Need help getting started with linux

I need help. I have no understanding of linux. I am trying to learn it from a book, but the book cannot answer my questions.
I need some understanding. are there any online free web videos to learn about linux ? any good resources ?
I load linux in secure mode and It takes away my shutdown and restart buttons. How am I supposed to shut it down ?
what does safe mode do ? I need to make a linux mail server. How do I do that ? I can make a linux mail server with windows
in like 20 min.
I would go to www.snapfiles.com, download mail enable mail server, install it. configure it to run on a static ip, create the domains and mailboxes and let it work.
How do I create a linux mail server ?
I cannot even get my network connection to work. I have all the settings punched in. Ip address, gateway, subnet, dns servers.
but I cannot surf the web.
I dont know how driveres are installed either, with windows, I know what to do with device manager to get things working.
I have no clue with linux. I dont even know where to look to see what it has detected. I have no idea what compiling means,
or when i need to do it. I open vi editor, and I dont know how to save or open, or even close the thing.
AAAAAHHHHHHH
How do I use linux. How do I understand it so that I can solve my own problems?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH