simple linux program for landscape mapping?

I've been reading the designers manual
and I need to make me a map of the place and I'd rather have it on the computer than use up a couple reams of quad paper getting it right and making planning changes. plan to start at the top corner and do me a halfway reasonalbe  topo map so I can get all kinds of fussy about sun angles, drainage and water storage.

Can you start with a google map?

I started with topos from google earth and traced what I needed with inkscape.  Inkscape is free open-source, so I'm pretty sure Linux would be its native habitat.  It wasn't ideal, but it did work.

paul wheaton wrote:
Can you start with a google map?

interesting notion, but alas I checked an not only is the resolution not good enough for the tight planning my little 1,5 acre homestead needs the picture is also nearly a decade old the place already looks a lot different from what the last owners got done

True, but you can convert it to something way bigger.  It will have lame resolution, but it can still be something to put dots on. 

You must live a couple of hours from an urban area.  When the satellites pass over your area, there is usually a lot more interest in taking pics of the urban area instead of you.