OT: Q re getting started in web publishing....

[AMF]

Hi all,

I'm thinking about getting into web publishing, educating myself about it, and eventually building a website for myself (maybe for my own business, or something like that). I have a basic level of knowledge of html, C/C++, TCP/IP, etc....but not SQL, Java, Perl, flash, and most stuff that is new from the past few years...

I am thinking about learning all of the above (especially SQL and perl) and then getting something like Macromedia Dreamweaver MX and using it to make pages that I'll put on an apache server on a linux box. I want to make a professional looking site linked to a SQL database (and a mail server), but probably not with credit card verification or video or anything too flashy. I really don't want to get a windoze server...but I have no trouble developing on a windows box then porting stuff to my linux machine. Is this all feasible/typical? Any suggestions on software, research, and hardware to use in this regard? What are the best books for a beginner like myself to start with?

This is really just a proof-of-concept question, and all of this will happen, if it does at all, over the next few years, but wanted to get started on the fundamentals, since I figure it will take me a while to learn how to do things properly...

thanks,

Alarik