David Morgan
These are some links to get you started if you are interested in Linux.
Linux portal sites
A "portal" is a website that functions as the gateway to a number of other websites, organizing access to them. A well-know Linux portal is yolinux.
Linux User Groups
Linux, like other PC disciplines, has user groups. These are typically loose affiliations of enthusiasts that welcome interested newcomers. The lalugs website has links to 11 in the Los Angeles area, most with websites of their own. If you have interested friends and family in Mexico, Russia, or Korea, nearby local groups are probably listed at Linux Users Everywhere.
Linux News
slashdot and linuxtoday are always simmering.
To get Linux
Linux is free. You can get it on various media in various packages, and typically pay for the media, packaging, and any service that comes with it. Installations CDs (full, installable Linux) of the major distributions like Red Hat, Caldera, SuSE, and others are available for about $2 plus shipping and handling from companies like Cheap Bytes and Linux Central. You can also buy Linux in a shrink-wrapped box at most computer stores. These come with printed manuals and possibly support entitlement, and cost something like $30-$80. In addition, you can download it but I would recommend it only if you have a high-speed internet connection and some patience. California Institute of Technology maintains downloadable copies of several popular linux distributions on their mirror site.
To install Linux
Installfests. If you want to install Linux on a computer, a good way to do it is with the help of experienced users. Installfests are get-togethers for that purpose. They are usually held regularly, at places like UCLA.
To get software that runs under Linux
Visit freshmeat. It's the Grand Central of linux software.
To get de facto technical support
Internet newsgroups are a rich source of information about practically anything. You can keyword-search past discussions about Linux at: Google's Advanced Group Search Enter *linux* in the "Newsgroup" field.
To get documentation
See Linux Documentation Project
Distribution home pages
Several organizations have made a business of consolidating, packaging, distributing, and supporting Linux. All contain the same basic Linux content, each one in a slightly different form. These are called "distributions." The organizations that publish these distributions generally have web sites. Several of them are: fedora, S.u.S.E., Debian, Slackware, Mandriva. There is a centralized site devoted to news of the different distributions.