Wi-Fi safely and understand how a printer is added. Each step is shown for Ubuntu and Windows.

    30 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows

  3. Privacy permissions, notifications and application defaults

    Control which programs may use your camera, microphone and location, tame notifications, choose which program opens each kind of file, and finish with a privacy review checklist for Ubuntu and Windows.

    30 min · elementary · Ubuntu/Linux · Windows