Downloading LINUX for Free

There are quite a few Linux download sites. If you are new to Linux, and it looks like this may be the case from the way you asked your question, I would suggest you start your Linux experience with a distribution such as Ubuntu from http://www.ubuntu.com/ or Knoppix at http://www.knoppix.org/. They feature a "live cd" so you can try it out before you install it. There are a lot more distributions, but these two are the ones I recommend first.

A good source for Linux help and advice is Linux Questions at: http://www.linuxquestions.org/. The Linux Questions site also has a very comprehensive list of Linux downloads. A bit of advice here. Search previous posts on this web site before posting a question. You will probably find that your question has already been answered somewhere in one of the forums.

Google is another way to find Linux distributions. Just Google 'Linux Distributions'

BTW, in reference to my statement, "A bit of advice here. Search previous posts on this web site before posting a question. You will probably find that your question has already been answered somewhere in one of the forums"....I was referring to the Linux Questions web site. Although the same is true on CR4 and most forum sites as well.

Searching for previously posted related questions is a real time saver!

A good start is the site maintained by the Linux root groop: www.kernel.org

From there you can go to any of the more than 200 available distros.

There are a few base distro's, Debian, Suse and Redhat are the best known. Almost all the other are based on these. (Ubuntu is build upon Debian, Fedora on Redhat, ...)

If you really are in to software creation and compilation the Debian should bring you a nice leap ahead.

If you want something that can be used in a professional office the Fedora distro is good. You also can find nicely explained enhancement explications (Stanton-Finley, ...)

The documentation project will help you in going deeper than the surface. (The standard distro brings you as deep as Windows: It works and don't ask why and how to have that little extra)

Another trick is to google Linux.