Onece you INSTALL LINUX-I'LL USE THE POPULAR Ubuntu distribution as the example here-you'll soon n discover that a significant number of programs are in¬U stalled along with it. You can quickly scan which ones you have ready to go by clicking the Applications menu and examining the submenus. But these are a fraction of what's available to you. Many are considered part of your distribution but are not yet installed; even more are out on the Internet waiting for you to download and install them.

USE WHAT YOU HAVE
To see what's available, go to the Applications menu and choose Add/Remove Programs. The utility lists the software
packages (installable programs) recommended for Ubuntu users. On the left are the software categories. On the right is a list of packages; clicking any of them yields its description. To install a package, check it (checked packages are already installed). A box appears showing you if any associated packages need to be installed as well. Click Install All to start the process. When you've chosen all the packages you want, click Apply or OK. You'll confirm the selection and enter your Administrator password to complete the process.

FIND MORE ON THE NET
The Package Manager already points to numerous software repositories, but you can add more. If a Web site specifies a repository from which a package is downloadable, you can add it to the list: Choose either Soft¬ware Sources from the Admin¬istration menu or Repositories from the Package Manager's Settings menu to load the Soft¬ware Sources utility (you'll see the main repository categories listed on the main tab).

To add a repository, click the Third-Party Software tab, then the Add button, and add the full address. The software is now available for installation.

MAY UBUNTU SUGGEST ... ?
To discover the software packages available out on the Internet, choose Synaptic Package Manager from the Administration submenu of the System menu. This utility will remind you of the Add/Remove Applications utility, with the categories on the left and package names and description on the right. The difference is that the Package Manager contains far more of them. These listings are taken from what the Linux world calls repositories-download sites that make these packages available, along with any necessary supporting files (called dependencies). Ubuntu's package manager ensures that you download and install all the files required for the selected packages.

As you browse through the categories, you'll see that some of the packages have a small Ubuntu icon displayed beside the name. These packages have been essentially hand-picked from the software database by Ubuntu devel¬opers and regularly receive updates. I recommend starting with these.