Resolution/INstalling programs

[NadeMaster]

I need some help. Maybe someone can link me to an FAQ or guide or something to help me with my new linux laptop. Anyways i want to change my screen resolution. Right now it is on 640x480 WAY TOO BIG!!!!!!!!I want to make the resolution higher like to 1024x768. I know it is possible because wheni was running mac it worked on 1024x768. I tried going in to some X11 file and edditing the .conf but it was locked and i couldn't figure out how to unlock it so please help

Ok second part is i want to know how to install programs such as Wine or Firefox. So can someone please help me and i am sorry for all of the noobish questions. I am really good at windows but as i read in that long lengthy Linux does not = Windows thing i now know it doesn't matter. I am a novince. So someone please help me. Thanks

[devils casper]

I need some help. Maybe someone can link me to an FAQ or guide or something to help me with my new linux laptop. Anyways i want to change my screen resolution. Right now it is on 640x480 WAY TOO BIG!!!!!!!!I want to make the resolution higher like to 1024x768. I know it is possible because wheni was running mac it worked on 1024x768. I tried going in to some X11 file and edditing the .conf but it was locked and i couldn't figure out how to unlock it so please help

You must have root privileges to edit xorg.conf file.
Execute this

su 
nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Edit xorg.conf file and in case it doesn't work, execute this

lspci | grep VGA
cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf | grep Driver

Post output here.

[lugoteehalt]

Ok second part is i want to know how to install programs such as Wine or Firefox. So can someone please help me and i am sorry for all of the noobish questions. I am really good at windows but as i read in that long lengthy Linux does not = Windows thing i now know it doesn't matter. I am a novince. So someone please help me. Thanks

Assuming it's Debian:

$ apt-get install <package name - e.g. firefox or something like that, not the name of the whole package file: blah-blah_blah-12.34.deb>

$ deselect
then go to select....<space>..../firefox....install....etc..

aptitude is meant to be friendlier than dselect, can't see it myself.