All aboard the Linux train...

I have decided to start testing out various distros of Linux in an effort to learn more about an OS that I am sadly completely unfamiliar with. The coup de grace for my mostly illogical reliance on Windows happened today when I received my Windows Secrets newsletter that contained a story about how vulnerable Microsoft's new "Windows Genuine Advantage" validation scheme was (still is?). It took no more than one day after Microsoft required validation for someone to find a way around it. Then two more (and easier) tricks were discovered. I think this sums up the worry:

[T]he weak stress testing that the software giant obviously conducted on Genuine Advantage — an initiative it knew would be high profile — is disturbing. If Microsoft allows such elementary weaknesses to ship in its most visible campaigns, how many holes still exist in Windows' less-well-known software components?

I currently have versions of Fedora, Knoppix, SuSE, Debian, and Xandros, and I'll probably end up downloading Mandriva and Ubuntu to try those out, too. So now you know what I'll be doing this weekend.