How/where does linux install programs. I know my way thorough windows pretty well, but linux is real foreign to me. In windows most programs are installed in program files with one exe in there normally that runs it. Doesn't seem like theres one central place for it.

And my last question if i'm instaling from src, how do I upgrade an install I know if I have the rpm I can use -U but how would I do this from source?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Do a search on this site. It has been explained many times and with more clarity than I generally have.

Learning to search is the greatest skill you can have in this new age of information. Later on, do a search on google for Fravia.

"How/where does linux install programs."

That is determined by the person who created the rpm package. Usually programs are installed somewhere in /usr or /opt. /usr/local, /usr/bin, and /usr/local/bin are popular directories to install programs. You can find out where a rpm package installs everything with this command:
rpm -ql packagename

"And my last question if i'm instaling from src, how do I upgrade an install I know if I have the rpm I can use -U but how would I do this from source?"

The best way to finesse the problem of keeping track of programs installed from source is to convert them into rpm packages using checkinstall.

http://asic-linux.com.mx/~izto/checkinstall/

The usual method of installing source is:
./configure
make
make install

With checkinstall this becomes:
./configure
make
checkinstall

which creates a rpm package which you then install in the normal way.

Cool Thanks