[hblug] Ricky, first steps.

[Michael Adams]

I recommend you use a live distro as a toe wetter in Linux. This boots
and runs completely from CD or DVD. It gives you a look around a
running Linux system albeit at a slower pace as every file has to be
read and decompressed of the CD. FAT32 partitions will be read/write,
NTFS will not as the fully working drivers are only just coming on
stream now.

I recommend Knoppix as a live disk, it "just seems to work" on more
boxes. The DVD has an install option. Daniel has one or two hundred
copies of Ubuntu Live CDs lying around as well.

When you come to a real install:

Cause drives are as cheap as chips i recommend putting a new full
install on a second disk drive to Windows. This avoids having to shrink
the Windows partition with the possibility of embarassing results.
Trying the install entirely yourself is half the fun.

We all run different distros for various reasons. Optional:
http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
http://distrowatch.com/

-- 
Michael
Linux: The OS people choose without $200,000,000 of persuasion.