1. Click-N-Run (CNR): This is the easiest and most suggested method (especially for new users). This is the only supported method by which programs are to be installed to Linspire . This method displays the actual power of Linspire .
2. Debian .DEB Packages: Since Linspire is based on Debian GNU/Linux, it is possible to also install packages made for Debian. You do this by opening a Console (Terminal Window Command Line) and, at the prompt, typing: dpkg -i nameoffile.deb.
3. RedHat RPM Packages: Allthough RPMs are not supported you can install a program called Alien to convert most RPMs into DEBs so you can install them with DPKG,
4. Apt-Get : The POWER of Debian (and what Click-N-Run is based on). apt-get works from the commandline and is a tool that downloads the program that you want, sorts out the dependencies and configures the program after downloading. it works like this : apt-get install program
5. Synaptic : Synaptic is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for apt-get so you can use it from within a more friendly environment.
6. LOKI Installer and Scripts : Commercial software like Games or programs like Star Office, Crossover Office, etc. use a installer script to install (.sh) most of these are based on the LOKI installer made by LOKI Games (Unfortunatly Loki Games is no more) to install games that were ported from Windows to Linux.
7. Compile from a source tarball : This is the part where you need the .configure , make and make install this is the old way of installing software, most software these days comes as pre-packaged RPM (RedHat and RedHat bases), TGZ (Slackware) or sometimes DEB (Debian and Debian based). the good thing about these sources is that you configure the program to your system so it should run better then any of the other methods (allthough software in Click-N-Run is also tweaked to work very well in Linspire ).