It has been written to provide the reader an insight into how simple it is to use the Linux operating system and programming environment. It shows the user, who is comfortable with using Windows and associated popular applications, how Linux works and how using it is similar in many ways to their current software. Table of Contents: section 1 – setting up the framework br>Chapter 1: why switch over to Linux br>Chapter 2: setting up the Fedora core operating system br>Chapter 3: setting up SuSe section 2 – getting started br>Chapter 4: Understanding the Linux OS br>Chapter 5: configuring the Linux OS br>Chapter 6: Linux commands br>Chapter 7: dial –up connectivity section 3 – working on a Linux box br>Chapter 8: using open office br>Chapter 9: installing the command window br>Chapter10: understanding the command window br>Chapter 11: red Hat package manager(rpm) br>Chapter 12: setting up and using vnc section 4 –Programming under Linux br>Chapter 13: SMB server implementation –samba br>Chapter 14: using the Linux compliler GNU CC br>Chapter 15: installing apachie 2.0 br>Chapter 16: setting up and using MySQL br>Chapter 17: Phi basic programming concepts br>Chapter 18: Perl basic programming concepts br>Chapter 19: setting up and using Java br>Chapter 20: gambas basic programming concepts br>Chapter 21: using quanta plus on Linux section 5 –advance topics br>Chapter 22: accessing data from Windows on Linux br>Chapter 23: disc partitioning fundamentals br>Chapter 24: installing/using multiple Linux distributors on a single machine.