||'''Note:''' This is work in progress. It aims to provide quick answers to common problems from the forums and irc chats. Hopefully it can be a useful reference, an one included in the main docs. It could become CommonProblemsGuideSpec.||

== Installing applications in Ubuntu ==

Installing software in Linux is often different from in Windows. In linux the easiest method is to use the package manager. This is a program for installing programs. It can be accessed from Applications -> Add Application in the gnome menu.

Read http://help.ubuntu.com/starterguide/C/ch02.html for more instructions

If you can't find the software you need try adding the Univeres and Multiverse Repositories, see AddingRepositoriesHowto

== Installing downloaded applications ==

You should only do this if you the application is not avaiable through the package manager. See above.

If you have downloaded a .tar.gz source package see ConfigureMakeMakeInstall


== Windows Equivalents ==

There are several lists of equivalent applications.
 * http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=33183
 * http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html

== Need a new version of something ==

Ubuntu has a policy of freezing the version number of software in each release. If you need something newer a good place to look is UbuntuBackports.

== Cannot find an application ==

If you can't find what you want in Synaptic Package Manager make sure you have [[AddingRepositoriesHowto|enabled]] the Universe and Multiverse repositories. These contain many thousands of packages. If it is still not there do a [[http://www.ubuntuforums.org/search.php|search]] of the forums, to see if someone has writen a howto for installing it.