need to know how to install programs like anti virus software
 

i tried to install an anti virus program as well as yahoo messenger on my computer that i am now running ubuntu on, i need to know how these programs as well as other are to be installed..thank you very much if you are someone that cares enough to respond to my post..just a :newbie: here

You need to be way more specific in your question. What type of anti-virus program did you try to install? Was it a package you downloaded using synaptic package manager? Is this some other download you found on the internet?

Yahoo messanger. Is this a package for Ubuntu? a bin file?

Why do you think you need an anti-virus program for linux? About the only reason I can think of is to scan inbound mail, or scan a windbloze partition.

tried installing avg free version, as i have used it on windows and it has not done me wrong. yes i did try downloading it from the internet, same with yahoo messenger.. like i have stated i am a :newbie: so the more i can learn about this OS the better..thanks again

Installing software on Linux isn't like Windows. On Windows you download installers or put in CD's. On Linux, you download it from central servers.

On Ubuntu you use either apt-get (hard for newbs), aptitude (a little easier, but still not good for newbs) or Synaptic. These programs will download and install software from the central servers, called repositories.

Also, Ubuntu comes with Gaim, which does Yahoo pretty well. Try that out, cause I don't think Yahoo is in the Ubuntu repositories. And the only virus scanners on Linux are ones that scan for Windows viruses in email and such. Grisoft does make an AVG anti-virus program for Linux, but it's an integrated email server + AVG that scans for Windows viruses in email so that Windows users can be safer.

Why is this? Windows is pretty much the only OS with viruses. Have fun with that new discovery.

Is this a linux program? Is it a Ubuntu package?

Please understand, Windoze programs will not run on linux. You have to find a linux version of the program to have it work on Ubuntu, or any other linux distro. If you post the URL's where you found these programs, we can have a look to see if there is any hope of them working on linux.

BTW, you can run some windoze programs from a windoze emulator, such as Wine. However the number of windoze programs that will work correctly is limited, and you have to install and configure wine to even try it. I would not recommend any newbie even think of trying this. The performance is poorer than on windoze, since you have more layers of code running.

Got to agree with Cello Fellow - you don't need antivirus for linux unless you are running some sort of mail server perhaps and want to scan for windows viruses