Distributions

There are many distributions of Linux, and many people will join sides and proclaim that one is better than the other. The truth is that they are all good in their own way, and no matter what - it is all Linux. You have both the power and ability to configure the system in whichever way you choose - thats the beauty of Linux.
Most educational institutions as well as most companies have chosen Redhat Linux as their distribution of choice. SUNY Potsdam and the CIS department here use Redhat Linux by default.
Some links to notable distributions are as follows (many left out for brevity):

• http://www.redhat.com
• http://www.debian.org
• http://www.slackware.org
• http://www.gentoo.org