[Asterisk-Users] Newbie has a few basic questions please.

[Bruce]

I think I am missing the whole purposes of *. i see that it can do 
mainy things, but in laymans temrs I am not sure what it does.
I am very proficient in Linux and would like to use * for the 
following:

1) I would like to get rid of my landline(verizon) and use voip as my 
main means to communicate on the telephone.  I would like to be able 
to plug in my plain old phone into my linux box and be able to make a 
phone call to my family who has a plain old telephone line going into 
thier house, using voip and then I guess connecting to the pstn.  Can 
i do this?  If so, how? What hardware do I need? Can anyone connect to 
PSTN lines for free? Or do I need to pay some phone company somewhere?

thanks to anyone who can help.

Bruce