Thats a good way to start...
Get a machine..
Start with redhat/debian/mandrake. All are good distros. I like RH a bit myself (use it on my production servers). RH has the most activity as far as the distro's go, and I love their rpm management system and ability to up2date to pick up fixed versions of problematic programs. Really though, they are all essentially the same in many ways. I also like the fact redhat was based off the Sun/Solaris /etc boot/init process, its much easier than the crappy ol Sys5 init stuff in my opinion.
If you want one thats harder to set up, but muuuucccchhh cooler, and in the end faster, look up gentoo linux. (you compile EVERYTHING).
Pick up a Unix/Linux for dummies type book, along with a Java, C/C++ book, PHP and a book on SQL/MYSQL.
Start learning how to navigate the filesystems, mount filesystems, repartition drives, manage user accounts, make directories, learn vi (vi rocks, hard to learn, but powerful once you get use to it).
Start making some websites off your apache webserver on your linux box. Play with PHP, learn how to integrate it with your database. Next move over to Java servlets using Tomcat as your App server. Do the same things with Java/JDBC you learned to do with PHP.
For C/C++, dip your fingers into the eqemu code. Learn how to read it. Write a few simple programs, compile them, learn how everything works.
Do all of this, and you will be well on your road to becoming a Unix guru, and soon you'll be posting to
www.ugu.com
Learning how to be a Unix wiz.
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