exe files

[Basil Fowler]

Welcome to Linux!

It is very helpful to remember this essential difference between Windows and 
Linux:

In Windows everything is permitted unless explicitly forbidden;
In Linux everything is forbidden unless explicitly permitted.

This rule may seem a drag, but it is the key to Linux's resistance to viruses 
etc.  If you are running as an ordinary user (and you should), you will be 
forbidden to install any software except in your home directory. You have to 
take root privileges before you can install any software in the directories 
designated for programs.   

Remember that Linux is designed from the outset as a multi-user system. If you 
are administering such a system, you do not want to allow all and sundry to 
install programs willy-nilly wherever and whenever it might take their fancy. 
Linux has line upon line of defences built in against unauthorised 
modifications, and unfortunately, this makes installation of legitimate 
programs a little more involved.

The philosophy may not seem obviously user-friendly, but unfortunately it is 
essential in today's world where attacks, malware etc. are ever present. If 
you disagree, I would ask you what is user-friendly about having to 
continually guard against viruses, malware and other attacks?

Please invest in one of the many books on Linux for beginners if you have not 
already done so.  You have taken a good first step in asking for help.  You 
have much to learn; most of the hard work is forgetting what you have learnt 
from Windows.

I would advise you to become familiar with the native Linux system before you 
try to run Windows programs.  As for me, I have some old 32 and 16 bit 
Windows programs that I need to run from time to time.  To do so I have used 
the proprietary program Win4Lin for some years.  This allows me to run 
Windows as an application within Linux, so I have the best of both worlds.

Good luck.

Basil     


On Wednesday 08 Nov 2006 19:20, Mike Goral wrote:
> Just installed this operating system and am slowly learning.  One thing
> that puzzles me is when I download an installation program to the desktop,
> I can't figure out how to execute it.  For instance, if I download a media
> player, I'll get an icon on my desktop for an exe program to install the
> player.  In Windows, I would just double click this and it would run to
> install the program.  This doesn't work on this operating system and I'm
> stumped.  BTW, only very modestly computer literate.  .  Thanks in advance
> for any help.
>
> Mike G
>
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