New to UNIX - what script to dig into to

First I would like to thank you for your time in running a great Forum!

Background - Windows/ASP/VB COM/SQL Server programmer/Webmaster.

Desire - To build similar skillset on UNIX. I am looking at learning Perl or Python (maybe Jython due to connection to Java). I have a brief background programming Java/JSP on RedHat Linux, but no longer have access to SysAdmin co-workers. Any suggestions and tech reasons (not "I like Perl, so anything else is weak" answers)?

Obviously you guys like PHP, what other "script" web programming do you suggest?

Looking for good tech answers to why a newbie should focus on one technology or another.

Thank you in advance!

PHP is easy to learn and can be very powerful. Perl is great but can be a little cryptic. Pick up a good book such as O'Reilly's Learning Perl or Programming Perl. Best way to learn Linux is to get a cheap box (anything greater than a P-100 would work), install RedHat and dive-in.

Here is a link to a FAQ that I created as a post.

Read my post half way down.

AWK is a great and fairly easy. SED is fairly easy as well. There is a SED/AWK book by O'Reilly that I didn't have on the post.

Also, basic shell scripting is good as well. Get a Korn shell programming book.

Here is some good sites to start diving on to PHP:

http://www.tpu.org/tea/Article./cg-20/id-40/sc-1

http://www.phphelp.com/tutorial/

http://webdeveloper.earthweb.com/scripting/article/0,,12014_900521,00.html

As PxT says, PHP is easier and much more powerfull. Check the above links for some ideas.