Is Linux/Ubuntu just for techies?

[Wtwine]

Hi

I made the transition to Ubuntu from Windows about a month ago. I'm enjoying it, but a question still niggles: Can I become proficient, efficient and totally functional in Ubuntu without becoming hotshot at command prompt? Worded differently, will I be ok as long as I master Nautilis, Synaptic and the other menu-driven applications, and make regular use of Ubuntu forums?

I have moderate computer savvy, but am not particularkly interested in the techology or code - my computer is a tool that enables me to get other stuff done. I have managed to install and personalise Ubuntu, create a virtual machine for Windows, migrate from MS Office, Outlook, IE and Endnote to Open Office, Evolution, FF and Bibus, and have sorted most problems I encountered by following threads in this and other forums. This usually entails copying and pasting commands in terminal, but I often have no clue what it actual means, except for obvious commands like install and update. Will this become a handicap?

Perhaps my questions just reflects the wide-spread and possibly erroneous perception that Linux is only of techno whizz kids with a computer science degree and the knowledge and desire to program.

Please set the record straight for me as a decide whether or not to let go of my Windows securty blanket!

[Bradtek]

If you consider copy/paste into terminal a hotshot then yes

When I first tried Ubuntu around 18 months ago, I did alot of copy paste into the terminal,
eg gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
or
sudo apt-get update etc etc

Why do in 7 mouse clicks what can be done with one small command ?

Why people are so negative about typed ( mostly copy/pasted) commands
completely baffles me.

[dvl300]

i admit for while i did copy and paste but eventually i learned the majority of commands in the Linux terminal so i didn't need to copy and paste anymore, eventually more or less the commands will stick in your mind so don't worry about it!

[ad_267]

Sure you can!

There's not really much to do if you just want to use your computer. A lot of instructions are given on the forums as commands if you get stuck however, but if you learn your way around the gui you'll find that anything can be done the gui way too, it's just easier giving people commands rather than gui instructions. Also, commands usually work for all Linux distributions, or at least all Ubuntu based distributions. Graphical instructions can differ depending on the distribution and between versions.

There's probably some exceptions where stuff has to be done using the command line, but they are very few and far between.

If someone gives you a command it's not rude to ask them to explain it, you can also enter "man command_name" in the terminal to find out what a command does. You can also ask for gui instructions if you want and people should be happy to help.

However, I remember reading an interesting opinion recently that in Linux the barrier to doing more advanced stuff with your computer and working with commands and compiling software for example is much lower than in Windows. So if you do want to tinker it's much easier to get into.

[Sef]

With Ubuntu, it is very rare that you need to use the command line. It's an option if you want to, but most people don't bother learning it very much.

[Bradtek]

BTW Click on my signature where it says "Linux is not Windows"

[theozzlives]

With Windows there are a few things that require the prompt. Linux IS NOT Windows but, after the learning curve, anyone that can navigate that mess called Windows can use Linux. There will be some command prompt, but mostly copy and paste.

Just learn the basic commands: rm, cp, mv, mkdir, rmdir, sudo, apt-get, to name a few and you'll do fine.

[Wtwine]

I have no problem copying/pasting. But can I get by on that? It's just that typing commands from scratch will require a level of knowledge and understanding that I don't currently have. I have to decide how steep and time consuming the learning curve will be.

[HPD2]

I use ubuntu almost every day, and to be honest I usualy do not open the terminal unless im installing, uninstalling, or troubleshooting a program. I find most tasks can be done with Ubuntu's GUI(Graphical User Interface) and not just in the terminal. As long as you use the forums and learn basics of ubuntu you should do just fine.

[cmay]

Hi

I made the transition to Ubuntu from Windows about a month ago. I'm enjoying it, but a question still niggles: Can I become proficient, efficient and totally functional in Ubuntu without becoming hotshot at command prompt? Worded differently, will I be ok as long as I master Nautilis, Synaptic and the other menu-driven applications, and make regular use of Ubuntu forums?

I have moderate computer savvy, but am not particularkly interested in the techology or code - my computer is a tool that enables me to get other stuff done. I have managed to install and personalise Ubuntu, create a virtual machine for Windows, migrate from MS Office, Outlook, IE and Endnote to Open Office, Evolution, FF and Bibus, and have sorted most problems I encountered by following threads in this and other forums. This usually entails copying and pasting commands in terminal, but I often have no clue what it actual means, except for obvious commands like install and update. Will this become a handicap?

Perhaps my questions just reflects the wide-spread and possibly erroneous perception that Linux is only of techno whizz kids with a computer science degree and the knowledge and desire to program.

Please set the record straight for me as a decide whether or not to let go of my Windows securty blanket!
yes and no.
i switched to linux because its a good platform for learning to program. that is the reason along with having a need for a cheap setup to make music on my computer.

but the fist year i did never open a terminal for anything else than compiling my own lessons programs.

in the last couple of years i become more depending on the terminal. i do not see that as being a tech person or a geek thing. its a unix lookalike and there before it is like that using it. but having tried bsd and solaris i can say that ubuntu is far more easy to handle than some other systems including other linux distributions.

you do not have to know all there is to know and do not have to become effecient in using terminal but in the years it will serve you well. same as everyone should learn to use the dos promt.

i had used the dos promt in windows many times to rescue my self but today people just think its a old stone age thing to do and in fact it is not. i been told the shell is the main atraction for servers and windows even made a power shell hoping to be able to compete wiht the unix tools and shell.

its just not for a everyday desktop users need unless there is a situation where it is the only way to deal wiht the problem. having learned these things no matter if your are using linux or windows will make you more able to solve problems on your own.

so in the end i can only say both yes and no to the question since i have experienced both to be truth.

[Bradtek]

Of course you don't understand and no one expects you to
What is usually expected of newcomers is that they do some research, don't complain about command line, don't make but it does it in windows type posts etc etc.

I use plenty of GUI apps that can be done command line,
but after some time you might find it useful to know some commands.

Earlier today after some updates I had a desktop with
no panels, so nothing to click on to shutdown.

Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind popped out
Ctrl Alt F2, login, type sudo shutdown -n
(ok well it didnt come to me straight away)

After a restart into older kernel all was back to normal.

[SegaFan]

What's so bad about the command line? Command line can make certain tasks easier and is really no harder to learn than other aspects of computing you've no-doubt already mastered. I don't consider myself an expert, at least not compared to some people here, but I don't see how Linux (or at least not Ubuntu) is any less suited to 'non-techies' than any other operating system.

[Sef]

What's so bad about the command line?

Nothing, but some people prefer using a GUI interface over the terminal.

[ad_267]

I have no problem copying/pasting. But can I get by on that? It's just that typing commands from scratch will require a level of knowledge and understanding that I don't currently have. I have to decide how steep and time consuming the learning curve will be.

I think you can get by without the command line just fine. It does depend on what you want to do with your computer, but I think if you learn about packages and how to use Synaptic and add software sources, there's not much else you need to do to administer your system. You can dual boot and keep Windows around until you learn the gui and feel comfortable with Ubuntu, but if you've got Ubuntu installed that's really the hardest part.

[infinitejones]

I was the same as you, a few years ago (when I first started using Ubuntu). I'm proficient at getting computers to do what I want them to do, but I'm not a techie by any means, and I certainly know nothing about programming.

But here's the thing: using the command line isn't programming. The way that I look at it, it's just telling the computer what you want it to do by typing something rather than pointing and clicking.

So now, I've found myself as a real hybrid user of both the command line and things like Nautilus, Synaptic and so on. Sometimes it's just quicker to do this in a command prompt:

sudo apt-get install [the application I want to install]

than it is to click around through the System->Administration menu, open up Synaptic, click search, type in the application you want to install, wait for it to find it, etc etc. Other times, Synaptic is the easier option. At the end of the day, what I've achieved is the same.

Another example:

cp ~/directory/myfile /mnt/myserver

is exactly the same as opening nautilus, double clicking on the directory called "directory", right clicking myfile, selecting copy, then navigating to my server on the network, right clicking, and hitting paste.

But sometimes it's easier for me to type that command, and sometimes it's just easier to do all that in Nautilus. Makes no difference - the end result is the same.

So - if you're looking up how to do something online and you feel comfortable copying and pasting commands when you're following the instructions, without understanding what they actually mean, then I think 99.9% of the time, you'll be fine. It's always worked for me, so far.

But on the other hand, you will find that it will help if you spend a couple of seconds understanding why the text you're pasting does what it does. It's usually fairly obvious - in my examples above:


"sudo" means 'ask for the password before doing this' (which is an important part of security in Ubuntu)
"apt-get install" means 'install something', and then you're telling it what to install.
"cp" means 'copy', and then you're just telling it what to copy, and where to copy it to.


Easy, eh?

So the answer to your question, in my opinion, is no. It sounds like you've got Ubuntu set up how you want it without worrying about the command line. However, over time, you'll find everything else you want to do becomes much simpler, clearer and more efficient to do if you spend a little bit of time understanding what the various commands do.

To be honest, it's also probably safer for you in the long run if you do understand what you're telling Ubuntu to do - safer from accidentally telling it do to something wrong/dangerous, and safer from the small risk that someone's deliberately telling you to enter a command which will cause problems.

Like I said though, it's not coding or programming - it's just telling Ubuntu what to do by typing a command instead of pointing and clicking.

[VCoolio]

Here (http://fosswire.com/post/2008/04/ubuntu-cheat-sheet/) is a link to an ubuntu cheat sheet; you'll also find a link there to a linux cheat sheet. Two A4 to print and put next to your desktop will take care of most of the commands you until now just copypasted. It helped me a lot.

[Sef]

Code:
sudo apt-get install [the application I want to install]


That is not quite correct.

You should update to the latest repositories by this command first:

sudo apt-get update

[Bradtek]

What's so bad about the command line?

I would understand the paralyzing fear that some people have of it if they were expected to type 1000's of lines of code just to accomplish a simple task.

But to quiver at sight of sudo apt-get update is just silly

[Wtwine]

Thanks to everyone for the speedy and useful feedback! Much more to follow I'm sure. Scroll up to check out Bradtek's "Linux is NOT Windows" and VCoolio's "cheat sheet" - very useful.

I had to chuckle at the speed and number of friendly responses to my posting because I doubt I would have received such a prompt response to a query sent to the technical support department of the providers of proprietary software I used before moving to Ubuntu! Really does make me wonder what I was paying for before I moved to Ubuntu and FOSS!! :D

[Mark Phelps]

Given that the general way of installing Ubuntu is through a graphical interface, instead of compiling a kernel and apps from source, doing a long series of "makes", and then hand-building the loader scripts -- the answer must be "no".

But then ...

It's also NOT for folks who are unwilling to learn a few basics about how to use their computers beyond the Windows-for-Dummies point-and-click actions.

I once read that everything you can do in a Linux distro through a GUI you can also do through the CLI -- with a complicated enough command string. That's certainly NOT the case in MS Windows, either in their OS, or in their applications.

I personally have problems with MS Windows folks who come here and insist on detail, step-by-step instructions, only to follow that with the provision that we're not to use any of that "Linux jargon"! That's kind of like saying I want to know exactly how to change the brakes on my car -- but I don't want to have to learn to use any tools in the process. It basically can't be done.

So, if the person is willing to learn a few basics, other than point-and-click, and they don't beat us up very day with why Wine doesn't run their favorite MS Apps, then they're probably going to be OK using Ubuntu -- or most any other Linux distro.

[Celauran]

Given this:

I have managed to install and personalise Ubuntu, create a virtual machine for Windows, migrate from MS Office, Outlook, IE and Endnote to Open Office, Evolution, FF and Bibus, and have sorted most problems I encountered by following threads in this and other forums.

I think it's safe to say you'll be fine.

Most problems can be handled via GUI applications and I think you'll find command line answers simply because they are GUI-independent; they generally work across versions and are, quite frankly, simpler than trying to describe the series of menu traversals required.

This isn't to say the command line is bad, of course -- I prefer it more often than not -- but there is more than one way to skin a cat, if you'll pardon the expression.

[blackxored]

Hi

I made the transition to Ubuntu from Windows about a month ago. I'm enjoying it, but a question still niggles: Can I become proficient, efficient and totally functional in Ubuntu without becoming hotshot at command prompt? Worded differently, will I be ok as long as I master Nautilis, Synaptic and the other menu-driven applications, and make regular use of Ubuntu forums?

I have moderate computer savvy, but am not particularkly interested in the techology or code - my computer is a tool that enables me to get other stuff done. I have managed to install and personalise Ubuntu, create a virtual machine for Windows, migrate from MS Office, Outlook, IE and Endnote to Open Office, Evolution, FF and Bibus, and have sorted most problems I encountered by following threads in this and other forums. This usually entails copying and pasting commands in terminal, but I often have no clue what it actual means, except for obvious commands like install and update. Will this become a handicap?

Perhaps my questions just reflects the wide-spread and possibly erroneous perception that Linux is only of techno whizz kids with a computer science degree and the knowledge and desire to program.

Please set the record straight for me as a decide whether or not to let go of my Windows securty blanket!

I wouldn't give a long argument here. I just have to say: you will be better, no matter whether you stick to bash or you are a mouse APMer, doesn't matter. The system will improve you and after some time you will be willing to improve the system as well.
That's all I needed to know.

[estyles]

My wife uses Ubuntu everyday for web surfing, flash games, photo editing, and downloading and listening to music. I don't think she even knows how to bring up a terminal on her machine, and she installed everything on there herself. I think I spent 5 minutes troubleshooting a problem with her ipod, and made a little link on the desktop to restart the wireless interface, because her wireless card is pretty flaky. The only terminal command she has ever used is cowsay.

So, you really don't need to enter in terminal commands to survive. Occasionally, you may get some forum help where you can copy-paste the command, though if you had the time to wade through menus, you could probably find a GUI way to do it.

I, on the other hand, couldn't survive without my transparent terminal on my desktop - it's so much easier to do *certain* things, like "sudo apt-get blah" or creating a bash script, with a CLI. Though I do wish there were more GUI tools in Archlinux - it's the one thing that keeps me from switching from Ubuntu to Arch.

[LewRockwell]

Given that the general way of installing Ubuntu is through a graphical interface, instead of compiling a kernel and apps from source, doing a long series of "makes", and then hand-building the loader scripts -- the answer must be "no".

But then ...

It's also NOT for folks who are unwilling to learn a few basics about how to use their computers beyond the Windows-for-Dummies point-and-click actions.

I once read that everything you can do in a Linux distro through a GUI you can also do through the CLI -- with a complicated enough command string. That's certainly NOT the case in MS Windows, either in their OS, or in their applications.

I personally have problems with MS Windows folks who come here and insist on detail, step-by-step instructions, only to follow that with the provision that we're not to use any of that "Linux jargon"! That's kind of like saying I want to know exactly how to change the brakes on my car -- but I don't want to have to learn to use any tools in the process. It basically can't be done.

So, if the person is willing to learn a few basics, other than point-and-click, and they don't beat us up very day with why Wine doesn't run their favorite MS Apps, then they're probably going to be OK using Ubuntu -- or most any other Linux distro.

pretty much...THIS

[Paqman]

Can I become proficient, efficient and totally functional in Ubuntu without becoming hotshot at command prompt?


Absolutely. I rarely touch the command prompt. There are a few good GUI tools around for the odd admin tasks you might have been reaching for the terminal for.

eg:
startupmanager: set Grub defaults, splash screens, etc
ntfs-config: configure NTFS partitions
pysdm: configure non-NTFS partitions
nautilus-gksu: open a file or folder as root
nautilus-share: share a folder using SAMBA

[Mornedhel]

Can I become proficient, efficient and totally functional in Ubuntu without becoming hotshot at command prompt? Worded differently, will I be ok as long as I master Nautilis, Synaptic and the other menu-driven applications, and make regular use of Ubuntu forums?

Yes, but you're missing on all the fun.

Although to be frank, next time you don't have a working X server (broken, or SSH access to a remote box) you might regret not having used the command line more often.

Generally speaking, the advantages of command line are :

* It's the same everywhere, mostly.
* You don't need X.
* You can do a lot of things faster (I posit that many things can be automated only through the direct application of a hastily crafted Perl or bash script, and it tastes better that way, too).
* The command line has 'find', which is still the best tool ever invented, right after emacs, and then probably only because you can call find from emacs if need be.

[blackxored]

A little off-topic:
My sister is 11 years old, and I instructed here at ubuntu at home a while ago. He does most of she wants to without any help, and she started even complaining about having to use Windows at school. She even wanted me to make a remastered ubuntu live for carrying. It's really funny, but get something from it.

[LewRockwell]

A little off-topic:
My sister is 11 years old, and I instructed here at ubuntu at home a while ago. He does most of she wants to without any help, and she started even complaining about having to use Windows at school. She even wanted me to make a remastered ubuntu live for carrying. It's really funny, but get something from it.

I bet she'd absolutely love a Puppy Linux disk!

http://www.puppylinux.org/

hint, hint

[lisati]

It's up to you: you'll find that some things can be done easily with the GUI, some things are more easily done with the command line, and some things can be done either way.

We can be thankful that the era of using punched cards is largely behind us: just imagine what life would be like if we had to send our request to browse the web to one place to be punched onto cards, then send the cards somewhere else to be processed, and, after a delay (which could be several hours or maybe days later) get the printed output back. If all goes well, we won't have to repeat the process, but mistakes can happen: what if the operator drops the cards, and they get out of sequence? If you're really really lucky the order of the cards or the presence of a "typo" won't matter, but chances are it will matter, and you'll have to repeat some part of the sequence.

[eeeandrew]

I agree with whats been said above. The most common things I have to do is sudo apt-get update

I also have to reinstall my wifi driver every time I upgrade but I do this by putting a few commands together and pasting the whole lot in.
sudo -s && cd tarballs.and.source/madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6-r3879-20081204/scripts && ./madwifi-unload && ./find-madwifi-modules.sh $(uname -r) && cd .. && make && make install && modprobe ath_pci
The above code is a series of commands joined with the && (do after) command. so basically I'm giving root privelages and then changing into the scripts directory to remove any left over drivers before installing the new drivers and setting it so the driver will start automatically next time the computer is booted.

Who was it said they liked bashed together commands and scripts?\\:D/

I would say learning apt-get commands is a must. Also learning how to compile from source can be useful. Thats really the only commands I use. Heres a link on that stuff if your interested.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallingSoftware

Best of luck with ubuntu you'll be fine!!
Andrew

[jim Kane]

Hi

I made the transition to Ubuntu from Windows about a month ago. I'm enjoying it, but a question still niggles: Can I become proficient, efficient and totally functional in Ubuntu without becoming hotshot at command prompt?


im over 60, a builder by profession, with no previous experience in IT.
i use Xubuntu exclusively now, every time i tried to install Windows and clicked NO i don't agree with your $%&$ EULA the install failed.
if i can use Linux, effectively anyone can :D

[nmaster]

i admit for while i did copy and paste but eventually i learned the majority of commands in the Linux terminal so i didn't need to copy and paste anymore, eventually more or less the commands will stick in your mind so don't worry about it!


i agree. i prefer when people post responses involving commands because its a great way to learn. you pick up little things as you go, i prefer that.

[billgoldberg]

Hi

I made the transition to Ubuntu from Windows about a month ago. I'm enjoying it, but a question still niggles: Can I become proficient, efficient and totally functional in Ubuntu without becoming hotshot at command prompt? Worded differently, will I be ok as long as I master Nautilis, Synaptic and the other menu-driven applications, and make regular use of Ubuntu forums?

I have moderate computer savvy, but am not particularkly interested in the techology or code - my computer is a tool that enables me to get other stuff done. I have managed to install and personalise Ubuntu, create a virtual machine for Windows, migrate from MS Office, Outlook, IE and Endnote to Open Office, Evolution, FF and Bibus, and have sorted most problems I encountered by following threads in this and other forums. This usually entails copying and pasting commands in terminal, but I often have no clue what it actual means, except for obvious commands like install and update. Will this become a handicap?

Perhaps my questions just reflects the wide-spread and possibly erroneous perception that Linux is only of techno whizz kids with a computer science degree and the knowledge and desire to program.

Please set the record straight for me as a decide whether or not to let go of my Windows securty blanket!

You had no problems.

You're not a "techie" as you put it, meaning you don't know your way around the command line.

Windows has a command line. If you need to fix problem, you sometime need it too.

Linux has come to a point that you don't need the command line anymore. Expect for fixing problems. And even then the command line stuff is just because it's easier than the GUI stuff.

[doas777]

short answer no with an if; long answer yes with a but.

[bodhi.zazen]

Moved to recurring discussions.

Although I do not personally run Vista, I do support it at the public library.

Ubuntu is no more or less geeky then Vista.

Example - For whatever reason the wireless access point (WAP) at the library will not assign an IP address to vista (dhcp). Linux clients (ubuntu) work just fine.

Now the process of manually assigning an ip address in Vista, using only gui tools, is on par with assigning an IP on Ubuntu using only the gui tools.

Of course ifconfig on the command line is a snap.

[doas777]

i agree. i prefer when people post responses involving commands because its a great way to learn. you pick up little things as you go, i prefer that.

+1, your quite correct, linux shows enough of its soft underbelly, that you can begin to get a grasp on what your computer actually is, in a way that you can't with closed systems. the cli is the first step to seeing below the surface of the desktop. I try to learn somthing new about linux each week, and i'll never be done. perhaps one day, entirely competent....

The main reason you see support in cli commands, is to me, somewhat more logistical than idealistic. In order to give someone good instructions in a user interface, you either need to follow along with them, or display a series of screenshots to highlight what the person should be seeing. putting that kind of time and trouble into helping someone out, becomes prohibitive, after a while.

also linux is much more free-form than windows, so eventually everyones desktop is different from everyone elses (sometimes signifigantly). the terminal commands are almost always the same though.

terminal commands just have a clearer more compact means of presentation, and thus assist the community in assisting itself. We'd have a lot fewer people participating if we made everyone gimp screenshots and embed images for 1/2 hour before responding to every request for advice.

[SunnyRabbiera]

These days the commandline is becomming a lot less needed then it used to be, I have not used a terminal in over a month now.

[Saint_]

Trust me dude you'll be fine in ubuntu, like everyone's saying a lot of it is GUI now a days and as for command lines, etc, you'll pick it up as you go.

[kickwin]

Another new Ubuntu user here. (Is there any term for an 'Ubuntu user' like 'golfer' for someone playing golf?)

Since my switch to Ubuntu, I have been mainly using Synaptics to install applications except a few cases when I tried the following command.

sudo apt-get install [application name]I am curious as to how you guys the get the exact 'application name' for the app that you want to install. It is easy to do it Synaptics since it has a search function.

[Tibuda]

I am curious as to how you guys the get the exact 'application name' for the app that you want to install. It is easy to do it Synaptics since it has a search function.

I prefer Synaptic to find new applications, but the terminal for aplications I already know. To figure the package name, you can use the tab completion. You start to type the package name and press tab twice. e.g.: I want to install gedit plugins. I know the package name begins wiht "gedit-". Then I type:
$ sudo apt-get install gedit-[TAB][TAB]
gedit-common gedit-latex-plugin
gedit-dev gedit-plugins
$ sudo apt-get install gedit-
It lists all packages starting with "gedit-". If I type "gedit-p" and press tab, there's only one package that matches. Then it completes my command to "sudo apt-get install gedit-plugins".

EDIT: You can use tab to complete commands names too. The most efficient way to install gedit plugins from terminal:
sud[TAB] apt-g[TAB] i[TAB] gedit-p[TAB][ENTER]

[Mornedhel]

Another new Ubuntu user here. (Is there any term for an 'Ubuntu user' like 'golfer' for someone playing golf?)

I've heard "Ubuntero" before.

sudo apt-get install [application name]I am curious as to how you guys the get the exact 'application name' for the app that you want to install. It is easy to do it Synaptics since it has a search function.

I usually just do apt-cache search keywords

[ad_267]

I usually just do apt-cache search keywords

+1. And if that returns a huge list I pipe it through less or do apt-cache sarch -n keywords to search only in the package name.

[kickwin]

+1. And if that returns a huge list I pipe it through less or do apt-cache sarch -n keywords to search only in the package name.

Thanks guys. Exactly what I was looking for.

[starcannon]

Hi

I made the transition to Ubuntu from Windows about a month ago. I'm enjoying it, but a question still niggles: Can I become proficient, efficient and totally functional in Ubuntu without becoming hotshot at command prompt? Worded differently, will I be ok as long as I master Nautilis, Synaptic and the other menu-driven applications, and make regular use of Ubuntu forums?
How long did it take you to get proficient at Windows?
Subtract perhaps 20% and thats how long it will take you to get proficient at Ubuntu.

I have moderate computer savvy, but am not particularkly interested in the techology or code - my computer is a tool that enables me to get other stuff done. I have managed to install and personalise Ubuntu, create a virtual machine for Windows, migrate from MS Office, Outlook, IE and Endnote to Open Office, Evolution, FF and Bibus, and have sorted most problems I encountered by following threads in this and other forums. This usually entails copying and pasting commands in terminal, but I often have no clue what it actual means, except for obvious commands like install and update. Will this become a handicap?
Nope, one does not need to be a "coder" in order to use and administer their Ubuntu Linux Operating system. Just like with any other OS, when problems arise, one may have to search the internet for a guide, then just follow the guide. These forums are a great place to get information, as it has earned a reputation of trustworthiness.

Perhaps my questions just reflects the wide-spread and possibly erroneous perception that Linux is only of techno whizz kids with a computer science degree and the knowledge and desire to program.
Certainly it attracts "techno whizz kids with a computer science degree", but it is not because it requires a Computer Science Degree; it is because there is freedom to do what one wants if one wishes. I'm sure there are Accountants that use Windows, this does not mean I need to be an accountant in order to also be proficient at Windows (though with all the extra costs associated, it may not be a bad idea).

Please set the record straight for me as a decide whether or not to let go of my Windows securty blanket!
Dual boot, or run Windows in a Virtual Machine. The most sane answer for you, in my opinion would be to do a Wubi install of Ubuntu. This lets you install Ubuntu from within the Windows GUI, giving you a safe and reversible way of migrating, with the option to say "nah its not for me" if you decide things aren't going to work out. You simply then just uninstall Ubuntu like any other Windows program, and there you have it.

You can check out Wubi and how it works:
http://wubi-installer.org/
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide

GL