Uncompressing Linux...Ok, booting the kernel

[Lava Croft]

I work at a computer repair shop...its illegal to pay me

Isn't it only illegal to pay you if you work more than a given amount of hours? I'm not sure though, but anyways, you do have a job, and a computer repair shop too, I bet you can get a discount on your copy of MicroSoft Windows XP Professional.

[gareth]

or get the oem edition?

[::ThePredator]

In the US you can have a workers permit at 14.

Anyways even if you can get windows for cheap that's no excuse to get it (microsoft will still benefit, which is bad).

[TinMan]

Might I suggest PCBSD, so much easier than install ubuntu, hell it was voted easiest to install OS (yes, easier than windows) in some magazine or another.

http://www.pcbsd.org/

Yeah, all BSD systems are badass. I'd say that it's the same ease to install as the graphical Debian and Ubuntu installers. In PC-BSD I hated their weird little package installer things, I just used the ports normally like you would on a FreeBSD system.

Whatever *nix OS you get, just make sure that it has a good package management system and is easy to upgrade. I remember when Red Hat was a bitch...