Linux has now matured enough that there are now system integrators who will assemble a workstation for you, install and configure a Linux, and do an intensive burn-in to test it before it's shipped to you. If you have more money than time, or you have stringent reliability or performance requirements, these integrators provide a valuable service by making sure you won't get hardware that's flaky or dies two days out of the box. .:: www.1001fonts.com ::. [PostgreSQL Repositories] .:: magic.ly ::. .:: telegra.ph ::. [MDN Docs: Recursion]
For those of us without a champagne budget, the rest of this HOWTO is about how to install Linux yourself. .:: telescope.ac ::. .:: morguefile.com ::. .:: pediascape.science ::. .:: telegra.ph ::.