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One of the greatest culture shocks you can have on a computer is switching from the Windows world to the Linux world. While no guide should be treated as comprehensive (because every case will be different) here is a small list of pointers to ease you into it gently!
First,
some cultural differences:
* Linux has a lot more choice. In Windows, all software is owned, proprietary, and usually costs money. Since most software that runs on Linux inherits its open and free nature, it has a lot more software titles to choose from. For instance, your average Linux distribution comes with around 10 to 15 programming languages built-in. On the desktop, Linux has KDE, Gnome, XFCE, Fluxbox, and hundreds of others. No kidding! So if it seems like there's more to learn on Linux, that's because there's more software!
* Linux takes security very seriously. Windows user get quite befuddled when asked to deal with permissions - "What do you mean, I have to be root?" Now that Microsoft has adopted an Administrator mode on the home desktop, some users are starting to get comfortable with the concept. But anyway, Linux had the concept of file permissions and levels of access built-in. Since day one. Your file may be executable by a group, not viewable to the world, and with only you having write access. Linux (and the Unix philosophy it's based on) is like that. Buck up! That's where the security comes from.
* Path designators. On Windows, directory paths are \. On Linux (and the Internet) the directory paths are /. On Windows, the option character is /, which makes it more confusing. On Linux, you specify and option with a - or --.
* Linux (and Unix) is case sensitive. So MyFile, Myfile, and myfile are all three separate files.
Now then, for the move:
The first thing you should do is back up everything. Use whatever archive feature is included with your current CMS system to zip up a whole package and download it onto your own personal machine. This ensures that every file has a backup stored with you, since it matters most to you!
Search online for specific guides for directions to switch from one CMS to another. There might be different processes for switching from Wordpress to B2Evolution, for instance, or you might be moving a site from DotNetNuke to Drupal. In any case, once you have your site's files copied you will need to make changes to some files - for instance, your blog posts might need to point to a different database!
Another new thing will be dealing with Apache server. Most of your user-level configuration will be done through files like '.htaccess' - think of it as the 'autoexec.bat' file from Windows, only for your website! This file controls things like redirects, how to handle errors, and so on. You'll need a tutorial on that, if it's your first time.
All in all, changing a website from one platform to another can be a bit of work. Plan to set aside a day or two to work out any problems you have, and if your website hosting company offers a site-porting service, by all means, take advantage of that! If you are doing it yourself, you'll want a window or two open to a support line at all times - a webmaster's forum or a website IRC chat - where you can pop up with the occasional question. We webbies like to stick together, so you should have no problem getting answers. Have fun!
