How do I install software =newbie?

I need to know how to install anything under linux. I think I understand the concept of .tar files, like a zip file right? Ok, so I read that I need to untar the file.......HOW? I mean like detailed instructions, I have pretty much figured out how to navigate through Gnome but when I get into the terminal windoe I am lost. Please realize that I can barely find my way around DOS. Im afraid I grew up on windows. In linux I have no idea how to change directories or anything from a command prompt. I need to know what to do once its untar'd as well. Will there be like a setup file that I can click or is it all done from a command line? An exactly how do I work that.

Please excuse the dumb questions. I am totally new to this and I have tried doing searches and reading through the posts, but everything I see is geared to someone that knows the basics of Linux, I dont.

Thanks-Mike

To move around the directories, use the command cd.
To list what's in the directories, use the command ls.
To un'zip' a .tar.gz file, use tar zxpvf something.tar.gz.

Might I suggest that you read around a little... there are plenty of books (both online and in dead-tree formats) around that break you into how to use the command line.

As for 'will there be a setup file'... normally no. If it's an RPM file, then you can install it from the GUI. If it's a tar.gz file, then it's likely to be source files, in which case you need to read the README and INSTALL files (if present).

Hope this helps (a little).

Good luck, and don't give up! Linux is not hard. Linux is different.

Ok, that helps a little. I have been reading as much as I can find on the net but alot of it is above my linux level at this point. I am trying to get out of the windows mentallity but its not easy. so what exactly is an RPM file, and where in the GUI would I go to install it? ...cant find the" add or remove programs" icon

An RPM file is a Redhat Package Manager file. It is usually a binary only (so it's the program, not the source files) file, that contains the runable program, and the files associated with it. You could liken it to the setup.exe of Windows... but it's not. If you're using KDE, and using Konqueror as your file browser, then you should only need click on the RPM files. The same (should) apply when you're using Gnome and Nautilus respectively.

so basically if I download an RPM file I can just browse to it in nautilus, click it and it will bring up some type of install screen that will walk me through? I am using gnome BTW.

It should as well ask you for the root password when you click on it. There are other programs that is used specifically for RPM database manipulations - gnorpm, kpackage, some others.

I don't think it's in my signature, but there is a tutorial over at www.linux.org that is very good at it's progression on teaching you Linux commands and such. It starts out very basic, in fact, sort of boringly basic, then moves progressively into command line, and explains a little about the filesystem structure, and then moves out a little more. It's a good beginning things to go through and teaches alot. I wouldn't really use it as a reference too very often, but it will teach you what to look for in a reference tool and such.

As for installing software, if you have an RPM based distro, meaning that you open up cdrom (however you want to) and browse to the dirctory with the name of the distro, and browse the files in there. If most of them end in .rpm then you most likely have an RPM based distro. Example of browsing:
If you have RH, plug in CD 1, browse to the Redhat directory, and view the packages in there. They will end in .rpm, meaning Redhat is an RPM based distro.

If this is the case, then what was said above for RPM's should be true. It might be a different "Package Manager" that pops up, but it really doesn't matter because they are all pretty much just GUI front ends to the RPM command.

Package Manager - A program that Manages RPM files, and plugs them into a database to provide an easily available source for you to reference with when desiring knowledge of programs installed via RPM feature. (sweet, I made that up on my own, cool)

And also as was mentioned above, tarballs. A file ending in .tar.gz, .tgz, bz2, or possibly a few others, are called tarballs. the bz2 is called a bzipped tarball. These files are yes, compressed (or zipped if you prefer) and wrapped together and are extracted with the above given directions and installed with configure scripts, make commands and usually finally (and usually optionally) with a make install command. Alot of the time you can get info from both the Install and Readme's as mentioned above, but also from doing ./configure -help before actually running the configure script. The .tgz files in certain distros are sort of the equivilent to an RPM in RPM based distros. You use a package manager to find the file, then the package manager installs the file for you. This is always optional, and you can always choose to install the file yourself. This is especially useful if you want to place the file(s) extracted in specific directories, or wish to specify options during the ./configure process.

HTH

Cool