[vmsmith]

Here's something I did that I highly recommend: build your own Linux distribution via the Linux from Scratch (LFS) project (Google it).

I took an old laptop and installed Slackware with an LFS partition. Then I downloaded all the packages and followed the directions from the LFS book.

It took a while, but by the time I had finished I had learned three key things: (1) a lot about how Linux works, (2) how to find information (about Linux and for solving problems with Linux), and (3) a lot about BASH.

Seriously, although it sounds daunting, it is doable and you will learn more than you ever imagined.