(eg: I want to install an app, called, for example, “foobar”
the magic command line (quicker even than googling) is:

$ foobar

dont work first try? then maybe it’ll say (approx):

“the program foobar is not installed. The package foobar is provided by
foobar foobar-snafu foobar-sdk”

….so….simply
sudo apt-get install foobar

now, if u DONT get a “not installed/provided by” message, the key google search phrase is

google: “sudo apt-get install” +foobar

to this I often add a year, eg “2007″ or maybe something like “7.04″ or “feisty”. Things move fast with linux nowadays

that outta do it, usually takes u straight to a wiki or a good howto where u can cut/paste it all, nice and fast.

Other tips:

Check for a date on an article first, an enthusiastic but complicated howto from 2002 is going to be hard going, and the result not very useful.

Use sudo apt-get update a lot (gets new package version info for your local APT database )
Do sudo apt-get upgrade only _occasionally_ to upgrade ALL installed software, (if it aint broke…. etc)

If using VMware take advantage of snapshots or backups to allow you to undo changes if you get carried away
(If using a REAL machine partition a drive smaller and install a second copy of linux (no licence fees) so u have a fast way to edit that critical .conf file u screwed up with excitement. If it’s Ubuntu, u could always boot from the Live cd to troubleshoot screwups. I change my installed-OS desktop colors if I’m messing a lot, u forget u are working on the CD sometimes, leading to “oops,wrongfilesystem” sorta things)

Keep just ONE terminal window open for your sudo and apt-getting stuff, usually the sudo-ing passowrd is required for each NEW instance or a terminal, but is cached and re-used if u don’t close that terminal window.

If you’re not sure what the heck you’re pasting, just don’t copy the “sudo” bit at the start; paste the main body of the command then think on it, then google for more info etc. When you’re happy, manually type the “sudo” at the start and let her rip (kinda like using a safety catch)

Make the terminal/console/commandline window topmost (right-click the window’s top bar usually) , and no bigger than about 1/4 of the screen size. That way u can get thru even huge how-to’s in a couple of minutes . This works a treat for Gentoo via ssh btw ;)

If you’re doing a lot of this sorta development appliance, just use and old machine (P3/1GHz, 512MB is more than good)and run it headless from another room. Use Putty to get to a command line. VNC would give you a gui, although there are neater/better ways (X11vnc over ssh) VNC isnt secure by default u see. I mention this because I’ve never really been happy longterm with VM’s on windoze (network-y hassles eventually), although on Linux host I found them rocksolid and faster BTW.

Oh, and you really should try to call it “software update” not “windows update”. :)
With modern linux, a lot of newcomers get confused about the difference between the underlying OS (eg Linux), the DIstro (eg Ubuntu, ), the installed packages (eg Java, Sylpheed, OOo, Cowsay!) , the Desktop Environment (eg Gnome, Fluxbox), and the X-WINDOWS display system itself, it’s more like just the gui display infrastructure. If ever u manage to really screw/lock up the GUI doing something stupid or strange, try CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE to restart the GUI, no reboot - compare that to Windows….
There is no single update-place, there are hundreds, thousands even. It’s hasn’t even given me a single hassle :)

Linux admin/installing requires almost no reboots, so make sure to schedule/remember toilet breaks or little accidents can happen :)

wow, i just filled your blogserver….sorry :)