I’ve been involved in a few recent projects that have forced me to enter the exciting and life altering world of Linux. While I will always be tied to Microsoft Windows because, to be honest, it is a decent product that I am very much used to, running a Linux build through virtualization has changed my life forever. As a result, I wanted to help you discover how to go from from Linux neophyte to “l33t haxx0r” in a weekend.

Step one — start from the beginning [UNIX Tutorial for Beginners]

A bit out of date, but this is one of the better introductions to UNIX I have ever seen. If you are new to the command line, this will make you feel like an expert in no time flat.

Step two — learn some Linux [Linux Command]

Bash scripting, every Man page you can think of and some sample scripts to get you started. You can’t ask for more.

Step three — Decide on the distro [Comparison of Linux Distributions]

Personally, I am using Fedora but the last thing I need is to get into a war over which distro is superior. Pick the one that makes you happy and that you can actually get to install.

Step four — Get geek [Linux Magazine]

Get involved in the community. The best way to learn is to ask questions, and if you take some time to troll around the internet (metaphorically speaking) you can meet people more than willing to answer all your dumb questions.

Step five — Pass it forward

Come back here and share your experience witht he rest of us. The best part of learning things on the internet is that you’re bound to run into some killer article that the rest of us have just missed. If you do, drop a line in the comment box.

If you enjoyed that why not find a job or read our guide to working in the 21st century. You can also join our Kiva team or hire me for your project.