Most Linux programs have their own methods of installing. Either you must compile them manually, or they will come in some sort of packaged format (.rpm, .deb). You cannot run Windows programs natively in Linux, although there is a program (wine) which seeks to allow you to run them by emulating a windows environment.

True, it is not as easy as in some other, more co$tly operating systems. But the trade-off is worth it (IMHO, of course). Easy answer: Use an RPM file for your software, and use a package manager. This will automate lots of normally tedious stuff, and keep you well isolated from scary things deep in the bowels of your machine. What always works: If you can compile source code, get the source tarball and make your software from the bare keystrokes of the programmers! This is what makes GNU/linux so very, very cool. The same program can run on almost anything, since each machine can make its own version of the executable! (Do the appropriate research, and learn about make, make config, make install, etc.) You can even (gasp!) _make your very own custom-for-you linux KERNEL!!! It is fun, educational, and can speed up your machine in CRAZY ways! (Module support for the linux kernel have been a big boon, making custom kernels a bit less enticing, but, man, what fun!) The best thing to do its track down a package (the software to be installed) for your distribution (the logo you see when you start the GNU/linux operating system). Some distributions have made it easier to manage installing and removing software. Most notably (to me) the RPM, or RedHat Package Manager, does a good job. It is very popular, and, unless your running Slackware or Debian, you have it. The surest, and some may say safest, and best way to learn (why run GNU/linux if you want to be in the dark?) is to read the install faq/howto for your package, or dig deeper, and learn about compiling and configuring and the like. Anything you want to install is already an RPM, or will have step-by-step instructions for installing the software. Remember, they wrote all that code, they want it to work for you! (Unlike some ..., okay, okay...) Bottom line, don't fear GNU/linux or anything about it. It is amazingly good, stable, and safe. Just be **careful** when doing things as root. If you are trying to install something as a user, hammer away!

You can run .exe files via wine which is a compatibility layer between Unix-based operating systems and Windows. However, we would recommend not to use wine for things that are already available on Linux natively (That means a binary compiled on a unix-based operating system FOR a unix-based operating system). You install software on Linux by using your package manager, there are graphical frontends to the package managers on each distribution (Almost, at least those who want to make it easy for new people coming from Windows) Package managers such as apt and rpm (Stands for redhat package manager) are for either debian-based distributions (Such as ubuntu) or for redhat based distributions (Such as Fedora/Suse/etc..), on debian-based there are frontends like Synaptic, Add/Remove, Adept, etc... while on RPM based there are frontends like Yast (On suse). Basically what you do is run any of the frontends, search for a software package, select it and then install it, it's that simple. But lets say you can't find a package anywhere in your package manager, you can easily find third party Repositories which may hold what you want. Other than that, if you find .rpm files or .deb files you can also install them easily via GUI, right click on them and select Install.

Erm anonymous, just a small point but don't get TOO high and might with these helpful people I'm sure they call it an emulator because that is HOW whine describes ITSELF upon adding....

you're all n00bz in my opinion! :^)