Gregory's Server@shansterable @PurpleJillybeans You definitely can learn Linux on your own and install everything using online tutorials. I'm particularly fond of Endeavouros as a distro for a bunch of complicated reasons I won't get into. You can do it! :3
But my biggest advice is that if you find yourself a weird Linux friend (ie, somepony helpful that won't talk down at you), you can do the same setup and learn things without worrying that if a wiki is wrong you'll just be completely stuck.
@shansterable @PurpleJillybeans
In my experience that's the biggest predictor of success.
I'm less worried about whether anypony can learn Linux (things have gotten much more accessible), and more worried about the safety nets to help fluffers in the instances where they do have questions or pawblems.
That's part of the ideal of Linux anyway; at its best open source ought to make computer maintenance feel less isolating and more like you have a community you can rely on <3