Overview

To get your work done on a computer, you use application programs. They let you create documents, crunch data, and communicate with others. As an engine for running applications, Red Hat Linux is becoming more viable every day. Not too long ago, there were only a handful of user-friendly applications available. Now there are hundreds — and they're getting more powerful and friendlier all the time.

This chapter describes how to get applications for Red Hat Linux and run them. In particular, it teaches you how to download applications from the Internet and to uncompress and install them. For running native Linux applications, this chapter focuses on graphical-based applications (run on an X desktop, including applications distributed over the network).

Besides programs that were specifically created for (or ported to) Linux, it is possible to run applications that were intended for other operating systems. This chapter describes emulators that are available to use with Red Hat Linux for running applications created for Windows, DOS, and Macintosh operating systems.