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Maybe the first thing that pumps people off Linux the most is how to install software. For a long time Windows (or even Mac) user, it is just ridiculous. Why can't I just be able to download a setup.exe and run it? Why all hassle? I will write this little guide to help those who feel these feelings out. Oh, on the spirit of open-source software, this guide is written in the hope that you will find it useful. However, if you break your system because of it (well, installing software is the most common way to break a system, is it not?), I won't take responsibility. However, with some backup, breaking your system may become really fun (maybe that is why I do it all the time). Anyway, let us start with the software, shall we?

First, I want you to know the diversity of Linux. "Linux" is actually referred only to the kernel of the system. On Windows, it may be equivalent on a handful of dll files in your system (Windows has something called "kernel.dll", right?). However, for a normal user, that is far from enough. Hence, people need to bundle together with Linux a whole bunch of software, from graphical interface to web browser. A bundle like that is a Linux distro. Therefore, Ubuntu is a distro, so is Fedora, Debian, Slackware, etc. Now is where the confusion starts. Each bundle starts with some philosophies in mind. For example, Red Hat Linux started off to provide something easy to use, a cause which is later picked up by Ubuntu. Debian (later Fedora) insists on using free software. Gentoo admires speed. Etc. Each distro is more than a bunch of software; it is a community, a belief, and a philosophy. That sounds really sweet. However, in reality, it is kind of suck. Since the belief of each distro is different, the distros are different. Slightly, but different. And tricks on on distro may not be effective (or even disastrous) on another. Most significant difference is about how software are distributed. Different from Windows, whose history is history of making money, Linux is all about community. Hence, every distro has its own community, whose members share its aim and belief. The community helps maintain the distro, provide code and patches that improve Linux the way they want. Furthermore, the community also offers software compiled especially for their distro. Remember that most software on Linux are open-source, the source is always available. However, the binary files (the .exe ones) kind of varies. Remember the difference between distros? This is where

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