Dell Inspiron 600 converted to Ubuntu, missing apps?

[sledgehammer001]

Hi, guys and gals. I'm new to Linux and having operator difficulty. I need a little input as to what I need for basic use. I am totally lost! I need an MP4 player program, among other little things. I'm using Ubuntu 11.10 and thanks for any input! Jon

[jayd512]

Welcome to LinuxForums!

If you're truly new to Linux, then I'm guessing that you are just needing some guidance on what program does what.
There are 2 easy things you can do to get acclimated.
Look at your Applications menu. See what you have installed.
Second, see this page: The Linux Alternative Project
You'll see plenty of options for Linux software that can take the place of Windows applications.

Incidentally, VLC will handle most any file type you throw at it.
If it's not installed already, it's as easy as typing

sudo apt-get install vlc

in a terminal window.

[sledgehammer001]

Thank, jayd512! yes, I'm 100% new to Linux. And the last time I had to write commands, I had a TRS80! I just found linuxnewbieguide.org so maybe I'll get the hang of it yet. that and some help from people like you. Thanks again for the help! Jon

[jayd512]

Take a look here, as well.
GUI tools are nice. But it's always nice to be able to get a few things done from a command line, too.