freelinuxhelp.com

open 24/7 · no ad networks · no logins · no stupid questions

Your Linux broke.
We're still up.

Free fixes for the 2am disasters, written for humans. Every command explained before you run it.

helpdesk. Night shift
open tickets

The usual suspects

  • A Wi-Fi router silhouetted against the amber glow of a CRT monitor on a cluttered desk

    ticket #0001wifi-down

    Wi-Fi stopped working

    It worked yesterday. An update, a reboot, or a dual-boot with Windows is usually the culprit. Here's how to find out which, and fix it.

  • A triple-fan graphics card on a workbench lit by amber CRT light

    ticket #0002gpu-blackout

    Black screen after an update

    NVIDIA driver took the desktop down with it. You can fix this without seeing your desktop at all. The recovery routine, step by step.

  • Extreme close-up of a glowing amber CRT terminal screen

    ticket #0003terminal-fear

    The terminal survival kit

    Twelve commands, zero jargon, and the two safety rules that make the scary black box mostly harmless. You'll be fine.

  • A row of USB flash drives lined up in front of a glowing amber monitor

    ticket #0004distro-choice

    Choosing your first distro

    There are 600 distros and three sensible answers. An honest guide for switchers who want their computer to work on day one.

this week's ticket

Fresh off the queue

updated weekly · resolved

"Not authorized" when I plug in a USB drive

A real one from the forums this week: an external drive that flat refuses to mount. Almost always a permissions hiccup. Here's the five-minute fix, plus the manual mount for when you need the files now.

read the writeup → browse the triage log →
house rules

How this desk works

Every command explained

Nothing here says "paste this and pray." Every command block carries a plain-English note on what it does to your machine, before you press enter.

Free, and honest about it

No ad networks, no tracking, no popups, no login wall. One hand-picked sponsor and a few tools we actually use keep the lights on. And neither ever changes what a guide tells you.

No stupid questions

Everyone here has typed their password into the username box at 2am. Guides assume you're smart but new. Never the other way around.

quick reference

Forgot a command?

The cheat sheet has the everyday commands. Files, packages, disks, networks, processes. Each with a copy button and a note on what it actually does.

man everything
open →

What this does: opens the cheat sheet. The only made-up command on the site.

keeping the lights on

How this stays free

gear the desk keeps handy

Three things worth owning

When we point you at hardware, those links are affiliate. They cost you the same and help keep the desk free. We only list what we'd actually use.

  • A plain 8 GB+ USB stick For test-driving a distro before you commit to it. how to use one →
  • balenaEtcher Free. Writes that distro to the stick in three clicks. get it →
  • A USB-to-Ethernet adapter When Wi-Fi is the broken thing, wired gets you online to fix it. why it helps →