A concept known as package management separates the method by which software is distributed in Linux versus other platforms. If you've used other environments such as Windows or Mac OS X, you may have become very familiar with their methods of installing new programs. With Windows, you typically download an executable installer (for example, .exe or .msi) and navigate through an installation routine known as a wizard. On Mac OS X, you can download installation images (.dmg or .iso files) and install them into your Applications folder. Linux, on the other hand, uses packages that are downloaded from repositories.

What may be confusing to new users is the fact that not only is the method of obtaining new software very different in the Linux world, but also, each distribution has its own way of handling packages. In fact, a distribution's method of package management is one of the biggest differences that sets each of the distributions apart from one another....