i started with WinXP and i got VirtualBox to get Linux running on my PC
i use Dapper Ubuntu

whenever i try to download and install some thing i always get this:

loading cache ./config.cache
checking for a BSD compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c
checking whether build environment is sane... yes
checking whether make sets ${MAKE}... no
checking for working aclocal... missing
checking for working autoconf... missing
checking for working automake... missing
checking for working autoheader... missing
checking for working makeinfo... missing
checking host system type... i686-pc-linux-gnuoldld
checking build system type... i686-pc-linux-gnuoldld
checking for ranlib... :
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
configure: error: no acceptable cc found in $PATH

can anyone explain how to fix this?

i'm new with the command line so don't expect me to know every command
(i understand cd, ls, sudo)

In Ubuntu, you need to do a sudo aptitude install build-essential

this means what?

remember you're answering in the Newbie section and i probably know less than the average Newbie

Basically you're system is missing needed development packages used to compile things. What pljvaldez provided was a means to download and install the packages you need.

sudo = allows a permitted user to execute a command as the superuser.

aptitude = text-based interface to the Debian GNU/Linux package system. It allows the user to view the list of packages and to perform package management tasks such as installing, upgrading, and removing packages.

install = aptitude option to install one or more packages

build-essential = name of the package to install.

so what would i have to type into the command line?

use <blank>

sudo <aptitude> <install> <build-essential>

<aptitude> = whatever i have to replace it with

<install> = same as ^^^^

<build-essential> same as ^^^^

nvm i got i just tried typing in what you said i thought i had to plug-in certian words and numbers like i usually do