[scribus] Linux vs Windows for Scribus ?

[Robert Marma]

Hello,
  I constantly follow the posted emails and responses, which are both enlightening and informative, especially for a "newbie" like myself.  It's been awhile since I bothered you and the contributors to this mailing list with what must appear to be simplistic queries, and I appreciate the time, attention, AND PATIENCE the Scribus Team and your knowledgeable contributors are willing to invest in responding to them.  :)
  This time, my question has to do with using Linux.  I installed Scribus on two Windows XP-based laptops--a 6-year-old Compaq Presario and a recently purchased Asus EeePC netbook.  I was wondering if there would be any advantage(s) to partitioning the hard drive of each system, and then running Linux/Windows and installing a Linux version of Scribus, which the majority of the contributors to this e-mailing appear to be using.  For example, are there more dependencies, script libraries, and other GPL software available for the Linux version and for Linux, in general?
  If the answer to both of these questions is "yes", then I am wondering if I Will I need to begin studying Linux commands and command structure, as I did many, many years ago with MS-DOS?  [I obviously know very little about Linux, so please bear with me.]  Also, if I decide to take this route, should I consider only the community-driven Linux versions--such as Debian and Gentoo--or would I be better off trying to get commercially-backed versions like Fedora, openSUSE, Ubuntu, or Mandriva?  Also, what about Slackware?  What dependencies should I install for each?  I would appreciate any information and guidance anyone can provide?  Thank all of you, and keep up the great work!!   :)
Bob