Java Developer Exploring Python

[redefined.horizons at gmail.com]

I've traditionally been a Java developer, although I play around with
LISP. I recently migrated to Linux and I was exploring Mono as an
option for development on Linux. However, I've had some problems with
the maturity and support when working with Mono. So I was considering
Python as an alternative development language.

Is Python actively developed and supported on Linux? Would it be a
viable option for cross-platform application development?

Can anyone recommend an open source IDE for Python that runs on Linux?

Thanks,

Scott Huey