Linux

Looking for information on this upstart operating system? The 'Net is the best place to look for all kinds of information on Linux...

Distributions

Up-to-date lists of the various Linux distributions can be found here. There are also specialty distributions. The neatest ones are the 'Linux on a floppy' distributions, such as the Linux Router Project, that are available. Have an old 486 lying around collecting dust? Insert two cheap network cards, a floppy drive, and a bit of memory and you have a hardware firewall/proxy server, once you configure it properly.

If you're still not sure, there are 'Live' CD versions of Linux that allow you to run a fairly full-featured operating system without installing it to your hard drive. One of the best is Knoppix. It boots from CD, autodetects just about everything (printers are still tricky), and runs quite well. Some of the applications load slower than normal, but that's because they are stored compressed on the CD, and are uncompressed on-the-fly. Other than that, it works well, and allows you to get a "feel" for Linux without actually installing it.

Another option is SuSE's "Live-Eval" CD, which again runs entirely from CD. If you are thinking about purchasing this distribution, it's worth checking out.

My experience...

Over the past few years, I've tried a few distributions, hoping to find one that I liked. So far I've tried SuSE, RedHat, Mandriva, Xubuntu, PCLinuxOS, and Debian. After giving each of them a shot, I've settled on PCLinuxOS for the desktop, and Debian for the server. Granted, there are lot's of other distributions out there, but I'm quite content with these.

Why?

They installs quite nicely (graphical or text-based). The installation options make sense (I found RedHat's expert mode made some...well, odd...default choices).
The different interface choices available. Over the past few months, I've tried Enlightenment, FVWM2, Gnome, XFce, KDE, and WindowMaker. After using each for a while, I've settled on XFce.

The other big issue between distributions is packaging. And I don't mean those pretty boxes you see on the store shelves. There isn't really a single standard in Linux on how applications are installed. Depending on the distribution you choose, you could find yourself using

RPM - the Red Hat Package Manager. Used by Red Hat, Mandriva, SuSE, and others.
Distribution-specific packages - i.e. Debian (.deb), etc. These are generally unique to a particular distribution.
Tarballs (i.e. *.tar.gz, *.tgz, etc.) - this is the traditional way of installing. Download and un-tar (tar xzvf tarball_name) the application, then compile it (./configure, ./make, ./make install). Used by Slackware, and many other individual packages.

Is one better than the other? Not really. RPM has become the de-facto standard for many applications, simply based on the number of Red Hat users out there. The fact that other distributions support it doesn't hurt. Tarballs are extremely common, but they rely on the end-user having the development tools installed, and ensuring that the dependencies are met (other libraries, etc.) can be a pain. Package Managers maintain a database of what's installed, and what applications/libraries are inter-dependent, allowing you to be notified if uninstalling a library will cause something else to break.

That "Other" OS...

But how does it compare to Windows 9x/Windows NT? I've been a booster of Windows NT for a few years now, as it's a decent platform (once it's configured properly...much more stable than the Win9x crap). However, I am very impressed by Linux.

the lack of commercial software (at least compared to Windows). At least it's getting better. And if Wine becomes stable enough, a whole new slew of software becomes available to the Linux platform. VMWare is a commercial alternative for those who need access to Windows, but don't want to dual-boot.
the sheer number of distributions available. While proponents say choice is a good thing, the number of distributions available is mind-boggling. And confusing to someone new to the platform. Mind you, most of the new folks are going to go with a distribution that is marketed in a commercial fashion, as opposed to one of the more esoteric choices.

Resources

Ok, so you have Linux. But you only picked up a CD...no manual, etc. Now what? Generally, you'll have enough information on the disk (or, if you have a working Net connection, the distribution's website) to install it. Then, you have a number of options:

If your distribution includes the Linux HowTo's and mini-HowTo's, ensure they're installed. If not, go to a friend's house, log in to the 'Net, and head to the Linux Documentation Project website. Find the HowTo/mini-HowTo on PPP (or Cable Modems, etc.), download it, and set up your system...once you get it working, you have access to the latest and greatest Linux documents available.
Once online, check out the website for your distribution (see above). Many have a knowledge base and/or FAQ for setting up and running the distribution.
Buy a good book on Linux. There are a number out there that are distribution-specific (i.e. Red Hat Unleashed), and others that are more generic (i.e. Linux for Dummies, Running Linux). If you're more technically minded, I strongly recommend Running Linux by Matt Welsh & co. The fourth edition is out now, but earlier editions are still pretty relevant.

Once you're connected to the 'net, there are a large number of sites available to assist you, or let you learn more about Linux. Just a small sampling:

And for those in the Ottawa area, don't forget the local Ottawa-Carleton Linux Users Group. You can also check out The Canadian Linux Users' Exchange (CLUE).

Finally, there are magazines devoted to Linux. The two I read most often are Linux Journal, and Linux Magazine.

Applications

Now that you're up and running, what can we use to become productive? Again, it depends on what you're looking for. If you need Office productivity apps (and MS compatibility), you can look at Sun StarOffice or OpenOffice. If you need just about anything else, the best sites to look at (in my humble opinion) are the Tucows Linux Site, LinuxApps, and Freshmeat.net...there's a lot to choose from.

My favorites?

News Reader: PAN.
It's the closest thing to Free Agent (for the Windows platform) that I've found. Very nice.
E-mail : Sylpheed.
If you'd prefer something closer to Outlook, try Evolution.
WWW: Opera.
FTP: gFTP.
If you've used WS-FTP under Windows, you'll feel right at home.
Text Editing: NEdit.
I cut my teeth on VI, but under X, this is the best text editor I've used, bar none.
Word Processing: OpenOffice.
CD Burning: K3B.
Graphic (what little I do): The GIMP.

Other than that, good luck.