Installing Software onto Linux

i had the same problem. u can go to ubuntuforums.org and ask from there. on the contrary i suggest u try opensuse as there are rpms available on its sister sites and are quite easy to install.

installing software in linux is not easy as there are a lot of formats except rpm, you need to compile the source like said above but installation folder may also contain an installer in the form of a .sh shell script or may be you get a self extracting fil .bin like you get for java runtime. so it depends on the software's format and in linux mostly the installation folder contains a INSTALL or README file which can benefit you a lot compiling source needs you to meet its dependencies also which may or may not be mentioned in these files

If you have downloaded some software in a .tar file. Then you should just extract that archive into a temporary folder and then read the Readme file or an Install file that is in that archive. But anyhow I will explain the basics of installing software in a .tar archive. 1. Open a terminal window -- Applications - Accessories - Terminal or -- Press Alt + F2 and type 'gnome-terminal' (without quotes) and press enter. 2. cd to the directory where you extracted the files -- Type: ' cd /home/{your username}/{foldername} ' (without ' ') 3. Type: './configure' 4. Type: 'make' 5. Type: 'sudo make install' -- This will ask you for your password and after that the program will be installed I hope this was helpful!