hacker is a life style. its one that alters how you think, you perception of reality, your way of dealing with things in general, as well as things so common as how you talk, how you carry yourself, and even when and how long you sleep.
Linux is operating system... So to put it in your PC, you have to install it... And what do you mean by "activating linux"??? Installing bootloader?? It will be possible during installation process