I have downloaded the ISO files and installed Fedora 5. I now would like to install programs of my choice. I have selected downloads of programs, eg. MailWasher for linux and have extracted them. What now. Where do I type in the instructions. Some programs install automatically and others dont. Where there is exe file or install in MS it is easy. What do you look for in Linux. All help appreciated

three basic ways in which Linux SW gets installed:

1. Package manager--from the GUI or a terminal
a. Using the distro's repository
b. Using a package from some other source-- *.rpm for Fedora

2. Download (uncompress) and run an install script

3. Download (uncompress) and compile.

For either 2 or 3, the folder will usually have a README with some instructions

Thanks. I am still unsure of what you mean. For a real newbie, could you be a little more specific please.

Detailed info is available at http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Installing_software .

Start with your package manager. In your menus, you will find something like "install SW" or "install applications"---or maybe "package manager". The package manager can connect to various servers (called repositories). Typically, you are allowed to add repositories, but I'm not sure exactly how this is done with Fedora.

Try installing some things that show up in the list of availabel SW.

Next, learn to use the package manager in a terminal (command line). In Fedora, I think it is called "yum". You find the manual for this by typing "man yum".

Next, you could try installing an rpm package that is not accessible with you package manager. MANY apps are offered as rpms. If nothing else, just Google using "rpm" or "rpm package". the typical drill is to download something, uncompress it, and then install it. Suppose, you get a download with the extension .tar.gz and it is an rpm format package:
"tar -zxvf <filename>" This will produce a folder full of files ending in .rpm
In this folder, type "rpm -i *.rpm" This installs all files in the folder ending in .rpm

For your Mailwasher example, look at the files after extracting. If there are any files like "configure", Makefile, etc. then it needs to be compiled. Also, try to find a file called README or instructions, etc.
If it does not need to be compiled, there should be an installation script. In the folder (using a terminal) type ./filename (./ tells the shell to run the executable script in the current folder--and not to go looking in the path).

If you get stuck, post the contents of the folder after extracting.

Tell us which of these steps you get stuck on, and we can be more helpful

Yum is what you need, nice and simple, resolves dependencies (where 1 package relies on another to run) etc. etc.

http://www.fedorafaq.org/#getsoftware

YUM YUM YUM. Once installed and operating I am finally getting the hang of installing applications. Not so hard when you have done a few. Much obliged to those that have offered their assistance.