I have tried to learn Linux for ages, and have experimented with installing Arch and Ubuntu.

There’s your problem. Try Linux Mint.

Is it an unrealistic goal to want to eventually run a computer with coreboot and a more cybersecurity heavy emphasis? I’m still a noob at this and any advice would be appreciated!

Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew. Start small and easy, with a beginner Linux distro, and once you’ve become really comfortable with that, you can try to move onto something less user friendly.

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Don’t start with the most complicated distro and then fail.

Mint is great. I recently switched fully to Linux and mint feels comfortable

Is it an unrealistic goal to want to eventually run a computer with coreboot and a more cybersecurity heavy emphasis?

No, its not unrealistic. However, what I think is unfair to yourself is to attempt this before knowing what you are doing. Think of it like learning to draw. You have good taste, and you see art you like, and want to do it too. Yet your personal skill level, you finger dexterity, isn’t yet there to be able to make the art you can visualize in your mind.

If a task is too hard, or to complex, then there must exist a smaller, easier task to accomplish first. Coreboot specifically is an extremely low hardware/firmware level system, but you don’t feel confidant in installing a working desktop OS. You have aspirations for cyber security, as well. Find the smaller, and easier task first. Get Debian/Ubuntu working in a VM. Then look at what software is installed, and read about it. If you want to eventually pursue security projects, setup a LAMP stack. If that too hard, just get the A in LAMP. If that’s too hard, find out why. What do you know, what do you not know? It’s machines all the way down, and its an extremely small chance you are the first person with a problem. Don’t worry about “correctness” and focus on the learning experience.

It is 100% achievable, but it is a lot of time. I started with it because I wanted to run a game server for myself. It’s a couple of decades later, and I still have a massive amount to learn.

You definitely don’t need Coreboot. Try Linux Mint to start with, and just use your computer as you normally would. Getting comfortable with how Linux does things is something you need to learn before taking the next steps. No one became a Linux guru by reading the “Linux manual” front to back. I picked up almost all of my Linux knowledge on-the-fly because I broke something or because I wanted to do something.

Also, if all you want is better cybersecurity, you’ll make a huge leap just by picking any Linux distro. Save Coreboot, full disk encryption, etc for at least a few months down the road when you’re picking a new distro and have a better idea of what you want to do differently.

Arch is a bad distro for newbies. Go find an ISO for Kubuntu and install that. The install wizard is idiot-proof. I use KDE-based distros like Kubuntu even though I’m a fairly advanced user so don’t view it as some kind of failure. There’s no virtue in using more complicated stuff. Get comfortable with the easier distros first.

Don’t use regular Arch if you’re struggling. There are some arch-based distros that are more user friendly, though. Like EndeavourOS or ArchMan. Manjaro can be good too but there are legitimate problems with how the project is run.

I was having graphics driver problems in Ubuntu-based distros until I tried Linux Mint.

If you get crashes right before or after login, it’s often a (Nvidia) graphics issue. To get around this, you could use nomodeset in the Grub menu to get a successful first boot where you can then install the proprietary drivers.

Look at sections 4 and especially 5 on this page
Also, here is that info in a tutorial format

Also, you may want to set the Desktop Environment to Xorg or X11 (same thing) if Wayland is causing you problems. It’s older, but in some cases more efficient and less experimental. Check out the section: Switching desktop environments using a graphical user interface. It should look similar to the pictures. And notice that the “gear” icon may not appear until you select a user.

If your problem is different than this, open a support ticket in the discord or forums of the distro you’re using. Linux Mint has a great system for this on Discord.

i wouldn’t say that it’s unrealistic.

The “Problem” is however, that there are a gazillion different approaches to everything. And everyone will tell you their method and maybe even badmouth other peoples methods… That way you don’t really know what to do anymore.

Imho, don’t install them in a VM. Get yourself a new cheap SSD. Unplug the one with windows on it and just install a well-known Linux distro that has a big open community on your PC.

If you want something Arch-based: I’d highly recommend you Garuda-Linux. Don’t get scared off by it’s … flashy default looks. This can be changed very easily. But they have one of the most welcomming and helpful communities i have ever witnessed. They aren’t really here or on reddit, but rather have their own forum.

This thing will give you everything you need to start. And if something breaks, it does automatic snapshots of your system everytime you install a new package. So if something breaks, you turn off…turn on…and in the boot menu you’ll find your snapshots. Pick the last working one. and that’s it. Good to go again.

But these are just my 2 cents…

Bog standard arch is absolutely not what I’d recommend to a new user, maybe endeavor if they’re really asking for it, but you really should have some idea what you’re doing before using arch. Try Linux Mint or Pop OS. I’m surprised you had an issue with Ubuntu, though I haven’t used it since like 16.04 so maybe it just is a pain now.

Keep it simple, Ubuntu/Mint/PopOS, play around with it for at least a few months before trying an arch install

One word: Mint

It’s pretty streamlined, more reliable than some newer trendy Ubuntu spin offs, and still powered at it’s core by the same old kernal that even the “advanced” distros use.

I applaud you for trying Arch, and if you can figure it out while learning Linux in general that’s a great achievement, but it’s overly complicated and I personally wouldn’t reccemend it to anyone starting out (or even a most experienced users unless they had a particular need for it’s features).

If you continuously get issues across all distros in VMs a live environment might also be worth checking out (live being booted off external media without an install).

Ultimately, though if Linux does mess with your workflow, then use what works best for you. Sure I like Linux, but if it breaks what you need and Windows or Mac doesn’t then use what works best for you. But, there’s a saying “the more the island of my knowledge grows the greater the shore of my ignorance”. The more you learn the more that you realized how little you know. It’s always the case for anybody who’s either not an extreme expert or a narcissistic, but it’s also a great motivator to keep learning.

Start with Ubuntu, eventually switch to Debian, then give Arch a shot.

Get Fedora Silverblue. It is rock solid. Install Distrobox or Boxes to emulate other systems on top of that.

You could also move on to something else later if toy like.

Next time you decide to attempt Arch, you could try the included install script.

But for now I would also suggest starting out with something more simple, such as Linux Mint or Ubuntu LTS.