just wondering if anyone could tell me how to go about installing a file once it is downloaded... I have never worked with or in linux before and want to learn but it is confusing me. I have unpacked the XMMS file with Mandrakes default program but now have no clue what to do with the unpacked file. Any help would be great.

did you download a .rpm file or a .tar.gz (or gz2) file?

If you want to install a rpm file do the following in a terminal.

(as root)
su (to log in as root)
(root's password)
rpm -i [Rpm file's name here]
-----
If its a tar.gz, or a tar.gz2, you need to extract it, on Mandrake there is a program called Ark, I dunno what distrobution you a using, so I cant give u detailed instructions.

Right click on the tar file and go to whatever program you use to extract files, extract it, then go into the folder with the extracted files in it, open a terminal, log in as root (su) then type
./configure
itll do its stuff, when you are able to type again type (Assuming you got no errors)
make
after it does its stuff and you can type (assuming you got no errors)
make install

Hope this helped, I am a newbie to Linux myself, but I am learning pretty fast. You might wanna mention wat Linux you are using, that way people can give you better instructions on how to do things.

I have mandrake 9.1 running on a Gateway Solo 9550 Laptop seems to run fine I have just run into the installing programs with out installers like XMMS I was just looking for an updated media player to play mp3's and the sort. I will try what you have said Like I said I am still new so I might post again. thanks for the help.

with mandrake XMMS should already be there

click on your menu and select 'run command"

type in XMMS

and you are set

note this is for KDE, but gnome should be similar

Yea, got xmms, if it is not already installed just go to ur menu > config > packages > install software. Click the sort by alphabetical & group, then go to sound, go to the bottom of the packages listed under sound, and find all the files that have xmms in their name and check them, click install and ur set , but if it is already isntalled, do what the person above has said.