There are various ways of getting help for Linux problems. The greatest difference I found after moving over from the Windows world is that there is a huge community of Linux users who are glad to offer help. I started with the 3 month support that came with the distribution I bought (SuSE). You can of course acquire and install Linux without any other cost than downloading and burning a few CD images. I went for convenience. But I quickly realised that I could get much more relevant support and advice from other Linux users. So now I don't even bother to register to get my 3 months support.

Below is a list of some sites that may be of use for those trying to learn how to drive a Linux system.

Linux Newbie Administrator Guide

Introduction to Linux

The Linux Tutorial

If you have a question you can't find an answer to,
LinuxQuestions.org is a great place to see if the community can help you.

There are other ways to get help, including many chat rooms, and the usenet service. If you do ask others for help, be aware that they may have other things to do and cannot spend unlimited time. Also, do not be surprised if someone is rather straightforward if you ask something that could be found by a glance at the manual. You may get the respone RTFM: Read The *** Manual. And nothing beats trying to solve the problem for yourself.