Okay, so I install Fedora 14 on my old laptop, but after using Ubuntu and Mint all of this time, I'm used to the Software Center. Fedora has a Web-Based Package Center too, but it's not as straight-forward as I thought. At first I didn't know of the store and tried installing Open Office through the website, that didn't work and I don't know how to set that up either, I tried the Tar command and extracting it, didn't work. Secondly, after I found about the Package Center, I installed it VIA the installer, but even after it was finished, I checked the "Office" section and it wasn't there, nor could I find it with the "Run Application" panel item, so now I've turned toward you, the community for help. How do I use Yum to install packages, how do I install packages from the Fedora Package Center, and how do I extract tar.gz files and use the packages that are extracted from it? Last of all, I want to learn how to use the Tar command in case I need it later on.

Another thing, any tips to give a Fedora beginner?

System > Administration > Add/Remove Software

That is the GUI for installing software from fedora repositories.
Otherwise use yum as root from the command line. You cannot use both simultaneously, so wait for one to finish before trying the other.

As long as you have a net connection, there should be no problem installing anything in the repositories. To use the GUI effectively, type the name of the software you require in the search box and click Find. But, when you first open the Add/Remove Software window, you have to wait while it downloads a list of current available packages.

It honestly could not be simpler.

If you want more information, read the documentation.

1 members found this post helpful.

best tip i'd give is to not bother using toy gui's an just use yum from a console, painfully simple.

1 members found this post helpful.

Wow... Didn't know about the "Add/Remove Software" feature, I feel like an idiot...

however the terminal program " yum" is still the best
very simple to use and not hard .
some examples ( use "su -" to become root -- without the "" )
also you might want to read the fedora docs
there are MANY pages of documentation and almost all questions have an answer there .
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/index.html
the user guide
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/...ide/index.html
-- software management---
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/..._software.html

I found it out earlier. yum search openoffice|less helped me immensely.