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Message: <blockquote data-quote="der_kluge" data-source="post: 2270647" data-attributes="member: 945">Steven, you can start at <a href="http://www.linux.org" target="_blank">www.linux.org</a> or <a href="http://www.redhat.com" target="_blank">www.redhat.com</a>You can also buy it. Red Hat offers a version, and includes all printed manuals. I think with regards to all the programming languages discussion, it's important to understand that most people on this planet don't understand everything there is to know about the field of computers. I correlate computers to medicine. Most doctor's specialize in specific areas, like heart surgeons, brain surgeons, or dermatologists.Computer professionals do the same thing. My expertise is databases, and architecture. Other people go the programming route and become Java experts, or web developers, or UNIX administrators, or project managers. There is a lot to learn within each of those domains, so don't get frustrated if it seems overwhelming (it is). I would definitely recommend the college route over the tech school route, and just absorb as much stuff as you can. Heck, you might decide that you want to major in philosophy and drink RC cola and eat Moon Pies all day long, and there's nothing wrong with that!I would almost recommend (and this is just me), avoiding the whole programming language thing until college. I tried learning some programming in high school, and without a formal teacher, I found it difficult. I would suggest putting together a computer and getting Linux installed and working. There's a ton of stuff that you can add into Linux, whole front-ends, and applications. You can actually get jobs in this world being a Linux expert, so it's certainly a worthwhile skill. Plus it will give you a foundation into UNIX which is a command-line operating system which runs most of the corporate world's computer systems. For example, every Wal-Mart store in this country has a UNIX machine running in the back room with multiple databases, which manage all the front-end activity. It's also the method by which all the home office systems send data tot he stores via its satellite network.And I'm not sure I would suggest trying to get into game programming. Like the guy who brough that up said, it's a hugely demanding field, with little pay. Most game programmers are insanely smart (far smarter than I), and live on the west coast. They work upwards of 100 hours a week coding all day and all night. They put up with insane deadlines, and don't get paid overtime, or bonuses. Plus, once a project ends, the company might just as likely fire the entire team, as it would to give them a new game to work on. So, the industry is real fickle. You have to have an insane amount of math, and physics skills, not to mention low-level assembly programming skills, which are really, really hard to come by.</blockquote>

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