Hi.dJackson75 I have to get my 2 cents in on this thread. First, you really know how to get peoples attention!

If you have Windows ME or XP on one of your computers and you can get a copy of Knoppix 4.0.2 DVD. Pop it into your drive and reboot. When "boot" comes up press "enter". (this won't do anything to your windows setup. It just runs on top). Sit back and watch Knoppix do its thing. When it finishes you will have linux. There are games, graphic, muitimedia, internet and programming applications you can run in 6 languages ready to run at the click of a button. Chances are it found all your hardware. Play with this for a while and you will never go back to Mugly.
Knoppix is a "debian" distro as is Ubuntu/Kubuntu. So you can look at the Knoppix "synapeic" list and see what packages are installed as a starting point for you in your Ubuntu setup.

A personal note. Of the two types of package managers, Debian and RPM.I have found the Debian much easier to use and Ubuntu/Kubuntu an excellent choice. Good Luck.

Well, hope Ubuntu will do fine for me too, got to try. However, am Linux newbie, and got OpenSuse+KDE installed and hv some fun, but for my real project for the company I work, need help:
I will start with 3 computers, one will be the server, how to setup the network with Ubuntu (I failed in Suse) so I can connect the other clients to the server.
Like dJackson75, need step-by-step (click here and type this) guidance, please.

There are P2P packages which might be easier to set up and use. Goto add applications, find the sources list, check the Universe and Metaverse sources (more programs there) let the lists update, then try the networking list for Azareous (sorry, don't recall the spelling). If not there, switch to advanced mode and search on P2P programs.

Linux is not the lazy man's OS. I'm more curious than lazy, so that's my excuse.

Hi also from me!

First of all: Congratulations to your great decision! -I know that Linux can be very (very!) frustating at the beginning, but believe me when I say, that it's definitely worth all the sweat an anger - so do yourself a favor and don't give up!

My advice is: Don't try to install software or klick around to see what happens..., this shouldn't be your first step (maybe your second or thrid, but not the first). The most vital thing you shold learn (before everything else) is 'bash', or at least it's basic commands. Whatever you want to do, you won't get very far without it. I think most people will agree that Linux is (unlike Windows) not controlled via mouse and menus, but by keyboard and bash. The Mouse may be good if everything works fine and nothing needs to be changed (even then the keyboard is faster, as you'll surely see). But without knowledge of how to run scripts, move files, mount devices, change permissions, setting up soft- and hard links you will collapse over your first (little) problem. So first of all learn bash! Here is a starting-point to do so:

http://www.linuxcommand.org/learning_the_shell.php

Just open a terminal and follow this guide step by step, play around some hours and then search the web for a more advanced tutorial. Also an important thing, but much easier to learn, is the directory-strucutre under Linux, which is quite strict and should be followed from the very beginning to avoid misconceptions and a messed up system. This is also explained in aboves Tutorial. Another advice: Don't(!) use a file-browser, at least not now. Always use a terminal to get familiar with it and 'bash'; and before you can say "bash" you will see that this is much(!!) more powerful and faster than every browser on earth!

When you are able to manage all this, you are a big step further, and will see that it's really much easier than it seems now. Go on by playing with your configuration files, set your system up for your needs and then, not earlier, install RealPlayer, which then will be a breeze for you and make you smile at your current situation.

Keep going
-flesym

Thx. You r rite, it's just like "learn DOS command to take advantage of the OS before paying more $$$$ for Windows". At least I must know the meaning whatever I type.
I hv "BASH" and "SH" on Debian+KDE, when I open them, they look the same for me. What's the difference?
When I type "info", lots of things on the screen, I need a hardcopy, so how to print them on my printer?

Take a look here:
http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/2784/print
In simple words: 'sh' is outdated. 'bash' is inherited from 'sh' (so very compatible) and expands it by POSIX and some other features. Along with these two, there are severel other shells out there (csh, ksh, zsh...), but I think, that learning 'bash' is the best choise not only because it became Linux-Standard! -In many cases 'sh' is anyway only a link to 'bash'. -Look in your '/bin' directory to see if this is true for you.

This is done by the bash-command 'lpr'. -Simply "pipe" the output of 'info' to 'lpr'. Look here to see what "pipe" means (this is within the tutorial I post before):
http://www.linuxcommand.org/lts0060.php#pipes
May your printer be named 'printer1', an example would look like this:


info | lpr -P printer1


Here is a list with other useful bash-commands:
http://www.ss64.com/bash/

Btw: You get a maual of every command by typing:

man command-you-want-to-learn-more-about