Could someone give me a really simple guide to installing new programs through .tar.gz's, .tar's and .deb's?

I'm using Knoppix 3.6

Thanks

No, a guide to installing PROGRAMS/APPLICATIONS not the whole OS - I've already done that.

I'm used to the "Windows Installer" - choose a few options and it does it all for you. I appreciate that Linux is not like this, however I just can't figure out how to properly install new software.

man apt-get also see if this helps ; http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/ap.../index.en.html

comprookie2000 has mentioned using the "man page", you'll probably have installed them with the OS (normally default!). But to view them you'd have to open a terminal (or konsole or whatever you may call it). Then if there is a man page available for "apt-get", there's a link in my sig to explain (pretty much in idiot terms - no criticism intended, I prefer my instructions in idiot/"monkey see, monkey do" terms) how to decypher the man page!

apt is a very clever bit of software, but to be able to do more than just install stuff you'd have to read up on it.

Install is either (where xxxxx is whatever you are trying to install) or Sorry I don't recall which. The packages you'd be installing with apt, would be .deb anyway - and they're available for lot's of stuff (there's in excess of 10000 of them!).

HTH

regards

John