first timer really stuck!!

[mikesz]

Im completely new to linux (and these forums) so please bear with me!!!

Hello to everyone and I hope you can help - although I know my way around DOS/Windows like the back of my hand, I thought I would give Linux a go so I have installed Sabayon 3.2. whilst it is all very nice, I havent got a clue how to 'install' things - ive downloaded an office program and an instant messenger which downloaded to my desktop (any help on organising files as well would be great cos at the moment, I have no idea where everything is!) and I cant do anything with them. The downloads have come down as 'rpm' files and when I double click on them it asks me what I want to run them in. Ive tried a few things out that I found on google using the run command line but none of which seem to help - in essense, how the heck do you download and install anything on this OS? I want to carry on using linux but at the moment its soooo difficult to use im being put off!

[Juan Pablo]

Sabayon is a Gentoo derivative, you use Portage to install packages.

emerge -av gaim

for example will download and install an instant messenger for your, you can't install RPMs on Sabayon