linux and java help me out
 

im having trouble installing java on my linux system, im not sure what to run or where to type the command in.

you'll need either the SDK or JRE as supplied by http://java.sun.com

They have installation documentation there as well.

I'd recommend you grab the selfextracting version, download it, run it, move it from where it decompressed, to a more meaningful location ... say /usr/java
(you need to be root to do this)
change to the root directory of the install, then go into /usr/java/j2sdk1.4.1_03/jre/lib/i386 (for example)
ldconfig -v
check the output that it did include that directory
symlink or copy the java file (/usr/java/j2sdk1.4.1_03/bin or /usr/java/j2sdk1.4.1_03/jre/bin) to /usr/bin symlink or copy any of the other files you need to the same location (symlink is the better alternative)
away you go ... granted it can be a pain, it throws me everytime i need to do it ... but i hope this leads you down the right road

You should also do a search on this subject because there are dozens of threads on it already. A lot of information to help you out!

i downloaded the file again but when it runs, it runs in text mode and nuthin extracts. What am i doing wrong!?!?!?!?!

*sigh*

what's the file called ?
if it's called: j2sdk-1_4_1_03-linux-i586.bin
you've got the right SDK (dunno what the JRE is called, and can't be bothered looking it up)

No doubt there is also a .rpm file there, or something else, but where the .bin will always work no matter what linux distro you are on, the .rpm is a little more icky. As Chrashed_Again pointed out, there is stacks of info out there.

As for test mode, yes, that's what it is meant to do ... never tried doing it graphically, but i'm willing to bet that it either tells you what to do, or (if you have the right file) that you are seeing a license agreement, displayed using 'less' (so press enter until it asks you whether you acept and ...)