Cheatsheet

You might see some terms you are not familiar with. Here is a collection of some that might help you.

Term	Abbreviation	Explanation
Distribution	Distro	The "type" of Linux you are using. For example Pop!_OS, Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, ...
Desktop Environment	DE	How your Linux looks like. Think of the difference between Windows 7, 10, and 11. Unlike on Windows, this can be changed without reinstalling your system. For example KDE Plasma, or Gnome.
Window Manager	WM	Arranges your windows at the place you want them to be. For example kwin, mutter, i3, qtile, awesomewm, or sway.
Compositor		Makes visual effects
Package manager		Essential part of your distro, has the purpose of downloading, installing, and removing packages. For example apt, or pacman.
Package		Program, part of a program, or library
Library		Collection of stuff that programs use to function. Typically has the ending .so. (on windows this would be .dll)
Terminal		Black window with text. Essentially a different way to operate your system.
Display Manager		Starts your DE. For example sddm, or gdm.
Shell		The "environment" you have in the terminal. For example zsh, fish, or bash.
Display Server		Draws stuff on the screen. Can be either x.org, or wayland.