Welcome to LQ.
Yes, there is a learning curve. The best thing you can do to make it easier is to keep reminding yourself that Linux is not Windows. Once you get beneath the point-and-click stuff, it's structured differently and works differently.
Here are some references I've found useful:
http://linux.about.com/. It's oriented to Ubuntu, but it's full of good info.
http://tille.garrels.be/training/tldp/. Machtelt Garrels's Intro to Linux.
http://www.slackbook.org/. Slackware oriented, but excellent on the basics, such as file structure, permissions, and the like.
