Originally posted by neosensa
<snip> ... I have no experience in Linux at all But I looking for some guidelines are far as what is the best route to take. ... <snip>
As TiGuy said, learn Linux first.
1) Get someone to give you an old P-100 or something similar to experiment with; any x86 will do. Even a 386 will work if you really want to try that!
2) Grab a copy of any distribution you'd like to try, and install it. Hell, I bought some Netgear stuff recently and the latest distro of Mandrake on CD was thrown in free. Lots of them can be downloaded for free too.
3a) Stock up on Jolt or your favorite caffinated beverage.
3b) Play with Linux. A lot. It is not easier or harder to learn than Windows, but it is different. Learn the command line. Crash and burn a few times on hardware and software installs. Try different GUIs. Teach yourself how to manipulate the hardware. A month or two of evenings should do it. (You might wish to send the wife and kids somewhere in the meantime. This will keep those annoying distractions to a minimum.
)
4) NOW, do the install to the handheld.
The above plan is guaranteed to absolutely, positively keep cries of "Help my new expensive handheld doesn't seem to work anymore!" to a reasonable level.
And if you do get to that point, you'll at least be able to help with the diagnosis.
Enjoy!