Member Avatar for kingdrew

i am a brand new Linux user and i have a million questions and many no answers.. so here i go..
My fisrt question i guess is i have something thats called ubuntu.. is that the same thing as linux?? im not sure..
My main question however is how do i install things on linux? do i need to download something else.. i am a previous windows user.. and to me it appears that EVERYTHINGis for windows i cant instal any application from the internet onto my computer.. im missing codecs.. or something about activex... can anyone help me??

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Brief clarification and practical next steps (for and others): Ubuntu is a complete distribution that uses the Linux kernel, but you don’t normally install Windows-style .exe installers on it. Most software comes from the distribution’s repositories and is installed with the package system. That model keeps software up to date and resolves dependencies for you. was pointing toward that idea; below are concrete, safe actions to get common things working.

Install and manage software

  • Use the Software app (graphical) or the package tools from a terminal. Typical commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install <package-name>
  • If you download a Debian package (.deb) from a website, install it with:
sudo dpkg -i /path/to/file.deb
sudo apt install -f

Enable the additional repositories (Universe/Multiverse or “third‑party”) in Software & Updates if a package isn’t found.

Multimedia codecs and ActiveX issues

  • Many media codecs aren’t included by default for licensing reasons. Installing the common extras package will add most codecs:
sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras

(See the package details: https://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=ubuntu-restricted-extras)

  • ActiveX is an Internet Explorer technology and won’t run in native Linux browsers. For sites that absolutely require ActiveX or Windows‑only binaries, either try Wine (check compatibility on WineHQ) or run a Windows virtual machine (VirtualBox) for full compatibility:

Live session vs permanent install (for )

  • A Live CD/USB lets you test without touching the hard drive. To install permanently alongside Windows, boot the live media and launch the installer; choose the "install alongside" or manual partitioning option and back up important data first. Official installer steps: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/install-ubuntu-desktop

Quick cautions

  • Always back up Windows before repartitioning.
  • Avoid random .deb files from unknown sites.
  • Check WineHQ’s AppDB before relying on Wine for critical Windows apps.

This should get basic installs, codecs, and the Windows-compatibility options moving in the right direction.

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Member Avatar for TheNNS

good questions.
Linux is actually just a kernel. Ubuntu is called a distribution of linux. It comes with the linux kernel, a desktop environment and many applications for you to use. There are many different "distros" some of them include debian, gentoo, fedora, Suse, mepis, etc. There are hundreds.

Using ubuntu you can use synaptic to get your software. Synaptic has repositories online, so you do need to use the internet to get programs installed. You can also used the command line to install software. There are tons and tons of linux programs to use, most are open source. For every windows program there is most likely a linux equivalent. If you can't find what you're looking for, google it. Are you looking for a specific package?

Ubuntu is a great distro for beginners. But if you want to really learn linux, you can try gentoo, slackware, archlinux, and others. But for now you should learn the basics in Ubuntu.

Member Avatar for Jicky

I got an ubantu live cd which run linux from cd drive can t permenantely install on my pc without disturbing my windows xp?

Member Avatar for TheNNS

you can run the livecd from the drive, yes, and it won't do anything to your hard drive.

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