how do i connect my Arduino Nano to my Linux Laptop
In the Arduino IDE, the mcu will show up in Tools &gt; Port.
Your Arduino Nano will probably be visible at /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/ttyUSB1 following whatever is already plugged on USB. Make sure to select it.

Select Nano in Tools &gt; Board.

Last step is  Verify/Compile your code (^R), then Upload (^U).

This link sounds to be a good read to start.