I am having software problems.

Please how can i use Ubuntu to clean viruses from an external storage device.

> I just installed Ubuntu 9.04 on my system which use to have windows

i hope you have not installed Ubuntu inside Windows using Wubi...

I suggest you to install Ubuntu NOT using Wubi.

If you have installed Ubuntu via Wubi please uninstall it read
http://wubi-installer.org/faq.php and https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide

Installing Ubuntu using Wubi make Ubuntu less robust and all problems that you will have to Windows can be affect your Ubuntu partition file.

I strongly suggest you to install Ubuntu+Windows in dual mode creating a real Ubuntu ext3 or ext4 partition.
In this mode you can use Ubuntu and Windows ad usual and then using installed Ubuntu you can save or repair damaged (due viruses or other issue) Windows partitions data.

- Here the steps to install Ubuntu 9.04 https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

> on it but i cant install some programs i have been using on windows on this Ubuntu O.S.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SwitchingToUbuntu/FromWindows
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wine

> and secondly i dont know how to install plug-ins for audio and video.

Play mp3 and dvd under Ubuntu install skype googleearth acroread and other stuffs using Medibuntu

First please install https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats

You need to have extra repositories enabled..

Please first enable the universe and multiverse repository:

Open System → Administration → Software sources → [ Tab Ubuntu software ]

enable "Community-maintained Open Source software ( universe )"
enable "Proprietary drivers for devices ( restricted )"
enable "Software restrictecd by copyright or legal issue ( multiverse )"

Close and confirm the repository reload.

Then open a Terminal from the menu Applications→Accessories→Terminal

Tip: right click with mouse on the terminal title caption and select the item "Always on Top" doing this you will force the terminal window to stay on top of the other windows and you will find very easy to copy single row from this web page into the terminal...
Something more about using the terminal https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal

Then type or better copy and paste a row a time then press enter:
(Tip: select the single row to copy then right click into the terminal and to quick paste click with middle button of mouse )

and type or better copy and paste:

sudo aptitude install vlc smplayer mplayer

To get better dvd playback and optional packages here the medibuntu available software list http://packages.medibuntu.org/
you need to add the medibuntu http://www.medibuntu.org/ repository to your /etc/apt/sources.list file:
( here the medibuntu howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu but see below )

In short please open a Terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories → Terminal and type or copy and paste:

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/`lsb_release -cs`.list --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list; sudo apt-get -q update; sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring; sudo apt-get -q update

-- give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter

Now to install, type:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras libxine1-ffmpeg
sudo aptitude install libdvdread3 libdvdnav4 libdvdcss2 regionset gnome-mplayer
sudo aptitude install non-free-codecs w32codecs
sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-pitfdll gstreamer0.10-plugins-good
sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

You can also install other Medibuntu repository provided optional software http://packages.medibuntu.org/ :

sudo apt-get install skype
sudo apt-get install googleearth
sudo apt-get install acroread

Hope this helps

===============================================================================================

Install Acrobat reader and other stuffs using Medibuntu

Here the medibuntu available software list http://packages.medibuntu.org/
you need to add the medibuntu http://www.medibuntu.org/ repository to your /etc/apt/sources.list file:
( here the medibuntu howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu but see below )

In short open a terminal (applications → accessories → terminal): type or better copy and paste the rows, below, one row a time then press enter:
(when the system ask you a password give your user password, you will not see nothing when you type it, then press enter)

ubu_codename=$(sudo lsb_release -c | cut -d: -f 2 | sed 's/^[ \t]*//;s/[ \t]*$//')

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/$ubu_codename.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list

wget -q http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add - && sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get update

Confirm you trust Medibuntu repository type Y and press enter

Now to install Acrobat reader, type:

sudo apt-get install acroread

Hope this helps

To remove virus from an external storage device please install a Ubuntu antivirus and then scan it...

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Antivirus

Hope this helps

shane fagan suggests this article as an answer to your question:
FAQ #66: “Installing software in ubuntu”.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SwitchingToUbuntu/FromWindows

Hi again :)

My last link was just for a quick scroll through and for occasional use to look things up in.

To sort out all your multimedia please work through all the steps in this guide except the optional step.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu
I tend not to read through it, i just copy the relevant parts straight onto the command-line using the mouse
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal#Starting%20a%20Terminal

Usually eveything works then
Good luck and regards from
Tom :)