I've used Linux since 1993, via a local BBS that had a connection to the Net. Using that system, I was able to learn basic Unix commands like ls -l (list directory in a details view), cp (copy), and mv (move and rename). I also was able to connect to ftp file servers, gopher, and the visit the very first web pages with Lynx.
By 1995 I purchased a copy of Slackware Unleashed, which included that distribution on a CD-ROM. Slackware was difficult to install.
Several years later, a guy by the name of Klaus Knopper created a version of Linux that runs directly off a CD-ROM. Knoppix has the latest Linux kernel, several mainline Linux apps. There are several flavours of Knoppix, including one with the KDE 3.1 another version has the Gnome desktop environmnet. Other versions of Knoppix are built for security. I'm waiting for a version that has the object-oriented OS/2 WorkPlace Shell (WPS)
What I've found over the past 8 years, trying a few of the distributions is that Linux is getting more user friendly as time goes by.