Complete newb here

I installed xunbuntu just a few minutes ago and I am trying to install an accounting app that I got online.

Everywhere I look tells me to go to applications-> Settings--> Add/Remove" but in 10.10 this has been replaced with the ubuntu software center. Now I am looking at this thing and I see no possible way to install a package I downloaded.

what do I do? I only have 3 choices:

provided by ubuntu
Canonical partners
for purchase

cant I use non native private software packages?
Even though I downloaded the package I want to install, using sudo apt-get in terminal also does not work since it is unable to locate the package. probably because it is tar.gz

So I looked some more and got alien to convert the .tar.gz into .deb but of course, no matter what the location, using alien with sudo comand in terminal never locates the file regardless if it in desktop where it is or in the download file.

I can't figure this out.

-Jp

You have at least 3 options that I can think of:

System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager

dpkg

apt-get install

And a 4th one, download the source of whatever you're installing, make it and install it.

Actually now that I look further at your query, you have to do #4 I believe because you have a tar.gz file.

tar -xvf <filename.tar.gz> will extract it.

Look for INSTALL or README and check on how to build and install it.

Likely you would have to:
- change to the directory where the sources got extracted, and likely that directory was created by the extraction.
- In there, type "./configure"
- After that is done (providing it succeeds), type "make"
- After that is done, type "sudo make install" and put in your password, or you may have to become root if your user is not allowed even sudo privileges.

But check with the extracted documents to make sure that the typical "configure/make/make install" flow is how to build and install their application.

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