14. Installing Software

Linux distributions by default contain thousands of great software packages. Immediately after completing a basic install, you can surf the Net, write reports, create spreadsheets, view and manipulate images, and listen to music. Even with that plethora of software, you’re still going to want to add new tools that you run across. Fortunately, Linux makes it easy to install new software onto your computer.

Conventional wisdom about Linux has said you have to compile any software you want to install. You can still do that if you like (and many people do), but it’s rarely necessary these days. Instead, you can install any of thousands of packages easily and quickly by using some simple tools.

You need to understand one important ...

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