There are a couple of HTML editors available for Linux. One is called "BlueFish". The other is Quanta +. They each have pros and cons, but they are fairly OK for using if you're new to Linux. They each have a layout that resembles CuteHTML, at least superficially. You probably won't get *too* homesick.

There is also KDevelop, which is a multi-language editor that you could set up for HTML. It's a decent program, but I think it's overkill if you're only interested in HTML. OTOH, if you're also likely to be programming in some other language (oh, let's take Perl as a completely random example), it might be worth learning the various features. Much depends on how much time you care to spend on learning. It's not altogether obvious how things work in KDevelop.

As for vi vs. emacs - these two editors are fine, as far as they go. There is a fairly steep learning curve for each. I do not recommend them as replacements for CuteHTML, though they are useful text editors for other purposes.

Update:It would help if I read the whole question. I missed the OP's important reference to using his editor to write Perl programs. I am duly penitent.